As most New York Yankees fans know, Deivi Garcia and Clarke Schmidt are two names on the rise that could become major contributors for the Bombers in the very near future.
Both pitchers got a chance to show off their stuff at the big-league level in 2020, and both graduated from a strong Yankees farm system with huge potential and huge expectations.
But which up-and-comers emerging through the Yankees pipeline could become the next Clarke Schmidt or Deivi Garcia? Both of those youngsters headlined a notable group of talented right-handed arms that has recently populated the Yankees’ top-prospect rankings, and the next wave of hurlers could soon follow suit.
Here now we’ll take a look at some top contenders that could make noise in the Majors as early as next season, sorted in descending order by their MLB.com prospect ranking within the organization.
1) Luis Gil, RHP – 22 years old, No. 5 prospect
As mentioned, the Yankees have compiled a deep squad of talented young righties throughout the minor leagues, and the 22-year-old Gil (pronounced “Heel”) put on a strong showing in 2019 at the Single-A level. The Dominican native posted a 2.72 ERA over 20 starts for Charleston and Tampa with an impressive 123 strikeouts over 96 innings pitched. “To make it as a starter, Gil will need to develop more consistency with his breaking ball while continuing to refine his changeup,” writes MLB.com, adding that, “If he can’t stick in a rotation, his electric arm could make him a potential closer.”
2) Estevan Florial, OF – 22 years old, No. 7 prospect
The talented and speedy outfielder Florial has kept himself among the top names in the Yankees organization over the last few years, and even got his first taste of big-league action this past season when he debuted on August 28 against the Mets. His 2019 season with Tampa showed he still has room for improvement on the offensive side of the ball, but he still “generates well above-average raw power to all fields” and “has the best all-around ability in the system,” according to MLB.com.
Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to [email protected].