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MLB: 5 prospects that can help the Yankees in 2020

By Rucker Haringey

CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 07: Deivi Garcia #64 of the American League Futures Team pitches during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field on Sunday, July 7, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JULY 07: Deivi Garcia #64 of the American League Futures Team pitches during the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Progressive Field on Sunday, July 7, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /
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BRONX, NY – OCTOBER 17: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees watches batting practice as General Manager Brian Cashman looks on prior to Game 4 of the ALCS between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
BRONX, NY – OCTOBER 17: Manager Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees watches batting practice as General Manager Brian Cashman looks on prior to Game 4 of the ALCS between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, October 17, 2019 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB Photos via Getty Images) /

4. Miguel Yajure

Not many Yankees’ prospects enjoyed better seasons than Yajure did in 2019. His exploits last season catapulted him all the way up to the No. 26 spot on the organization’s prospect list heading into the winter.

In fairness to Yajure, no one knew quite what to expect from him coming off Tommy John surgery in 2017. It’s fair to say he bounced back rather well. He posted an ERA of just 2.14 in 24 minor league appearances last season between Advanced A and AA ball. That progression was good enough to prompt the Yankees to put him on the 40-man roster to keep him away from the Rule 5 draft last week.

Yajure isn’t a pitcher who is going to blow major league hitters away with his raw stuff, but he flashed excellent polish on the mound last season. He can run his fastball into the mid-90s, but his real strength is using his off-speed pitches to solicit soft contact from overly aggressive hitters. That might limit his ability to be a star, but it does give the 21-year-old a very high floor as a prospect.

That will give Yajure a chance to win a spot on the big league roster coming out of Spring Training. He’ll need to be lights out to beat out some pitchers with bigger reputations, but there’s a clear path towards him joining the team’s rotation in 2020. This is certainly a player Yankees fans need to watch closely over the next several months.

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