Lots of Pitching Down on the Farm

This week's Ask BA features a question on the New York Yankees farm system.

The Yankees have a bunch of minor league pitchers having good years who didn't make BA's Yankees Top 10 Prospects list: Shaeffer Hall, Hector Noesi, David Phelps, Graham Stoneburner and Adam Warren, to name a few. Can you size these guys up in terms of potential and address whether they might make the next Top 10 list?

Dick Mullaney
Glastonbury, Conn.

It has been a good year for pitchers in the Yankees system. Seven-figure bonus babies Andrew Brackman and Dellin Betances are showing signs of life, and the pitchers whom Dick mentions have taken impressive steps forward. Of that latter group, Stoneburner is the best prospect and has the best chance of cracking our offseason Top 10.

A 14th-rounder out of Clemson a year ago, Stoneburner signed for $675,000. His 92-95 mph fastball has been no surprise because he always has shown arm strength, but he has done a nice job of tightening his slider and repeating his delivery.

The other pitchers are prospects but probably not Top 10 guys. Noesi is having a tremendous year, going 11-3, 2.21 with a 104-17 K-BB ratio in 102 innings between high Class A and Double-A, but his numbers are better than his pure stuff. He doesn't have a true plus pitch, though he mixes four offerings and commands them well.

Hall, who's all finesse, and Phelps, who relies mainly on a 92-95 mph fastball, project as relievers in the major leagues. With better stuff than Hall and a deeper repertoire than Phelps, Warren has a more realistic chance to become a big league starter, but I think he'll wind up as a middle reliever.