We were fortunate in Tampa to see a myriad of top-prospects play at Steinbrenner Field in 2021. Among the talented cast included the likes of Anthony Volpe, Jasson Dominguez, and Austin Wells, among others.
Hidden amongst those getting the spotlight are the guys that grind day in and day out and put up the numbers, but aren’t getting the attention. Keep in mind that all of the players mentioned here are still at the lower levels of the system and have a few levels to go before they make it to the Majors, but their performances deserve to be highlighted.
Raimfer Salinas (John Brophy / Pinstriped Prospects)
Raimfer Salinas – CF/RF
B/T: R/R
6’ 0” 175 – 21 yrs. old
2021 FCL Yankees
Hit: 50
Power: 40
Run: 55
Field: 55
Throw: 50
Overall: 50
Summary: Salinas had a significant increase in RBI in 2021 despite having less hits in more ABs. An average hitter with below average power (6 HR in 176 PA), Salinas improved his slugging pct., which in turn bumped up his OPS in 2021. Salinas is an above-average runner, which is necessary in a large outfield like the Yankees have in the Bronx. His fielding and arm are average and he needs relays to get balls in accurately and on time.
Salinas has shown he has tools but they are rather rough and unrefined. It’s possible that more reps in a full-season can help fix some of the rough edges.
Aldenis Sanchez (John Brophy / Pinstriped Prospects)
Aldenis Sanchez – CF/RF
B/T: R/R
6’ 1” 165 – 23 yrs. old
2021 FCL Yankees & Tampa Tarpons
Hit: 60
Power: 50
Run: 70
Field: 60
Throw: 55
Overall: 60
Summary: Sanchez had a strong 2021 offensively, but played in fewer games as a result of an injury in August with Low-A Tampa that kept him out for the last few weeks of play. Sanchez was one of the fastest players on the base paths in 2021 with plus-plus speed; he showed this by frequently beating out dribblers to the shortstop. He shows plus fielding with an above average arm, but has shown a tendency to sometimes take inefficient routes to fly balls.
Sanchez has yet to play in a full season with 4 years of DSL, GCL, Short-Season Appy League and FCL/Low-A. The 2022 will be a pivotal year for Sanchez if he can maintain the stats he showed off in 2021.
Alex Guerrero (John Brophy / Pinstriped Prospects)
Alex Guerrero – C/1B
B/T: L/R
6’ 0” 185 – 21 yrs. old
2021 FCL Yankees
Hit: 60
Power: 45
Run: 40
Field: 55
Throw: 50
Overall: 50
Summary: Guerrero really impressed in 2021 after having two abysmal seasons batting under .200 with GCL Yankees East. In 26 games and 69 plate appearances in the 2021 season with the Complex League Yankees, Guerrero became a plus hitter and almost tripled his batting average and OPS, those marks good for a .407 batting average and 1.207 OPS. Guerrero split time between first base and catcher last season. Guerrero has an average arm but brings above average fielding; the 21-year old has shown a strong ability to stretch for errant throws at first base, but he is not quite as strong of a defender when he is behind the plate.
A 2018 18th round draft selection, Guerrero has a relatively low ceiling given his track record, but a breakout year in 2022 with more at bats has the potential to change that outlook.
Ryder Green (John Brophy / Pinstriped Prospects)
Ryder Green – LF/RF
B/T: R/R
6’ 0” 200 – 21 yrs. old
2021 FCL Yankees & Tampa Tarpons
Hit: 40
Power: 60
Run: 55
Field: 60
Throw: 65
Overall: 55
Summary: Green was the Yankees’ 3rd round draft pick in 2018, but he has still yet to play a full-season after spending the last few years with the GCL Yankees, Short-Season Pulaski, and a late start with the FCL squad this past June before being promoted to Low-A Tampa in July.
A plus power hitter, Green showed off his pop in August when he hit a home run over the batter’s eye at Steinbrenner Field and halfway into the swamp that mingles between the stadium and Dale Mabry Highway. Green struggled at the plate in 2021 with a high strikeout rate (67 in 203 PAs), but upped his on-base percentage as a result of more walks compared to previous seasons. Green, a former high school pitcher, has a plus arm and has exhibited no issues making the throw from right field into third base.
If Green can improve his plate discipline, he has the potential to be an above average player. The other tools are there and will improve as he ascends through the levels.
Anthony Garcia (John Brophy / Pinstriped Prospects)
Anthony Garcia – 1B/RF
B/T: S/R
6’ 5” 204 – 21 yrs. old
2021 FCL Yankees & Tampa Tarpons
Hit: 50
Power: 75
Run: 55
Field: 60
Throw: 65
Overall: 60
Summary: Garcia caught a number of Yankees fans attention with the power display that he showed off while with Low-A Tampa, and indeed this nearly 80-grade score proves that. Garcia hit 14 home runs in only 153 PA. To put that into perspective, Aaron Judge hit 39 home runs in 633 PAs. If Garcia were to keep the same pace in that amount of PAs, he would’ve hit 58 HRs.
His average hit tool is a bit unrefined; he struggles managing the strike zone given his height and the ABS system employed in the Low-A Southeast. Despite that, Garcia he still managed a .397 BABIP in 2021. Garcia mostly bats lefty with the excess of righty pitchers, and with his above average speed can run to first from home plate in about 4.15 seconds.
Andres Chaparro (John Brophy/Pinstriped Prospects)
Andres Chaparro – 1B/3B
B/T: R/R
6’ 1” 200 – 22 yrs. old
2021 Tampa Tarpons & Hudson Valley Renegades
Hit: 50
Power: 55
Run: 40
Field: 50
Throw: 60
Overall: 50
Summary: Chaparro really broke out in 2021 in multiple ways, but his offense was certainly a highlight. He has an average bat that needs some refinement, but shows the tools are there and has a willingness to learn from the mistakes he’s made. His speed is an inhibiting factor, but given he’s defending the corners, that’s not a huge concern. Chaparro has a plus arm but average fielding abilities and has shown he has no issues getting a ball across the field from third to first in an expeditious manner.
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