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1. Deivi Garcia, RHP

FB CB CH Command Overall 60 70 45/50 50 60

Background: Not only have I taken a seat on the Garcia hype-train, but I’ve become the de facto conductor. Originally signed by the Yankees on July 2nd, 2015, the diminutive right-hander, who received a rather paltry bonus of $200,000, has – finally – began rocketing up prospect rankings/lists. The 5-foot-9, 163-pound hurler first popped up on my radar as a fire-bolt slinging, hellacious curveball unfurling 18-year-old dominating the stateside rookie leagues in 2017. Splitting time between the Gulf Coast and Appalachian Leagues, Garcia fanned 67 and walked only 17 in 44.2 innings of work. Heading into the 2018 season I aggressively ranked the Dominican-born pitcher as the Yankees’ #3 minor leaguer and among the Top 25 Breakout Prospects. And he did not disappoint. Making stops at three separate levels, Garcia tallied a whopping 105-to-20 strikeout-to-walk ratio to go along with a 2.55 ERA in only 74 innings of work. That’s an average of 12.8 strikeouts and just 2.4 walks per nine innings. And that was just a harbinger of things to come. The front office bounced Garcia back down to High Class A for a refresher at the start of the season. But after racking up 33 strikeouts in a little over 17 innings. Garcia’s production hardly slowed after his promotion up to Class AA, the most challenging level for a prospect. He fanned a whopping 87 and walked 26 in only 53.2 innings with Trenton. And he capped it off with 11 more strong appearances with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. One more note: he started the July All-Star Futures Game in Cleveland, Ohio.

Scouting Report: Garcia’s still heavy on the fastball/curveball combo, which is a little disappointing given the rawness of his changeup. But the young right-hander owns two plus pitches – a mid-90s, late-lifed fastball and a monster of a knee-buckling curveball, the latter offering being elite and among the best in the minor leagues. As I noted in last year’s Handbook, there’s the potential to be special. And Pat Osborn, the Trenton Thunder manager, was quoted by SportsNet New York, that “the way the balls come out, the only name that comes to mind is Pedro Martinez.” Now, that’s a bit…inflated. But there’s a tremendous amount of talent. One more final thought: Garcia’s command backed up a bit last season, but it still profiles as at least average. With respect to his work in Class AA last season, consider the following:

Since 2006, only three 20-year-old pitchers have fanned at least 30% of the hitters they faced in any Class AA league (min. 50 IP): Noah Snydergaard, Phil Hughes, and – of course – Deivi Garcia.

Ceiling: 4.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020

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2. Jasson Dominguez, OF

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45/55 60/70 50 N/A N/A 60

Background: The Yankees are used to throwing around big money. After all, the ink on Gerrit Cole’s massive $324 million mega-contract is barely dry. But the Yankees took an interesting approach on the international free agent market last summer. The club allotted nearly 95% of their bonus pool towards signing the toolsy, twitchy outfielder. The two sides agreed on a pact worth a whopping $5.1 million. According to reports, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound outfielder is nicknamed “The Martian”.

Scouting Report: Massive, massive raw power from both sides of the plate. The young switch-hitter’s lightning quick bat’s 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. There’s an awful lot of hand movement during his swing, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see the organization quite his hands in the coming years. And, truthfully, I keep circling back to his bat speed. It’s almost breathtakingly fast.

Ceiling: 4.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2023

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3. Clarke Schmidt, RHP

FB CB SL CH Command Overall 55 55 55 55 55 50

Background: New York took a page out of the Nationals’ draft handbook in 2017 by selecting a premium – albeit injured – talent in the early rounds. Enter: Clarke Schmidt, a polished right-hander in the midst of a breakout campaign in the SEC but had his junior season curtailed due to Tommy John surgery. A handful of weeks later New York came calling in the middle of the first round when they selected the 6-foot-1, 200-pound hurler with the 16th overall pick. The former Gamecock didn’t make his debut until the following season when he tossed just 23.1 innings of low level action. Last season Schmidt – once again – hit the disabled list for a couple months but managed to make 16 appearances between the Florida State and Eastern Leagues, as well as a trio of rehab games in rookie ball. In total, he tossed 90.2 innings with 102 strikeouts and just 28 walks to go along with a 3.47 ERA.

Scouting Report: 55’s across the board: fastball, curveball, slider, changeup, and command. Schmidt has the build, repertoire, and pedigree to slide into a #3/#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.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020/2021

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4. Alexander Vizcaino, RHP

FB CB CH Command Overall 80 60 60 50/55 50

Background: Equipped with one the system’s best – if not the system’s best – fastball. Vizcaino’s paltry signing bonus only adds intrigue to his promising ceiling. Handed only $14,000 after signing with New York as a 19-year-old in May of 2016, the 6-foot-2, 160-pound right-hander has taken the slow-and-deliberate approach towards development. The San Cristobal, Dominican Republic, native looked underwhelming during his debut in the foreign rookie league as he averaged just 6.9 strikeouts and 3.3 walks per nine innings in 11 games. He spent the following season, 2017, in the Appalachian League where he averaged 8.6 strikeouts and 4.0 walks every nine innings. And then the front office opted to keep the then-21-year-old back in the Advanced Rookie league for the majority of 2018. At that point, Vizcaino was hardly considered a legitimate prospect. Then 2019 happened. The young Dominican ripped through the South Atlantic League for 16 starts and more than held his own in five additional games in High Class A. When the dust had settled Vizcaino tossed a career best 115.0 innings, recording a whopping 128 strikeouts against just 38 free passes to go along with an aggregate 4.38 ERA.

Scouting Report: Easy heat, like drinking pure capsaicin. Vizcaino’s fastball, a true plus-plus offering, was sitting 97- to 100-mph as a starting pitcher last season. His upper-80s curveball adds a second (A) bonafide plus offering and (B) another swing-and-miss weapon for hitters to consider. His changeup, a third plus pitch, shows impressive run-and-fade, often times diving out of the strike zone when he was ahead in the count – something that happened quite a bit in 2019. With respect to his work in Low Class A last season, consider the following:

Since 2006, here’s the list of 22-year-old pitchers to post a strikeout percentage between 26% and 28% with a walk percentage between 6% and 8% in the South Atlantic League (min. 75 IP): Andre Wheeler, Chase Huchingson, Ryan Wilson, and – of course – Alexander Vizcaino.

Vizcaino has the repertoire – and now the strike-throwing ability – to slot into a mid-rotation spot at the big league level. But he needs to prove that he can match this type production against the Class AA competition. There’s the floor of a Raisel Iglesias-type reliever. If all goes according to plan in 2020, a few spot starts or relief appearances in New York wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility.

Ceiling: 2.5- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2020/2021

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5. Estevan Florial, CF

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45/50 50 60 55 50 50

Background: It’s amazing how quickly the status of a prospect can change. Florial, a sweet-swinging, blessed with loud tools center fielder, was reportedly untouchable – or at least nearly untouchable – following his wildly successful breakout season in 2017. The then-19-year-old outfielder slugged a scorching .298/.372/.479 with 23 doubles, seven triples, 13 homeruns, and 23 stolen bases. A broken hamate bone in his hand the following season limited him to just 75 games in High Class A (as well as a handful of rookie league rehab appearances), though the Dominican-born prospect still manage to his .255/.354/.361 with 16 doubles, three triples, three homeruns, and 11 stolen bases. And last season, well, it was more-or-less the same thing: Florial suffered a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist in mid-March – an injury that knocked him out of commission until early June. Once he returned, Florial looked rusty and cobbled together a disappointing .237/.297/.383 triple-slash line with 10 doubles, three triples, eight homeruns, and nine stolen bases. Per Baseball Prospectus’ Deserved Runs Created Plus, his overall production was 8% below the league average mark.

Scouting Report: Unsurprisingly, Florial’s production increased with each passing month. He barely hit his weight during the month of June, posting a lowly .198/.270/.321 mark. He fair significantly better in July, batting .250/.283/.360. And he looked like the Florial of old during the final month of the year: .258/.333/.462. And now the bad news: his strikeout rate exploded last season as he fanned in nearly one-third of his plate appearances, though he trimmed that down to 28.5% over his final 26 games. He’s only entering his age-22 season and should see some significant time in Class AA, the “make it or break it” level for a prospect. Florial’s the definition of high risk, high reward. But you always bet on the talent, and this kid’s got a lot it.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2021

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6. Kevin Alcantara, CF

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 35/50 30/60 40 30/45 50 50

Background: I don’t even know where to begin with Alcantara. The fact that he’s only entering his age-17 season and stands a towering 6-foot-6. Or the fact that he’s already spent the majority of a season in the Gulf Coast League – again, at the age of 16. Or, according to reports, Alcantara’s exit velocity was already kissing triple-digits prior to joining the Yankees. Or what about the seven-figure bonus the Yankees handed him as a free agent? Alcantara, a native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, made a brief detour through the foreign rookie league at the start of 2019 before earning a promotion up to the Gulf Coast. In 32 games, he batted .260/.289/.358 with five doubles, two triples, one homerun, and a trio of stolen bases. His overall production, per Deserved Runs Created Plus, was 8% better than the Gulf Coast League average.

Scouting Report: Fun Fact: since 2008, there have been just eleven 16-year-olds to earn at least 100 plate appearances in the Gulf Coast League. Of those aforementioned 11, only four of them posted at least a 100 DRC+. Those four: Domingo Santana, who annihilated the competition with a 160 DRC+, Jonathan Arauz, Carlos Tocci, and Kevin Alcantara. Santana’s been a competent big league bat; Tocci reached the big leagues, briefly, in 2018; Arauz reached Class AA last season as a 20-year-old. Very, very raw – both in terms of tools and mechanics. Alcantara takes a Darryl Strawberry-esque high leg kick with a lot of hand movement. It’s inconsistent, but not surprising given his age. There’s easy plus in-game power brewing with natural loft and strong wrists. And he’s likely going to add another 40 pounds onto his rail thin frame. He’s the very definition of a low level wild card. He could be a star or flame out early like Tocci. The foundation is set for some powerful tools.

Ceiling: 2.0- to 3.0-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2023

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7. Luis Medina, RHP

FB CB CH Command Overall 70 60 50 35/40 50

Background: Signed out of Nagua, Dominican Republic, during early July four years ago. Medina made his professional debut a few weeks later when he popped up in the foreign rookie league for a trio of games. He split the following season, 2017, between the Dominican Summer and Appalachian Leagues, posting a 39-to-24 strikeout-to-walk ratio in a combined 38.2 innings of work. The front office took the cautious approach and kept the hard-throwing, erratic youngster back in the Advanced Rookie League for a do-over in 2018. And the results were…well…terrible. The good news: he fanned 47 in only 36 innings of work. The bad news: he walked a mindboggling 46 during that same time frame. Last season Medina made 20 starts in the South Atlantic League – as well as a two-game cameo in High Class A at the end of the year – throwing a career best 103.2 innings, racking up an impressive 127 strikeouts and issuing 70 free passes. He finished his fourth minor league season with a 5.47 ERA.

Scouting Report: Medina fits the mold of the type of lottery ticket the front office has been collecting over the past several seasons: hard-throwing hurlers with plus fastballs, wicked breaking balls, and little control, let alone command. Medina’s heater was sitting – comfortably, easily – in the upper 90s, touching as high as 98 mph on occasions. He complements the plus-plus pitch with a hard-biting, power curveball with sharp 12-6 break. And he’ll mix in a decent changeup for a 20-year-old. The problem, of course, is simple: he’s never walked fewer than 5.6 hitters per nine innings in any of his seasons. When he’s throwing strikes, he’s nearly unhittable; he finished the year with a 29-to-6 strikeout-to-walk ratio and a 0.40 ERA over his final 22.2 innings. But he also walked four or more hitters in half of his appearances as well. 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.

Ceiling: 3.0-win player

Risk: High

MLB ETA: 2020

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8. Anthony Volpe, SS

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 45/50 45 40 55 50/55 50

Background: Delbarton High School went 18 years in between draft picks. The White Sox took outfielder Wes Swackhamer in the 19th round all the way back in 2001. And then the New Jersey-based prep school had two players chosen last June: shortstop Anthony Volpe, whom the Yankees selected with the 30th overall pick, and Jack Leiter, who (A) was widely regarded as a top high school pitcher that (B) the Yankees took a late round flier on despite (C) his father, Al, informing teams he would be honoring his commitment to Vanderbilt University. Volpe, a 5-foot-11, 180-pound middle infielder, was pushed up to the Appalachian League; he hit a lowly .215/.349/.355 with seven doubles, two triples, two homeruns, and half-of-a-dozen stolen bases. Per Deserved Runs Created Plus, his overall production was exactly the league average mark.

Scouting Report: 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.

Ceiling: 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2023

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9. Josh Smith, SS

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 55 45 60 50 50+ 50

Background: Louisiana State University has churned out an impressive collection of middle infielders throughout the school’s illustrious history, including: Alex Bregman, Aaron Hill, Ryan Theriot, Jeff Reboulet, Todd Walker, Mike Fontenot, Warren Morris, and Ryan Schimpf are the more recognizeable ballplayers. Now it’s time to add Josh Smith’s name to the list. A elite performer during his junior campaign with the Tigers, Smith, who slugged a scorching .346/.433/.533 with 17 doubles, two triples, nine homeruns, and 20 stolen bases, was selected by the Yankees in the second round last June. After signing with the franchise for $976,700 – the recommended slot bonus. Smith spent his debut with Staten Island in the New York-Penn League, batting a solid .324/.450/.477 with six doubles, one triple, and three homers. Per Deserved Runs Created Plus, his overall production was 107% better than the league average mark.

Scouting Report: With respect to his collegiate work last season, consider the following:

Between 2011 and 2018, here’s the list of hitters in the SEC that batted at least .330/.425/.525 with a walk rate between 9% and 11% with a strikeout rate between 13% and 18% (min. 275 PA). Those hitters: Mike Zunino, the third overall pick in 2012, and Josh Smith.

It was a bit of an odd debut for Smith, mainly because he walked far more frequently than his junior season in college – 17.7% vs. 9.3%. There’s a chance for an above-average hit tool with 45-grade power and solid defense. Throw in 35-stolen base speed and Smith has the makings of an average starter, maybe more, at the big league level. He ticketed for a start in the Sally and will likely cap it off in High Class A. Jean Segura’s 2019 season in which he batted .280/.323/.420 and earned 2.3 fWAR seems like a reasonable ceiling.

Ceiling: 2.0-win player

Risk: Moderate

MLB ETA: 2022

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10. Everson Pereira, CF

Hit Power SB Patience Glove Overall 40/55 40/0 45 50 50/55 50

Background: Pereira was a big get off the international market in 2017. The toolsy center fielder signed with baseball’s most storied franchise for a hefty $1.5 million. A native of Cabudare, Venezuela, Pereira made his professional debut in the Appalachian League two years ago, acquitting himself nicely as he batted .263/.322/.389 with eight doubles, two triples, and three homeruns in 41 games as a 17-year-old. And heading into last season, plenty of hype began to swirl around Pereira’s ceiling. The 6-foot, 191-pound center fielder stumbled out of the gate and his season prematurely ended after a serious collision with the outfield wall in early July. He finished the year with a .171/.216/.257 triple-slash line in 18 games.

Scouting Report: There’s really nothing new to report on, thanks to his injury. Pereira’s strikeout rate ballooned during his limited action, which isn’t concerning given (A) the sample size, (B) his age, and (C) his level of competition. It was more or less a lost season for the talented center fielder. So we’ll just take a wait-and-see approach.

Ceiling: 2.0- to 2.5-win player

Risk: Moderate to High

MLB ETA: 2023

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Statistics provided by FanGraphs, BaseballReference, BaseballProspectus, ClayDavenport, and TheBaseballCube.