MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Yankees

Yankees Minor League Update (8/26-9/7)

(Note: The MiLB regular season ended on Monday, September 7th. This will mark the end of the Minor League Update series until next season. Thanks for reading!)

Prospects of the Week:

Domingo Acevedo, SP

He’s 6’7”, 242 pounds. His fastball tops out at 103, and his secondary pitches are nothing to mess with either. He has a 1.69 ERA in Low-A this season. Do I have your attention yet? Hopefully I do, because Domingo Acevedo is a serious name to watch in the Yankees system. To start, it’s clear that Acevedo has elite size. He’s maxed out physically, with a massive frame that supports his massive fastball. Speaking of fastballs, it’s by far Acevedo’s best pitch. He’s been measured throwing a 103 mph fastball, regularly topping out at 101 mph. The fastball is not straight, as it does have above-average life, and with a bit better command, the pitch could be a plus-plus offering. His best secondary pitch is likely his slider. It’s not close to the fastball, but with some polish it could be average to slightly above. Acevedo, unlike many flame throwing prospects, also has a usable third offering in his changeup. It’s still developing, but with hitters stuck looking out for a triple-digit fastball, the changeup could become an effective average pitch. Acevedo is clearly not the typical 21-year old, but he gets even more unique when it comes to command. Much of the time, a pitcher with a huge fastball is held back due to command. In the case of Acevedo, his command is actually average with a chance to get even better.

Obviously, on talent alone, Acevedo has the pure upside of an ace. That being said, he has an inconsistent delivery and his stamina is quite poor at the moment, with fastball velocity significantly dropping throughout his outing. With that in mind, Acevedo is more likely to end up as a reliever. Luckily, he can be a shutdown closer. Acevedo was great in Low-A, with a 1.69 ERA, 9.94 K/9, and decent 2.81 BB/9 (Acevedo was a bit old for the level, though, at 21). He also had one start in A-Ball, in which he gave up a run in 1.2 innings. Acevedo will start next season in A-Ball, and the Yankees will give him every chance to be a starter. With three pitches that will play in the major leagues, Acevedo stands a decent shot of starting in the big leagues. If Acevedo is moved to the bullpen, though, he could move very quickly. With possibly the biggest upside in the Yankees system, Acevedo could become a front of the rotation starter if all goes well, and with a fall back plan of dominant reliever, the future is very bright for this Yankees prospect.

Eric Jagielo, 3B

The Yankees farm system has been hit pretty hard this season by injuries, with some top prospects, including Ty Hensley, Ian Clarkin, and Domingo German, falling victim to injury. Another prospect to miss developmental time due to an injury is Eric Jagielo. Jagielo had a promising start to the season, with a .284/.347/.495 slash line in Double-A. Unfortunately, the third baseman injured his knee after 58 games, and underwent arthroscopic knee surgery, ending his season. In addition to missing valuable time, a significant side effect of this injury is that it could move Jagielo off of third base. He already has limited range, and knee surgery couldn’t have helped. While this season has been a relative loss for Jagielo, there is still plenty to like with the prospect.

Jagielo features plus power in his left handed bat, as well as a potentially above average hit tool. This combination should be enough for him to be a first-division starter at third base in the majors, or a second-division starting first baseman. Before falling victim to injury, Jagielo had a good start to this season in his first go around in Double-A. This is particularly encouraging, as Jagielo was disappointing last season, hitting .259 with a noticeable platoon split at High-A. Now, with his knee healed, Jagielo will head to the Arizona Fall League to make up for missed reps. Scouts will keep a close eye on Jagielo to see how he is moving after the surgery, as diminished range could play a large factor in his future.

Scranton Wilkes/Barre RailRiders (81-63)

Notable Performances From The Week:
RF Aaron Judge: 5-21, 2B, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K

Trenton Thunder (71-71)

Notable Performances From The Week:
SS Tyler Wade: 9-28, R, SB, 9 K
OF Jake Skole: 7-19, 2B, 2 HR, 2 R, 5 RBI, CS, 4 K
RHP Rookie Davis: 6.0 IP, 2 R/ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 5 K
LHP Caleb Smith: 7.0 IP, 1 R/ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K

Tampa Yankees (67-72)

Notable Performances From The Week:
3B Miguel Andujar: 5-19, RBI, 3 BB, 4 K, 2 SB
CF Dustin Fowler: 4-20, 2 R, 2 K
LHP Dietrich Enns: 6.0 IP, 0 R/ER, 4 H, 1 BB, 3 K

Charleston RiverDogs (67-74)

Notable Performances From The Week:
3B Donny Sands: 7-24, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, CS, BB, 5 K
RHP Joey Maher: 7.0 IP, 0 R/ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 3 K
RHP Matt Wotherspoon: 6.0 IP, 1 R/ER, 6 H, 0 BB, 10 K

Staten Island Yankees (41-34)

Notable Performances From The Week:
OF Trey Amburgey: 3-20, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB, CS, BB, 4 K
RHP Domingo Acevedo: 6.0 IP, 0 R/ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K
RHP Kolton Mahoney: 7.0 IP, 0 R/ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 9 K

Pulaski Yankees (45-23)

Notable Performances From The Week:
CF Carlos Vidal: 3-13, 2B, R, 2 RBI, SB, BB, K
SS Hoy Jun Park: 4-16, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K
LHP Nestor Cortes: 6.0 IP, 1 R/ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K

(Photo: Kim Klement-USA Today Sports)

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