14 Yankees Prospects To Watch Beyond The Top 30

The Yankees Top 30 prospects rankings are up now for Baseball America subscribers, with full scouting reports, BA grades and tools grade projections for all 30 players.

Through the process of narrowing the list down to a Top 30, there are other intriguing names who didn’t make the cut but are worth monitoring, with the potential to jump into the Top 30 in the future. Some of those are players who might be in the upper levels and could see big league time this year, though likely in a limited role, while others are lower-level players still in the complex leagues with more upside but plenty of risk.

Beyond the Top 30, these are 14 prospects to watch in New York’s farm system.

Matt Krook, LHP. Selected in the minor league phase of the 2020 Rule 5 Draft, Krook is a lefthander with some of the nastiest pure stuff in the system but scattershot control and command. He primarily pairs a two-seamer and slider, both of which could be at least above-average pitches, but needs to throw far more strikes to be effective. He was added to the 40-man roster in November 2022.

T.J. Rumfield, 1B. Rumfield came over from the Phillies in the deal that sent catcher Donny Sands and righthander Nick Nelson to Philadelphia. He missed a chunk of the season with injuries but performed well in the Arizona Fall League. He showed solid swing decisions and impact in his limited time. 

Josue Panacual. RHP. Panacual intrigues scouts as a whippy-armed righthander who pairs a heavy low-to-mid-90s two-seamer with a low-80s sinker, and he generated more grounders than any pitcher in the system with 90 or more innings in 2022. He needs to improve his changeup and his control. 

Kris Bow, RHP. The Yankees’ 14th-rounder from 2022, Bow was born in Iceland and pitched at the College of Southern Nevada and was committed to Arizona before being drafted. He opened scouts’ eyes in the Florida State League with a three-pitch mix and a fastball up to 96 mph. 

Jordarlin Mendoza, RHP. Mendoza was signed in June of 2021 and got a couple innings in the DSL before returning there in 2022. He pairs a low-90s fastball with a high-spin, low-80s slider that he used to strike out a DSL-best 77 hitters in 55 innings.  

Agustin Ramirez, C. Ramirez is a bat-first catcher who will likely move to first base. He’s a powerful hitter who could start tapping into more juice as he adds loft to his swing. If he does stay behind the plate, he’ll have to clean up a lot of his mechanics, but he has a strong enough arm.

Sean Hermann, RHP. A fierce competitor, Hermann personally requested he start the play-in game to get to the Florida Complex League postseason and then tried to convince the staff to let him pitch on short rest in the playoffs. He pairs gumption with a three-pitch mix that could stand to see his fastball used more frequently.  

Keiner Delgado, SS. Delgado is a smaller player with a knack for contact but needs to add more impact. He has a sublime knowledge of the strike zone and walked 30 more times than he struck out (58 to 28) in the DSL in his first pro season. He’s put on weight since signing and will need to continue to do so, and will likely move to second base.

Joel Valdez, LHP. A former Phillies prospect, Valdez paired a low-90s fastball and a low-80s slider in near-equal measure, with a sprinkling of changeups as well. He’s got a solid build and missed plenty of bats but needs his control to take significant steps forward. 

 

Brendan Beck, RHP. Beck was the Yankees’ second-round pick in 2021 out of Stanford but missed the entire season after having Tommy John surgery. In college, Beck, who ranked as the No. 80 prospect in the class, paired an above-average fastball-changeup combination with a slider and curveball that ranged from 45-50 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He showed above-average control.  

Richard Meran, OF. Signed as part of the 2023 international class, Maran is a Dominican outfielder with a similar tool set to that of top Yankees prospect Everson Pereira. He’s a strong defender in center field with an average arm and a smooth swing with plenty of bat speed and a good path through the hitting zone. 

Gabriel Lara, OF. Lara was part of the Yankees’ most recent international signing class and boasts elite speed that helps him both in the field and on the basepaths. He’s a slash-and-burn hitter with a bit of sneaky power as well. 

Jared Serna, 2B. Serna tore up the Florida Complex League in 2022 but scuffled a bit upon a brief cameo at Low-A. Serna, the cousin of fellow Yankees prospect Luis Serna, has a short swing and has a knack for finding the barrel and making hard contact. He’s an adequate defender at second base and some scouts think he could handle third base as well. 

Juan Carela, RHP. Carela has upside but will need to get stronger to reach that level. He’s a sinker-slider pitcher who got a new grip on the latter pitch this past season. He needs to add strength, particularly in his lower half, to both boost his velocity and improve his command.