With the emergence of Robert Refsnyder, the second base crop had a major boost this season, but that was just the beginning. Jose Pirela had a career year and Ty McFarland emerged as a great second baseman at 10th round value. Junior Valera came over from the DSL and performed well, and Bryan Cuevas hit his stride this season. Even the non-drafted free agents the Yankees got this year raked. There’s a ton of potential on the farm right now at second base, in addition to some sure things at the higher levels.
1. Robert Refsnyder – 2B, 6-foot-1, 205-pounds, RHB, 23 – This year Refsnyder broke out in a major way. He had a season that was good enough to put him in a great position to be the starting second baseman for the Yankees next season. He hits to all fields, is extremely athletic, and is becoming an average second baseman with the potential to be even better than that. He is a tireless worker and it would shock me if he wasn’t a plus defender in the coming years. He has an excellent arm and I’ve seen him make some fantastic plays. His power really came around this year, hitting 14 homeruns. This is excellent for a second baseman, and is exactly what the Yankees pictured when they drafted him. I am hoping they give him a legitimate shot to start next year, and I don’t think the Yanks will be disappointed if they do. He hit .318/.387/.497/.884 with 38 doubles, three triples and 14 homeruns this year in Double-A and Triple-A.
2. Gosuke Katoh – 2B, 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, LHB, 19 – Katoh’s stats took a step back this year, but that was in part because he went straight from the GCL to Charleston, as a 19 year old. While he started the season poorly, he finished the season strong. He sees a ton of pitches and that is part of the reason why his average was so low. He walked 71 times this year. As he gets more aggressive the average should come up, and so should the power numbers. He also has considerable speed and stole 20 bases this year. He hit .222/.345/.326/.671 this season. Those numbers are nothing to write home about, but his approach is. He is an all fields hitter, which portends a major increase in the average going forward. His approach to this season was to be like a sponge and soak up all of the knowledge he can about the game, and see as many pitches as possible even if it meant letting some good ones go. This lead to his high strikeout totals which are the major concern with him going forward. Hopefully this approach pays off next season.
3. Ty McFarland – 2B, 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, LHB, 22 – McFarland really impressed in his first season in the minors. A 10th round draft pick, he surprised a lot of people by hitting for power, stroking five homers in 62 games this year. Overall it was a successful season for Ty. He’s a big, strong second baseman whose question marks mainly come on defense. If he can stay sharp on the defensive side and gain a bit of quickness, he can stick at second base and his bat may carry him up through the minors. He hit .278/.345/.430/.775 this year. As a power hitting lefty second baseman, he has a lot going for him that should get him some opportunities going forward. Depending on how he looks in Spring Training next year, he could start in Charleston or High-A. If he starts in High-A, I think we will see Gosuke Katoh repeat Charleston, which is perfectly okay at his young age.
4. Jose Pirela – 2B, 5-foot-11, 210-pounds, RHB, 24 – He is a minor league free agent after this season, and I really hope the Yankees keep him around in case Refsnyder is a bust at the major league level. He hit .305/.351/.441/.792 this season with 10 homers, 11 triples, and 21 doubles. He can flat out hit and has done so at every level of the minors. He even stole 15 bases this year. At this point he will be 25 to start next season. If the Yankees don’t give him a chance soon then someone else will. He has earned it.
5. Angelo Gumbs – 2B, 6-foot-0, 175-pounds, RHB, 21 – The Yankees have always had high expectations for Gumbs, but the performance has never quite been there. He has all the talent in the world, and the quick wrists you look for in a guy that will eventually hit for power. Hitting .233 in High-A, however, will not get you anywhere. He has great speed and power potential, and for that reason he will continue to get opportunities with the Yankees. If he somehow manages to put it all together, he would be far and away the best second base prospect in the system. At this point I am beyond skeptical that this day will ever come. Still, the Yankees will probably start him at Double-A next season in a sink or swim kind of role. He has some solid second basemen coming up beyond him in Katoh and McFarland, so it could soon be now or never for him.
6. Junior Valera – 2B, 6-foot-0, 180-pounds, SH, 21 – Valera took so long to get to the US because he was learning to switch hit. Now 21, he will have to move quickly despite the fact that he’s a switch hitter. The good news is he hit the ground running when he landed on US soil this year. In the GCL he hit .316/.409/.449/.857 with 14 SB, three triples, six doubles, and two homeruns in 38 games. Those numbers are great, but he was 1.4 years older than the average player in the GCL. He will have to perform against players his own age to be taken seriously. He could get a shot to play in Charleston, but Katoh and McFarland could block his way there. They could certainly split at bats by getting time at DH though. I wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case next year.
7. Bryan Cuevas – 2B, 5-foot-10, 179-pounds, RHB, 20 – This smallish middle infielder was the man of opportunity this season. Several injuries allowed him to get significant time at shortstop this season, and he really showed what he can do in the field and with the bat. He has a great deal of versatility to play any infield position and we know the Yankees like that. On top of that, he tore the cover off the ball in the batter’s box this year. He had a .356/.405/.564/.969 line. Long term I see him at second base due to his size, but with his versatility he could end up anywhere. He had nine doubles, eight triples, and two homeruns in 40 games this year. I don’t know much more about him yet, but he should get a chance in Staten Island next season at the very least. He has a patient approach at the plate.
Honorable Mention: Cesar Diaz (21 year old who hit .319/.423/.422/.844 in the DSL and GCL this year, his first since signing), Welfrin Mateo (19 to start next season, hit .293/.393/.419/.812 with 12 SB and four homers in the DSL this year), Billy Fleming (21 year old non-drafted FA out of West Virginia hit .330/.411/.415/.826 in the GCL and SI this year), and Tyler Palmer (21 year old non-drafted FA, once a 4th round pick (2011), hit .262/.354/.443/.797 with three homers in the GCL).