Down on the Farm: 2012 Edition

[TonyStarks]

FYI: Manny Banuelos has been shut down for the season! No surgery is scheduled, but it's being done as a precaution.

[Biggtone23]

http://ballparkdigest.com/2012062150...test-announced

The AAA team will have a new name next year.

The six finalists for the new name of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team for next year are: Blast, Black Diamond Bears, Fireflies, RailRiders, Porcupines and Trolley Frogs.

I hate them all.

[NJYankeeFan]

The six finalists for the new name of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team for next year are: Blast, Black Diamond Bears, Fireflies, RailRiders, Porcupines and Trolley Frogs.

I hate them all.

Railriders is not horrible.

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[Biggtone23]

The Yankees and the Trenton Thunder have signed a Player Development Contract extension that will last until 2022.

[Biggtone23]

The first three Yankees heading to this years Arizona Fall League have been announced as C Austin Romine, 2B David Adams and OF Slade Heathcott. Four pitchers will be named later on. The 7 players will be on the Scottsdale Scorpions who will be managed by Carlos Mendoza, the manager of the Charleston River Dogs.

[Biggtone23]

Playoff Update:

The AAA Empire State Yankees have clinched the International League's North Division. They will play the leagues wild card team who is down to either Pawtucket or Lehigh Valley in the first round.

AA Trenton Thunder have clinched the Eastern League's Eastern Division. In the first round they will play the Eastern Divison's wild card team who will be either Reading or New Britian.

High A Tampa Yankees are currently in a three way tie for second place, one game behind the Dunedin Blue Jays in their division. Dunedin also won the first half title, if they win the second half the team with the next best overall record makes the playoffs. In that case the Yankees would be out as they are 7 games behind the Lakeland Flying Tigers.

Despite having some of the Yankees top prospects the Charleston RiverDogs have been eliminated from playoff contention. Short Season Staten Island have also been elminated from the playoff race in the New York Penn League. The GCL Yankees also failed to make their playoffs.

EDIT: Tampa has been elminated from the FSL playoff race.

[Biggtone23]

In the International League playoffs the SWB/Empire State Yankees are down 0-2 in the first round against the Pawtucket Red Sox.

In the Eastern League playoffs Trenton and the Reading Phillies are tied at 1 game each in their first round series.

[Biggtone23]

MLB.com's prospect watch has revealed their top 20 prospects for the Yankees.

1) Gary Sanchez - C
2) Mason Williams - OF
3) Tyler Austin - OF
4) Manny Banuelos - P
5) Slade Heathcott - OF
6) Ty Hensley - P
7) Zolio Almonte - OF
8) Angelo Gumbs - 2B
9) Dante Bichette - 3B
10) Ramon Flores - OF
11) Adam Warren - P
12) Nik Turley - P
13) Jose Ramirez - P
14) Mark Montgomery - P
15) Jose Pirela - 2B
16) Jose Campos - P
17) Dellin Betances - P
18) Austin Aune - SS
19) Zachary Nuding - P
20) Ravel Santana - SS

Austin Romine, Cito Culver, JR Murphy, Claudio Custodio, Ben Gamel, David Adams and Bryan Mitchell all fall off the list from last year. David Phelps graduated from the list to the big league team this year.

[Biggtone23]

The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees lost to the Pawtucket Red Sox 3 games to 1 in the first round of the International League playoffs.

Trenton beat the Reading Phillies 3-1 to advance to the Eastern League finals against the Akron Aeros.

[TonyStarks]

Some wrap up news for the farm:

Gary Sanchez | C
MiLB 2012 All-Star Starting Catcher
.290/.344/.485
18 HR | 85 RBI - SB15/ CS19
Sanchez dramatically reduced the rate of passed balls charged to him. That total dropped from 26 PBs in 60 games behind the plate in 2011 to 18 in 91 games this year.

Mason Williams | CF
.298/.346/.474
11HR / 35 RBI - 20/33 SB
Lost almost half way through the season

Tyler Austin | RF
.322/.400/.559 with 17 homers and 23 steals (in 25 chances) while advancing from Low-A Charleston to High-A Tampa, plus he also made a late-season cameo with Double-A Trenton. Among hitters with at least 300 plate appearances, Austin led the system in AVG, SLG, OPS (.960), and doubles (35).
*Concussion cost him about a month

Heath Sladecott | LF
.302/.380/.461 with five homers and 19 steals (in 23 attempts) in 265 plate appearances.
Missed time because of a shoulder injury.

David Adams | 2B/3B:
306/.385/.450 with eight homers and 23 doubles in 383 plate appearances for Double-A Trenton this summer. He managed to make 65 starts in the field, the final 23 of which came at third base in an effort to increase his versatility.


--

Not bothering writing about any pitchers as many disappointed, especially Dellin.

[NJYankeeFan]

Overall disappointing season but a few good surprises.

CoJo is worth mentioning. Ashame neither he nor Adams can play short.

Ramon Flores emerged as a serious prospect.

On the pitching side. Brett Marshall had a good year and Mark Montgomery looks like Robertson II.

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[NJYankeeFan]

And just a little remembrance of a former Yankee farmhand. Why the Yanks never gave him a shot in the pen still perplexes me.

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index...tionals-k-rod/

The Yankees added him to the 40-man roster after the 2009 campaign, but released him in May of 2010 following the second elbow reconstruction. After rehabbing, the Nationals inked Garcia to a minor league contract last July and stuck him in the bullpen. The results have been stellar, as he’s pitched to a 1.36 ERA with 11.9 K/9 (30.7 K%) and 2.5 BB/9 (6.4 BB%) in 72.2 relief innings in their farm system. This season it was a 0.86 ERA in 52.1 innings split between Double-A and Triple-A prior to the call-up.

Not that the Yanks are short on relievers but I remember watching this guy pitch. Wow. If he can stay healthy.

[philliesfiend55]

Railriders is not horrible.

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Railriders isn't horible, but it's still not likely to strike horror into the hearts of opponents.
When SWB was a Phillies affiliate (1989-2006) they were called the Red Barons - not exactly a fearsome nickname either.

[Biggtone23]

and Railriders wins it.