|
|
Post by inger on Dec 31, 2023 19:55:29 GMT -5
u 😂 With a self deprecating sense of humor. I like it… 😂 Boards should also have some humor along with the "real" posters! If I step over the line, just give me 10 lashes with a wet noodle!  BTW - Happy New Year!      I doubt you’ll step any further over than has already been done here many many many and more many times… |
|
|
|
Post by rizzuto on Dec 31, 2023 20:20:06 GMT -5
Boards should also have some humor along with the "real" posters! If I step over the line, just give me 10 lashes with a wet noodle! BTW - Happy New Year! I doubt you’ll step any further over than has already been done here many many many and more many times… If any of our new posters want data to that end, simply buy my book on Amazon.com: "Burning The Envelope: The Troubling Opinionated History Of Leon Ingerson.''  |
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Dec 31, 2023 21:29:29 GMT -5
Yankees prospect Austin Wells receives high praise in FanGraphs' new top 36 list Now, as soon as the Red Sox list drops, we know we'll be inundated with gushing reviews of Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony (fine). But, for now, it feels good to bask in watching a bat-first lefty prospect find his lumber in real time at the MLB level last September, changing experts' view of his ceiling in the process. "Wells grew on me pretty substantially during my offseason review. He still has some warts, which I’ll talk about in a second, but his overall offensive ability should provide enough impact for him to break the profound University of Arizona hitter drought the game has experienced since Scott Kingery‘s swoon. Wells’ swing is beautifully connected from the ground up. The blend of his barrel control and the natural lift in his swing gives him a potent contact and power combination, which will likely make him a valuable hitter even if he ends up being unable to catch. His peak exit velos weren’t incredible in 2023, but Wells was working back from a rib injury that may have sapped his explosiveness. In the past, I’ve been concerned about his inability to make contact with fastballs running up and away from him, but he wasn’t as helpless against them when you put on his late-2023 tape. Anyone with a swing as uphill as Wells’ is going to swing underneath a lot of fastballs in that location, but he snatches his fair share of them and is dangerous enough in this part of the zone to alleviate some of my past apprehension." - FanGraphs Wells grew on our untrained eyes fairly substantially, too, and while a good degree of that optimism comes from a longtime rooting interest, he objectively cracked a code at the MLB level by the end of September, finishing the season on a power streak. His defense, shockingly, looked ahead of his offense when he debuted, and though Dominguez's powerhouse debut stole some of his shine, by the end of the season, Wells was the one still raking. Ideally, he's able to effectively platoon with 2022 All-Star Jose Trevino for all 162 games of 2024, with no further rib injuries sapping his shine. yanksgoyard.com/posts/fangraphs-austin-wells-assessment-suggests-major-newfound-yankees-optimism-01hj1a8tx578 |
|
|
|
Post by inger on Dec 31, 2023 23:27:05 GMT -5
I doubt you’ll step any further over than has already been done here many many many and more many times… If any of our new posters want data to that end, simply buy my book on Amazon.com:  "Burning The Envelope:  The Troubling Opinionated History Of Leon Ingerson.''  I offer no opinion about this opinion… |
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 1, 2024 10:33:03 GMT -5
Yankees 3 dark horse impact players for the 2024 season empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-yankees/yankees-3-dark-horse-impact-players-for-the-2024-season/The Overlooked Addition in the Juan Soto Trade Trent Grisham is one of the most tantalizing defenders in baseball, playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at a premier position in centerfield. While he hasn’t hit much in the past two seasons, the 27-year-old outfielder has plenty of upside and could take advantage of the short porch in right field for more home run power. He slashed just .198/.315/.352 for a 91 wRC+ but was still worth 1.7 fWAR due to his excellent glove in center field, and there’s plenty to be enticed by in his profile. In 2024, Grisham barreled 11.8% of batted balls and walked 13.5% of the time, and generating damage contact while working plenty of walks should usually result in an above-average hitter. He puts the ball in the air plenty but only pulls 24.4% of his flyballs, something that the Yankees could tweak to generate more home run power. Steamer likes what Trent Grisham can provide in 2024, with a 104 wRC+ and .405 SLG% in 65 games, but if he plays like that, he might find himself in the lineup more often than not. Alex Verdugo is viewed as a breakout candidate as well in the Bronx, but Grisham’s glove in centerfield makes him an excellent fit regardless of the defensive alignment, whereas Verdugo is limited to just the corner outfield. This also places pressure on Giancarlo Stanton, who had just an 89 wRC+ this past season, as his time in pinstripes could be nearing an end if this season isn’t up to snuff. Grisham is the team’s security blanket in the outfield, and his career 34 OAA and 25 DRS in centerfield show some pretty exciting upside for a reliable defender with left-handed power. Centerfield has consistently been an issue for the Yankees, and while they’ll try to run out Aaron Judge there for now, his body may not hold up at that demanding of a position over 162 games. Injuries have been a constant for the Yankees, and Grisham can sell durability as part of his package as well, not taking fewer than 500 plate appearances in each of the last three seasons and playing 59 of the Padres’ 60 regular season games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Youth and durability are two things this team sorely needed, and when you get that in a two-time Gold Glove centerfielder, there’s a lot to like for the Yankees. Yankees Could Debut a New Pitching Prospect Will Warren was one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the Yankees’ organization this past season, sporting a 3.35 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A, the latter being the highest-scoring run environments across MiLB. The right-hander displayed excellent stuff and pitch shapes with a sweeping slider and strong sinker, but he’d add some new tricks to his bag to elevate his game even more in 2023. Over the final month of the season, Warren began leaning more on his four-seam fastball, and as a result, he held left-handed hitters to a .300 OPS, and he pitched to the tune of a 0.63 ERA. His 124.5 Stuff+ was the best for any pitcher with over 500 pitches thrown at that level, and his 3.61 ERA was the fourth-best for any pitcher with at least 80 innings at that level. Warren is an excellent pitcher whose upside bodes well for future projections, as his 4.30 projected ERA over 109 innings would make for a pretty strong fifth starter. If they can’t find a starter on the market, rolling the dice with the 24-year-old isn’t a bad gamble either, especially given the fact that Warren is likely good for 140-150 innings this upcoming season. We’ve seen teams act aggressively with pitching prospects, and the Yankees doing the same thing would certainly raise eyebrows, but it’s a risk that could pay off big time. They’d need to add depth around him, and I’d prefer if the team traded for an arm like Shane Bieber, but I also understand that the pitching market is heavily inflated due to a high demand and shortening supply. He isn’t the top pitcher in the organization; that would be Chase Hampton, but Warren is still an MLB-ready arm with plenty of upside. The right-hander has a knack for generating groundballs and generated a decent amount of whiffs as well, and the Yankees could be looking at an arm that bolsters their rotation or bullpen based on what they need. Losing Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito stung, but the organization has the internal depth to make up the value they lost, and it would also allow for the team to save their trade chips and money for the deadline, where we could see even more pitchers enter the trade market. Ranked in the top 10 of the Yankees’ organization by both FanGraphs and Baseball America, Will Warren is the pitching prospect who has the chance to make the biggest impact on the 2024 team right out of the gate. Pick to Click in the Yankees’ Bullpen for 2024 MLB: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies May 19, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Nick Burdi (49) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports The final player on this list that we’re going to discuss is Nick Burdi, who is my pick to be the random reliever who turns into a stud for the team in 2024. Burdi has had virtually no MLB success, but he also has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball. His four-seamer and slider are outright devastating from a lower-slot release, and he can run it up to 100 MPH when he’s going right. Burdi is entering his age-30 season, and while that’s much later than when most players break out, we’ve seen pitchers take longer to click, especially in the modern era of development where pitchers are re-discovering themselves in their 30s. Command has been an issue for Burdi as he’s walked a lot of batters over the past few seasons across various professional levels, but when he throws strikes, he gets plenty of whiffs. Even in his brief 15.1 innings of MLB work, the right-hander has struck out 27 batters faced, and if the Yankees can tap into that for a full season, he could be an underrated weapon for the Bronx Bombers. Looking at his Stuff+ numbers in Triple-A, it’s hard not to be enticed by what his upside could be if the pitch sequencing and location are even remotely decent: FF: 136 SI: 115.8 SL: 109.5 Using his four-seamer primarily against left-handed batters and his sinker primarily against right-handed batters would give him a better platoon advantage, and pitchers with multiple fastballs can tunnel them to throw hitters off as well. That sharp slider with double-digit horizontal movement fits the profile of sweeping sliders that the Yankees love, and it can get up to the upper 80s and even touch 90 MPH. He’s projected for a 3.88 ERA in 2024, and if Matt Blake and Sam Briend can unlock a bit more in this profile, this could be another success story for the Yankees’ bullpen. |
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 1, 2024 10:37:12 GMT -5
New York Yankees Whiffing on Yoshinobu Yamamoto has cast a shadow on the Yankees' winter. That's too bad because Brian Cashman did good work landing Juan Soto and Trent Grisham without giving up any of the organization's top three prospects. Your mileage may vary on fellow trade additions Alex Verdugo and Victor González, though both could end up as positive contributors. We'd like to see the Yankees add another starting pitcher this winter, but we feel decent enough about their offseason -- and specifically the Soto trade -- to give them kudos for their efforts thus far. Grade: A. www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/2023-mlb-offseason-grades-dodgers-yankees-earn-a-at-winter-midpoint-mets-padres-astros-close-to-failing/ |
|
|
|
Post by inger on Jan 1, 2024 11:01:26 GMT -5
Yankees 3 dark horse impact players for the 2024 season empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-yankees/yankees-3-dark-horse-impact-players-for-the-2024-season/The Overlooked Addition in the Juan Soto Trade Trent Grisham is one of the most tantalizing defenders in baseball, playing Gold Glove-caliber defense at a premier position in centerfield. While he hasn’t hit much in the past two seasons, the 27-year-old outfielder has plenty of upside and could take advantage of the short porch in right field for more home run power. He slashed just .198/.315/.352 for a 91 wRC+ but was still worth 1.7 fWAR due to his excellent glove in center field, and there’s plenty to be enticed by in his profile. In 2024, Grisham barreled 11.8% of batted balls and walked 13.5% of the time, and generating damage contact while working plenty of walks should usually result in an above-average hitter. He puts the ball in the air plenty but only pulls 24.4% of his flyballs, something that the Yankees could tweak to generate more home run power. Steamer likes what Trent Grisham can provide in 2024, with a 104 wRC+ and .405 SLG% in 65 games, but if he plays like that, he might find himself in the lineup more often than not. Alex Verdugo is viewed as a breakout candidate as well in the Bronx, but Grisham’s glove in centerfield makes him an excellent fit regardless of the defensive alignment, whereas Verdugo is limited to just the corner outfield. This also places pressure on Giancarlo Stanton, who had just an 89 wRC+ this past season, as his time in pinstripes could be nearing an end if this season isn’t up to snuff. Grisham is the team’s security blanket in the outfield, and his career 34 OAA and 25 DRS in centerfield show some pretty exciting upside for a reliable defender with left-handed power. Centerfield has consistently been an issue for the Yankees, and while they’ll try to run out Aaron Judge there for now, his body may not hold up at that demanding of a position over 162 games. Injuries have been a constant for the Yankees, and Grisham can sell durability as part of his package as well, not taking fewer than 500 plate appearances in each of the last three seasons and playing 59 of the Padres’ 60 regular season games in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Youth and durability are two things this team sorely needed, and when you get that in a two-time Gold Glove centerfielder, there’s a lot to like for the Yankees. Yankees Could Debut a New Pitching Prospect Will Warren was one of the most exciting pitching prospects in the Yankees’ organization this past season, sporting a 3.35 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A, the latter being the highest-scoring run environments across MiLB. The right-hander displayed excellent stuff and pitch shapes with a sweeping slider and strong sinker, but he’d add some new tricks to his bag to elevate his game even more in 2023. Over the final month of the season, Warren began leaning more on his four-seam fastball, and as a result, he held left-handed hitters to a .300 OPS, and he pitched to the tune of a 0.63 ERA. His 124.5 Stuff+ was the best for any pitcher with over 500 pitches thrown at that level, and his 3.61 ERA was the fourth-best for any pitcher with at least 80 innings at that level. Warren is an excellent pitcher whose upside bodes well for future projections, as his 4.30 projected ERA over 109 innings would make for a pretty strong fifth starter. If they can’t find a starter on the market, rolling the dice with the 24-year-old isn’t a bad gamble either, especially given the fact that Warren is likely good for 140-150 innings this upcoming season. We’ve seen teams act aggressively with pitching prospects, and the Yankees doing the same thing would certainly raise eyebrows, but it’s a risk that could pay off big time. They’d need to add depth around him, and I’d prefer if the team traded for an arm like Shane Bieber, but I also understand that the pitching market is heavily inflated due to a high demand and shortening supply. He isn’t the top pitcher in the organization; that would be Chase Hampton, but Warren is still an MLB-ready arm with plenty of upside. The right-hander has a knack for generating groundballs and generated a decent amount of whiffs as well, and the Yankees could be looking at an arm that bolsters their rotation or bullpen based on what they need. Losing Randy Vasquez and Jhony Brito stung, but the organization has the internal depth to make up the value they lost, and it would also allow for the team to save their trade chips and money for the deadline, where we could see even more pitchers enter the trade market. Ranked in the top 10 of the Yankees’ organization by both FanGraphs and Baseball America, Will Warren is the pitching prospect who has the chance to make the biggest impact on the 2024 team right out of the gate. Pick to Click in the Yankees’ Bullpen for 2024 MLB: Chicago Cubs at Philadelphia Phillies May 19, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Chicago Cubs relief pitcher Nick Burdi (49) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports The final player on this list that we’re going to discuss is Nick Burdi, who is my pick to be the random reliever who turns into a stud for the team in 2024. Burdi has had virtually no MLB success, but he also has some of the nastiest stuff in baseball. His four-seamer and slider are outright devastating from a lower-slot release, and he can run it up to 100 MPH when he’s going right. Burdi is entering his age-30 season, and while that’s much later than when most players break out, we’ve seen pitchers take longer to click, especially in the modern era of development where pitchers are re-discovering themselves in their 30s. Command has been an issue for Burdi as he’s walked a lot of batters over the past few seasons across various professional levels, but when he throws strikes, he gets plenty of whiffs. Even in his brief 15.1 innings of MLB work, the right-hander has struck out 27 batters faced, and if the Yankees can tap into that for a full season, he could be an underrated weapon for the Bronx Bombers. Looking at his Stuff+ numbers in Triple-A, it’s hard not to be enticed by what his upside could be if the pitch sequencing and location are even remotely decent: FF: 136 SI: 115.8 SL: 109.5 Using his four-seamer primarily against left-handed batters and his sinker primarily against right-handed batters would give him a better platoon advantage, and pitchers with multiple fastballs can tunnel them to throw hitters off as well. That sharp slider with double-digit horizontal movement fits the profile of sweeping sliders that the Yankees love, and it can get up to the upper 80s and even touch 90 MPH. He’s projected for a 3.88 ERA in 2024, and if Matt Blake and Sam Briend can unlock a bit more in this profile, this could be another success story for the Yankees’ bullpen. I’m not betting the house on Burdi, but it would be great if he’s an untapped talent. Most likely this will turn out bad and it won’t be long before it’s bye-bye, Burdi… We’ve been there before with Greg Bird… potential vs. health… |
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 2, 2024 9:50:35 GMT -5
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: There’s still plenty of offseason left to go, but we’ve reached 2024 and the Yankees remain one of four teams to guarantee precisely $0 in free agent money this winter. The Cubs, Marlins, and Rockies also haven’t committed any money via free agent deals. This analysis of course leaves out the high-cost acquisition of Soto, but it’s still a little startling to see it laid out so plainly that the Yankees haven’t written a check yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 2, 2024 9:51:02 GMT -5
New York Daily News | James O’Connell: Once one of the team’s most valued prospects, Oswald Peraza has fallen into limbo. The 23-year-old still has plenty of potential, but after a shaky showing in inconsistent playing time across 2023, it’s not clear what the best path forward is for Peraza and the Yankees. The most likely scenario involves Peraza backing up across the infield, spelling DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe when needed. That could lead to another run of scattershot playing time, not necessarily the best thing for Peraza’s development as a talented young player.
|
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 2, 2024 9:53:30 GMT -5
New York Yankees Will the real Carlos Rodón stand up? Perhaps no player carries a wider range of outcomes on this team than the lefty starter entering his second season in the Bronx. Rodón was one of a long list of disappointments for the Yankees in 2023, not only for his missed time but also for the subpar quality he delivered when out there. Perhaps it was the fact that the team had bigger, more organizational failings, but I get the feeling that Rodón didn’t quite get the heat as other struggling stars got in their first taste of New York (not until the truly disastrous end anyway). This is just strictly pointing out facts, not that it was a bad thing by any means. Maybe it was the fact he was injured in the first half, and the season was already off the rails by the time he got healthy. Heading into 2024, the Yankees missed out on their biggest starting pitching target, and whatever moves are ultimately made to fill the Yamamoto void, the pressure will be on Rodón to deliver on a staff without much depth beyond ace Gerrit Cole. The good news is that from 2021-22, he showed the complete ability to deliver on everything expected of him. Check out Malachi’s article from the other day for more on what the southpaw needs to do to rebound. www.pinstripealley.com/2024/1/1/24020753/yankees-new-years-resolutions-red-sox-mlb-al-east-orioles-blue-jays-rays-new-year |
|
|
|
Post by jiminy on Jan 2, 2024 10:12:47 GMT -5
Yankeesource: Anthony Volpe: it’s unlikely that he’ll get over all of his issues in one offseason but a slight increase in consistency could pay big dividends in 2024. Improving his on-base skills is something that would boost the bottom of the lineup. He was unable to utilize his speed much this year but that comes with the growing pains. There’s a lot more to his game that was lost in translation last year.
|
|
|
|
Post by kaybli on Jan 2, 2024 10:25:05 GMT -5
New York Daily News | James O’Connell: Once one of the team’s most valued prospects, Oswald Peraza has fallen into limbo. The 23-year-old still has plenty of potential, but after a shaky showing in inconsistent playing time across 2023, it’s not clear what the best path forward is for Peraza and the Yankees. The most likely scenario involves Peraza backing up across the infield, spelling DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe when needed. That could lead to another run of scattershot playing time, not necessarily the best thing for Peraza’s development as a talented young player. I think Peraza is trade bait for a pitcher. |
|
|
|
Post by azbob643 on Jan 2, 2024 11:12:13 GMT -5
New York Daily News | James O’Connell: Once one of the team’s most valued prospects, Oswald Peraza has fallen into limbo. The 23-year-old still has plenty of potential, but after a shaky showing in inconsistent playing time across 2023, it’s not clear what the best path forward is for Peraza and the Yankees. The most likely scenario involves Peraza backing up across the infield, spelling DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, and Anthony Volpe when needed. That could lead to another run of scattershot playing time, not necessarily the best thing for Peraza’s development as a talented young player. I think Peraza is trade bait for a pitcher. Makes sense, since they're not gonna play him at SS. |
|
|
|
Post by Max on Jan 2, 2024 11:15:11 GMT -5
I think Peraza is trade bait for a pitcher. I agree. I think either him or Torres are going to be part of a trade to possibly the Marlins. The Marlins also need a Catcher. In my opinion, the Yankees still have too many Catchers on their 40 man roster. Both Lazardo and or Garrett could be Yankees. |
|
|
|
Post by vtfan on Jan 2, 2024 11:46:28 GMT -5
I'd keep Ben Rice, though, since besides catching he can play 1B, which we might need if Rizzo gets injured again and/or leaves at the end of the year. Rice is a LH bat and shows signs of being a more than capable hitter, but we should wait and see how he does at (hopefully he'll be promoted to) AAA this year. The fact that we didn't go for Bellinger who also could've played 1B next year after playing CF this year makes Rice serve as a kind of insurance, in my opinion. But at least keep him for now. There are other fairly successful minor-league catchers we can trade.
|
|
