With the 2011 minor league season complete we check in on the progress of each of the New York Yankees preseason Top 15 prospects as ranked by our prospect ranker J.P. Schwartz. The post season grading report was done by the publisher of Top Prospect Alert, not Mr. Schwartz, and reflects only the 2011 season and not future upside or downside of the individual prospect. Our 2012 preseason rankings will be published in the coming months.

#1 Jesus Montero GRADE: A

Montero batted .288 with 19 Doubles, 1 Triple, 18 Home Runs and 67 RBI’s for the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. He walked 36 times and struck out 98 times in 109 games. In 18 big league games with the Yankees in September, Montero batted .328 with 4 Doubles, 4 Home Runs and 12 RBI’s.

#2 Gary Sanchez GRADE: B-

Sanchez batted .256 with 16 Doubles, 1 Triple, 17 Home Runs and 52 RBI’s for the Low-A Charleston River Dogs. He walked 36 times and struck out 93 times in 82 games. Sanchez missed a number of games in June after being sent away from the team, reportedly for attitude issues and had his season ended by injury in early August.

#3 Dellin Betances GRADE: B+

Betances went 4-9 with a 3.70ERA between the Double-A Trenton Thunder and the Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre Yankees. He walked 70 and struck out 142 in 126.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .217 off him on the season. In the big leagues Betances went 0-0 with a 6.75ERA in 2.2 innings of work.

#4 Manny Banuelos GRADE: B

Banuelos went a combined 6-7 with a 3.75ERA between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He walked 71 and struck out 125 in 129.2 innings. Opposing batters hit .266 off Banuelos on the season.

#5 Andrew Brackman GRADE: C-

Brackman went 3-6 with a 6.00ERA for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He walked 75 and struck out 75 in 96 innings. Opposing batters hit .236 off of him on the season. In 2.1 big league innings with the Yankees, Brackman allowed 1 hit and walked three batters.

#6 Hector Noesi GRADE: B

Noesi went 2-2 with a 4.47ERA for the Yankees. He walked 22 and struck out 45 in 56.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .286 off of Noesi. At Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Noesi went 1-1 with a 3.28ERA in 24.2 innings.

#7 Slade Heathcott GRADE: C

Heathcott batted .271 with 11 Doubles, 4 Triples, 4 Home Runs and 16 RBI’s in 52 games with Low-A Charleston before a season ending injury. Heathcott also made headlines in 2011 for starting this brawl.





#8 Cito Culver GRADE: C+

Culver batted .250 with 14 Doubles, 2 Triples, 2 Home Runs and 33 RBI’s for the Short-A Staten Island Yankees. He walked 30 times and struck out 57 times in 69 games. Culver also stole 10 bases.

#9 Adam Warren GRADE: B

Warren went 6-9 with a 3.60ERA for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He walked 53 and struck out 111 in 152.1 innings. Opposing batters hit .249 on the season off Warren.

#10 Austin Romine GRADE: B

Romine batted .279 with 13 Doubles, 6 Home Runs, and 48 RBI’s between Double-A Trenton and four games with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He walked 32 times and struck out 63 times in 89 games. In 19 big league at-bats with the Yankees, Romine hit .158.

#11 Brandon Laird GRADE: B-

Laird batted .260 with 27 Doubles, 16 Home Runs and 69 RBI’s for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. He walked 17 times and struck out 84 times in 123 games. In 21 big league at-bats with the Yankees, Laird batted .190.

#12 Rob Segedin GRADE: B-

Segedin batted a combined .287 with 19 Doubles, 4 Triples, 7 Home Runs and 55 RBI’s between Low-A Charleston and High-A Tampa. He walked 38 times and struck out 79 times in 113 games.

#13 Ramon Flores GRADE: B-

Flores batted .265 with 26 Doubles, 2 Triples, 11 Home Runs and 59 RBI’s for Low-A Charleston. He also stole 13 bases. He walked 61 times and struck out 93 times in 125 games.

#14 Melky Mesa GRADE: C

Mesa batted a combined .249 with 25 Doubles, 4 Triples, 9 Home Runs and 47 RBI’s between Double-A Trenton and four games at High-A Tampa. He also stole 19 bases on the season. Mesa walked 39 times and struck out 133 times in 109 games.

#15 Kelvin De Leon GRADE: C-

De Leon batted .221 with 23 Doubles, 1 Triple, 14 Home Runs and 60 RBI’s for Low-A Charleston. He walked 32 times and struck out 147 times in 118 games.