Don’t forget to pick up your copy of the The 2022 Prospect Digest Handbook here!
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1. Anthony Volpe, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 55/60 | 60 | 60 | 55 | 60 | 70 |
Background: There may be a time in the near future where the 2019 graduating class from Delbarton School will be recognized as one of the best in history – at least in terms of sheer baseball talent. The New Jersey-based baseball squad teamed 2019 first rounder Anthony Volpe and ace wunderkind Jack Leiter, whose strong (read: unbreakable) commitment to Vanderbilt caused him to fall in the draft. While the latter would go on to become the #2 overall selection in the 2021 July draft class, Volpe’s production erupted last season and thrust him upwards among the best prospects in the entire sport. Handed a hefty $2,740,300 bonus as the 30th overall selection, Volpe put together a disappointing debut with New York’s Appalachian League affiliate that year: he batted .215/.349/.355 with seven doubles, two triples, and a pair of dingers. Last season, though, the young middle infielder transformed into the second coming of Alex Rodriguez. He opened the by ripping through the Low-A competition to the tune of .302/.455/.623 and continued his dominance as he moved up to Hudson Valley in High-A (.286/.391/.587). In total, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound shortstop slugged an aggregate .294/.423/.604 with 35 doubles, six triples, 27 homeruns, and 33 stolen bases (in 42 total attempts). Per Weighted Runs Created Plus, his overall production topped the league average mark by 70%.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Fast hands and a short, quick, deliberate path to the ball – which is reminiscent of another Yankees shortstop. Volpe showed more pop than expected during his debut in the Appalachian League, posting a .140 Isolated Power. The New Jersey native also showed a patient approach at the plate, walking in more than 15% of his plate appearances. Defensively, he shows an average arm but soft hands and fluid hips. Volpe looks like a .280/.340/.420 type hitter with slightly better than average defense.
Scouting Report: Just a little bit of fun with his production last season:
- There were 377 hitters that received at least 400 plate appearances in the minor leagues. Of those 377, Volpe’s aggregate production as measured by Weighted Runs Created Plus, 170, was the best.
- Only 20-years-old, the closest level of production from a 20-year-old is the Dodgers’ Andy Pages, with a 152 wRC+.
So let’s take a look at how Volpe’s production stacks up against some recent peers. Consider the following:
- Since 2006, there have been 723 instances in which a 20-year-old received at least 250 plate appearances in a Low-A season. Volpe’s production, 186 wRC+, is the best – by slightly more than 10 percentage points.
- In fact, here’s the list of 20-year-olds with at least 160 wRC+, a sub-20% strikeout rate and a walk rate north of 16%: Mookie Betts and Anthony Volpe.
Now let’s take a look at his production in High-A:
- Since 2006, only four 20-year-old hitters posted at least a 150 wRC+ with a double-digit walk rate with a K-rate between 19% and 23% (min. 250 PA): Christian Yelich, George Valera, Anthony Alford, and Anthony Volpe.
Needless to say, it was a season for the ages for Volpe. Above-average hit tool, plus power, plus speed, and a potentially plus glove at the most valuable infield position.
Ceiling: 7.0-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2023
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2. Jasson Dominguez, CF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 65 | 50/35 | 50 | 45 | 60 |
Background: The way the hype machine was spinning last offseason there wouldn’t have been too many people that would have correctly guess that Dominguez wouldn’t be listed as the top prospect in the Yankees farm system heading into 2022. But here we are. And it’s not necessary a result of Dominguez failing to live up to (unrealistic) expectations as it’s about Anthony Volpe transforming into an otherworldly prospect. As for Dominguez, nicknamed the Martian, he opened his professional debut up in the Florida Complex League and after just seven games he was bumped up to Low-A for the remainder of the year. In 49 games with the Tampa Yankees, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound center fielder, who’s built like a brick shithouse, batted a respectable .258/.346/.398 with nine doubles, one triple, and five homeruns. He also swiped seven bags in 10 attempts. Per Weighted Runs Created Plus Dominguez’s production in Low-A was 5% better than league average. And just a reminder: New York signed the behemoth outfielder to a hefty $5.1 million.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Massive, massive raw power from both sides of the plate. The young switch-hitter’s lightning quick bat, unlike anything I’ve seen from a 16-year-old, with a natural loft that all but guarantees a floor of 60-grade power with the ceiling of 40 homeruns in full season. And, truthfully, I keep circling back to his bat speed. It’s almost breathtakingly fast.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 18-year-olds posted a wRC+ between 100 and 110 with a strikeout rate of at least 27% in a Low-A season with one organization (min. 200 PA): Yorman Rodriguez, Alejandro Osuna, and – of course – Jasson Dominguez.
Well, that’s not overly promising. So let’s dive a little deeper. Consider the following:
- Dominguez got off to a solid start to his Low-A debut, hitting .271/.351/.418 over his first 46 contests. But a late season slump, in which he hit went 0-for-19 torpedoed his overall numbers.
- And with most young switch-hitters, Dominguez struggled significantly against left-handers, hitting a lowly .170/.237/.255 (compared to .288/.371/.446 vs. RHP).
Despite only entering his age-19 season, Dominguez is maxed out – to the extreme – physically. He’s still showing plus to plus-plus bat speed, but there’s definitely more swing-and-miss to his game than expected. He’s was incredibly young for Low-A, so it’s reasonable to expect the K-rate to regress some as he matures. There’s superstar potential, but he does need to tone the swing down and I definitely expect him to slide over into a corner outfield position at some point in the next few years.
Ceiling: 4.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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3. Oswald Peraza, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 50 | 50 | 55 | 45 | 50+ | 60 |
Background: Inked a contract with the historical franchise for $175,000 in 2016. The Venezuelan-born middle fielder entered last year with three respectable offensive seasons on his resume. Peraza batted .266/.363/.332 as a 17-year-old in the Gulf Coast League during his debut. He spent the following year as an 18-year-old in the Appalachian League, hitting .250/.333/.321. And he split time between Staten Island and Charleston in 2019, compiling an aggregate .263/.332/.340 with just six doubles, one triple, and four homeruns. But after missing the 2020 season due to the COVID shutdown, Peraza came back as an offensive force in 2021. The 6-foot, 165-pound shortstop shredded the High-A competition to the tune of .306/.386/.523, looked incredibly comfortable against the minors’ toughest level (.294/.348/.466), and continued to hit in an eight-game cameo with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. In total, Peraza slugged a combined .297/.356/.477 with career highs in doubles (26) and homeruns (18), and stolen bases (38). His overall production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, topped the league average threshold by 26%.
Scouting Report: Consider the following:
- Since 2006, only three 21-year-old hitters posted a wRC+ total between 117 and 127 with a walk rate between 5.5% and 7.5% and strikeout rate between 18% and 24% in a Double-A season with one organization (min. 300 PA): Alex Kirilloff, Ryan Mountcastle, and – of course – the lone middle infielder, Oswald Peraza.
From a lightweight, slap-hitting shortstop to a middle-of-the-lineup run producer. It’s been quite the change for Peraza over the past two seasons, hasn’t it? And what’s behind the massive swing in his approach? Groundball and flyball rates. Between 2018 and 2019, Peraza’s groundball rates ranged from 50% to 59.4%. Last year, it was in the low 40%-range. The home ballparks for Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre tend to play neutral or slightly favorable to pitchers, so the massive spike in power seems to be repeatable. I don’t think he’s going to be a perennial 20-plus-homerun threat, but he could settle in somewhere between 15 and 18 dingers a year. Average to slightly better-than-average glove. Think: .280/.330/.430 as a big league ceiling.
Ceiling: 3.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
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4. Luis Gil, RHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 70 | 55/60 | 50 | 45 | 55 |
Background: Say what you will about the Yankees’ massive payrolls and their ability to absorb the richest contracts in the game. But the front office, led by future Hall of Famer Brian Cashman, trade as well as anybody in the business. And if there wasn’t enough evidence, just take a look at Luis Gil’s addition to the storied franchise. Signed out of the Dominican Republic for a five-figure deal, New York acquired the then-20-year-old right-hander, fresh off of a shoulder issue, for nondescript outfielder Jake Cave. Fast forward a couples seasons and Gil has transformed into the best pitching prospect the organization has, as well as coming off of a stellar six-game debut in the big leagues. Standing a wiry 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds, Gil made a total of 20 appearances in the minor leagues last season, 17 of them coming via the start. Between his time with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Somerset, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out 117, walked 45, and compiled a 3.97 ERA in 79.1 innings. He made an additional six starts with the Yankees too, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8 walks per nine innings to go along with a 3.07 ERA.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Gil had a light’s out, elite upper-90s fastball. But his secondary weapons were quite raw – raw enough that (A) there’s not a ton of hope for future develops and (B) he eventually falls into a single-pitch relief role.
Scouting Report: Well, the offspeed weapons lurched forward from barely playable to above-average (slider) and average (changeup). And with regard to Gil’s slider, there’s enough velocity, shape, and movement that it may eventually creep into plus territory. With respect to his work in AAA last season, consider the following:
- Since 2006, only five 23-year-old hurlers struck out at between 30.5% and 32.5% of the hitters they faced in a Triple-A season with one org. (min. 40 IP): Jered Weaver, Dan Straily, Jose De Leon, Rogelio Armenteros, and Luis Gil.
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a hurler that (A) generates the velocity and explosion that Gil’s fastball has and (B) does it with as little effort as he does. There’s definite upper-rotation caliber potential here, but the command has to at least get to a 45-grade. One more thought: ignoring three of his worst starts in the minors last season, Gil’s walk rate declined all the way down to 3.8 BB/9. That’s a great sign.
Ceiling: 3.0- to 3.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2020
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5. Clarke Schmidt, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 65 | 60 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
Background: It’s been a rough couple of years for the former University of South Carolina ace: Tommy John surgery shutdown his junior collegiate campaign after just nine starts and 60.1 innings of work. Schmidt would make back to regular season action – as a highly touted first round pick – the following year, though he would throw just 23.1 innings across eight different appearances. The 6-foot-1, 209-pound right-hander began the 2019 season on high note, fanning nine Lakeland Tigers on April 4th, but would hit the disabled list six starts later and miss more than a month of work. COVID, obviously, shutdown every minor leaguers’ season in 2020. And a sprained elbow delayed Schmidt’s return to the mound last season – which ultimately led him to throw just 44.1 innings between the minor and major leagues.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: Schmidt has the build, repertoire, and pedigree to slide into a #4 spot at the big league level. And despite missing as much time as he has over the past couple of seasons, Schmidt showed a surprisingly strong feel for his offspeed pitches. In terms of ceiling, think: Mets’ right-hander Marcus Stroman, who averaged 7.8 strikeouts and 2.8 walks per nine innings with a 3.22 ERA. Schmidt just needs to prove that he stay healthy.
Scouting Report: Talented, but oft-injured. That’s the opening line, the entire plot, and the closing remarks on the book about Clarke Schmidt. And despite the laundry list of injuries, ailments, and woes, Schmidt hasn’t lost anything on his impressive repertoire. His fastball, an above-average offering, sits in the 93 mph range. His curveball is one helluva snapdragon. His upper-80s slider doesn’t feature a lot of movement, but it’s late with a biting wrinkle that’s difficult to hit. And his changeup is Zack Greinke-esque: hard, firm, diving. Injuries notwithstanding, Schmidt has the talent right now to be a league average starting pitcher. Hopefully, he can catch a break.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: High
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2020
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6. Everson Pereira, CF
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 50 |
Background: The Yankees honed in on premium amateur talent available on the international market five years ago. And as part of the club’s haul, the front office signed Everson Pereira, a native of Cabudare, Venezuela, to hefty seven figure bonus. $1.5 million, to be exact. A year later the organization aggressively pushed the then-17-year-old straight into the Advanced Rookie League for his debut. And Pereira didn’t disappoint. He batted a respectable .263/.322/.389 with eight doubles, two triples, and a trio of homeruns. The club bumped him up to the New York-Penn League the following season, though his tenure with Staten Island was short lived: a collision with the outfield wall prematurely ended his sophomore campaign after 18 mostly disappointing games (.171/.216/.257). Last season Pereira got off to a late start and after a three-game tune-up in the Complex League, he shredded the Low-A competition and looked like the second coming of Kevin Maas after his promotion up to High-A. The Venezuelan-born outfielder hit a robust .303/.398/.686 with 10 doubles, one triple, and 20 homeruns. His production, per Weighted Runs Created Plus, was a whopping 78% better than the league average threshold.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: It was more or less a lost season for the talented center fielder. So we’ll just take a wait-and-see approach.
Scouting Report: Just for fun, here are Pereira’s numbers prorated for a full 162-game season: 33 doubles, three triples, 66 homeruns, and 30 stolen bases. How Sosa-ian of him, no? Pereira went on a potential record breaking homerun pace after his promotion up to High-A, slugging 14 homeruns in only 27 games. He’s never been a groundball hitter, so the power could very well be legitimate. Above-average batted ball data (89 mph average exit velocity with a peak of 108 mph). Good patience. Above-average speed. The lone pock mark is his swing-and-miss rate (29.9% in High-A) is fully in red flag territory. He’s a bit miscast as a center fielder, but can fake it for the time being. The K-rates make him risky, but he’s only entering his age-21 season.
Ceiling: 2.5-win player
Risk: Moderate to High
MLB ETA: 2024
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7. Deivi Garcia, RHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 60 | 65 | 50 | 40/45 | 50 |
Background: Taking a page out of – gulp – Manny Banuelos’s book of disappointment. Everything was trending upward for the diminutive right-hander. He was a consensus Top 100 prospect. As a 19-year-old in 2018, he shot through three separate levels while averaging 12.8 strikeouts and just 2.4 walks per nine innings. He followed that up by averaging 13.3 strikeouts and 4.4 walks per nine innings across High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. And he looked every bit the part of a big league starting pitcher – despite his small 5-foot-9, 163-pound frame – during his six-game cameo with New York as part of the club’s COVID taxi squad: he fanned 33 and walked just six in 34.1 innings. Then…2021 happened. And, quite frankly, Garcia lost command of the strike zone as he struggled through the worst year of his professional career. In 24 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the hard-throwing righty struck out 97, but walked a whopping 67 in only 90.2 inning of work. And he coughed up six earned runs in 8.1 big league innings.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: One more final thought: Garcia’s command backed up a bit last season, but it still profiles as at least average.
Scouting Report: Where to even begin? Garcia’s fastball is still quite good, ranging from the low- to mid-90s. And even on lower range of the spectrum it plays up because of the late, explosive life. He’s traded in – for the most part – his big tilting, fall-off-the-table curveball for a more refined, late-snapping slider – a new pitch to his repertoire. It sits in the low 80s. And it’s filthy, when he’s finishing it. Fringy average changeup. He will bring back Uncle Charlie every now and then, though. Garcia’s still primarily a two-pitch pitcher (fastball/slider). He needs to develop a third if he’s going to succeed as a big league starter. Otherwise, he’s starring down the Juan Cruz path of relief-dom.
Ceiling: 2.0-win player
Risk: Moderate toHigh
MLB ETA: Debuted in 2020
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8. Trey Sweeney, SS
| Hit | Power | SB | Patience | Glove | Overall |
| 40/45 | 55 | 45 | 50 | 50 | 45 |
Background: A standout at St. Xavier High School, Sweeney batted .389 and drove in 41 runs during his senior campaign. And the lefty-swinging shortstop / third baseman made the transition into the collegiate ranks without missing a beat. In 55 games with the Eastern Illinois Panthers, Sweeney hit .271/.342/.354 with nine doubles and a pair of homeruns. He spent the ensuing summer playing for the Lafayette Aviators in the Prospect League. And his offensive production exploded. He slugged .354/.453/.524 across 52 contests. Sweeney got off to an equally scorching start during the COVID-shortened 2020 season, batting .351/.439/.456 in 14 games. The 2021 season brought an even higher level of production: In 48 games for the Ohio Valley Conference squad, Sweeney battered the competition to the tune of .382/.522/.712 with 10 doubles, two triples, 14 homeruns, and a trio of stolen bases. Perhaps the best news: he finished the year with a sparkling 24-to-46 strikeout-to-walk ratio. New York drafted the lefty-swinging infielder with the 20th overall pick last July and signed him to deal worth $3 million. Sweeney spent the bulk of his debut with the Tampa Tarpons, hitting .245/.357/.518 with four doubles, four triples, and a six homeruns.
Scouting Report: Per the usual, here’s what I wrote about Sweeney prior to the draft last season:
“Consider the following:
- Between 2011 and 2020, only two OVC hitters have batted at least .360/.500/.700 in a season (min. 200 PA): Taylor Davis and Trenton Moses.
Obviously, the level of competition – or lack of elite consistent competition – is concerning. But Sweeney has consistently been an elite bat against the levels he’s faced since the summer of 2019. The hitting mechanics, particularly the timing leg kick and hands, need to revamped. The swing is intriguing: plus bat speed, natural loft, and 15- to 20-homerun power potential. He’s likely going to move from short, so he’s a man without a position. Sweeney looks like a project, but he could develop into a Hunter Dozier-type.”
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2024
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9. Luis Medina, RHP
| FB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 80 | 60 | 45 | 40/45 | 45 |
Background: It’s been a while since the club signed the hard-throwing hurler out of Nagua, Dominican Republic – seven years to be exact. And for Medina, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound right-hander, it’s been a long seven years. He spent parts of three seasons in the foreign and stateside rookie leagues. And he wouldn’t reach the true testing grounds of Double-A until the latter portion of 2021. Medina made a total of 22 appearances, 21 of which were starts, between High-A and Low-A, throwing a career-high 106.1 innings, posting a 133-to-60 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go along with a 3.39 ERA.
Snippet from The 2020 Prospect Digest Handbook: He looks like he’s going to be Albert Abreu 2.0. His ceiling is predicated on the repertoire, but there’s very little chance he actually achieves it.
Scouting Report: There are pitchers in baseball that throw as hard, maybe even a mile-per-hour or two harder, but I’ve yet to see a pitcher that throws as hard with as little effort as Medina. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound hurler’s cheddar sits – easily, comfortably – in the 98- to 100-mph range, as a starter. He’ll mix in a wicked, hard-biting curveball that opponents typically (A) beat into the ground or (B) stick their bat head out for an easy can-of-corn. His changeup is fringy, and it’s clear that he slows his entire body down when he’s throwing it. The command/control can be erratic at times, as well too. Medina has to come up with a viable third option – and I think the splitter should be an option – otherwise he’s going to turn into one helluva backend reliever.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
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10. Ken Waldichuk, LHP
| FB | CB | SL | CH | Command | Overall |
| 55 | 55 | 55 | 50 | 45 | 45 |
Background: Saint Mary’s College of California has churned out eight big leaguers through their history: the underrated Von Hayes, All-Star right-hander and Cy Young award winner Corbin Burnes, Tony Gonsolin, Mark Teahen, Patrick Wisdom, Kyle Barraclough, James Mouton, and Broderick Perkins. Ken Waldichuk, barring an unfortunate turn of events, should be added to the list. A fifth round pick in 2019 out of the Moraga-based school, Waldichuk put together one of the most dominant stints you’ll ever see during his seven game jaunt through High-A. In 30.2 innings with the Hudson Valley Renegades, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound southpaw struck out 55, walked just 13, and did not allow a run – unearned or earned. And he continued to dominate – though not to that extent – upon his promotion up to Double-A: 12.3 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 to go along with a 4.20 ERA. He finished his first full season in professional ball with 163 strikeouts, 51 walks, and a 3.03 ERA.
Scouting Report: Waldichuk’s 163 punch outs tied for the fourth highest among all minor league hurlers last season. With regard to his work in Double-A, consider the following:
- Since 2006, only two 23-year-old Double-A pitchers posted a K% north of 30% with a walk percentage between 10% and 12% in a season with one organization (min. 75 IP): Paul Estrada and Ken Waldichuk.
Really quality repertoire highlighted by bat-breaking, heavy low-90s fastball. He’ll add-and-subtract from the offering as well. He’ll complement the above-average offering with a pair of above-average breaking balls: a curveball and slider, with the latter lacking consistency to be a plus-pitch. And he’ll mix in a solid-average changeup as well. Effectively wild. There’s some funk in his delivery that causes some inconsistencies with his release point. He’s going to have one helluva time trying to crack New York’s rotation, though.
Ceiling: 1.5-win player
Risk: Moderate
MLB ETA: 2022
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All statistics were provided via the following website: Baseball Reference, FanGraphs, TheBaseballCube, BaseballProspectus, and ClayDavenport.com
