With College Baseball in full swing and high school season’s around the country around the corner, here are three first-round prospects for the Yankees to keep tabs on.
Across the country, college baseball season is at it’s quarter point and high school club’s across the country are gearing up for the 2021 season after losing their entire 2020 campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the amateur baseball seasons roll on, here’s a look at three potential options for the Yankees to watch this season as they prepare to make the 20th overall pick in July 11th’s 2021 MLB Draft.
Alex Binelas, 3B, Louisville
Per MLB Pipeline’s updated rankings, the Yankees do not have a third base prospect ranked among their top 30 prospects. Drafting Louisville’s Alex Binelas would change that immediately.
Binelas was drafted in the 35th round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Washington Nationals but opted to play college ball at Louisville in what’s been an excellent decision. As a freshman in 2019, he was named to the ACC’s All-Freshman and Second-Team’s after hitting .291 with 14 home runs and 59 RBI’s.
He played just two games in 2020 after suffering a hand injury and then having the season postponed due to COVID-19.
Binelas has struggled early on this season, but in-large part, the early season woes can be attributed to woes. The college junior has plenty of upside and could be a quick riser in a Yankees system where the third base position is not exactly a strength.
Jordan Wicks, LHP, Kansas State
Many of the top-ranked pitchers in the Yankees farm-system are right-handed. In fact, just two left-handed pitching prospects rank among the top 30 in MLB Pipeline’s updated rankings (T.J. Sikkema No. 16 & Ken Waldichuk No. 28). This makes Kansas State southpaw Jordan Wicks a very intriguing option.
Wicks is a 6-foot-3 redshirt sophomore that has had a dominant start to his college career. As a freshman in 2019, he posted 3.61 ERA with a 6-3 record and 86 strikeouts in just 84.2 innings of work. Before the pandemic ended the 2020 season, he posted a 0.35 ERA in four starts and so far, this season has posted a 1.89 ERA and has struck out 28 strikeouts in just 19.0 innings of work.
If Wicks does fall to No. 20, he is an arm the Yankees must consider adding to their farm system and one that could find himself in the majors not long after he’s drafted.
Colson Montgomery, Southridge High School (Indiana)
While it is hard to gauge high school prospects after they lost an entire season of development in 2020, Huntingburg, Indiana prospect Colson Montgomery is a name to watch for the Bombers.
The shortstop who is committed to Indiana University has drawn comparisons to Blue Jays star Bo Bichette and has highly graded bat speed and arm strength from his shortstop position.
Like third base, shortstop is a position the Yankees don’t have enough minor league depth at, making the 19-year-old Montgomery an interesting project idea to consider on Draft night.
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