It’s just a matter of time.
New York Yankees right-handers Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt are the club’s top-ranked pitching prospects and seem destined to eventually land spots in the starting rotation.
It’s because of them that the Yankees have one of the top 10 farm systems for pitchers, according to MLB.com.
We could go any number of ways with the final spot in the top 10. The pick here leans on depth, specifically depth of hard-throwing right-handers. Eleven of the 13 ranked Yankees pitching prospects are right-handed, including each of the top six. Clarke Schmidt and Deivi García are the obvious big names as two pitchers with starting-caliber arsenals and Major League proximity. In the next tier, Luis Gil and Luis Medina both sport 75-grade fastballs that should at least get them looks in some form at the top level. Alexander Vizcaino and Albert Abreu feature plenty of gas themselves, while Yoendrys Gomez and left-hander T.J. Sikkema are a little more diverse in their pitching skill sets. Still, anyone could do a lot worse than betting on a whole stable of arms that can touch the mid- to upper-90s regularly during their Minor League days, and it’s that velo that gives the pinstriped pitchers the edge over other competitors.
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Garcia could make the Opening Day roster as the fifth starter or a long man out of the bullpen. Schmidt will start the season on the injured list with a strained elbow.
Here is MLB.com’s list of the top 10 farm systems for pitchers:
1. Detroit Tigers
2. Miami Marlins
3. Tampa Bay Rays
4. Seattle Mariners
5. Kansas City Royals
6. Toronto Blue Jays
7. Baltimore Orioles
8. San Diego Padres
9. Chicago White Sox
10. New York Yankees
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Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.