The New York Yankees’ last dynasty was forged by stars nurtured and raised through their farm system. Jorge Posada, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Bernie Williams—all members or soon-to-be members of the team’s Monument Park—were home-grown.
A foundation built from within is a structure that has worked well for many World Series champions—given that they were willing to be patient with their prospects. The latter is a key reason why the Yankees haven’t replicated their success in the past decade and a half.
New York’s 27 World Series titles bred a championship-or-bust mantra that could only be satisfied by major free agent hauls and blockbuster trades that put the team in contention today rather than tomorrow. The trade-off was a bone-dry minor league system plucked of its prize crops every time the major league squad needed a boost.
While owner George Steinbrenner’s family has ensured his win-now mentality lives on in spite of his passing, general manager Brian Cashman isn’t mortgaging the team’s future any longer. After several solid draft choices and amateur free agent signings, Cashman has done the unthinkable in Yankees Universe—resisted the urge to deal away potential stars for proven contributors.
Yes, it finally seems safe to say it: the Yankees’ next stars will begin their pro careers in the Bronx.
In fact, two of them have already made great first impressions: outfielder Slade Heathcott and pitcher Jacob Lindgren.
On Monday, both young prospects got in on the Yankees’ 14-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals by providing a pair of career firsts: a home run for Heathcott and a scoreless two-inning MLB debut for Lindgren. Although each player joined the Yankees as a high draft pick—Heathcott was a first-round pick in 2009 and Lindgren was a second-round selection in 2014—their paths to the majors have been quite different.
While the 22-year-old Lindren has shot through the minors, becoming the first Yankee to debut within one year of being drafted since 1989, Heathcott has endured seven long seasons in New York’s farm system. He was even released by the team this offseason before reminding them of his massive potential with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
With a shaky group of middle relievers and some injury-prone outfielders, the duo could stick around for a while, too.
There are players with arguably even more upside behind them, as well.
Aaron Judge, a 6-foot-7, 275-pound behemoth, projects to be the next great power-hitting outfielder wearing pinstripes. The 23-year-old right-hander has been tearing up Double-A Trenton, hitting .292 with 7 home runs, 26 RBI and an .850 OPS through 41 games, and could be in contention for a call-up later this season if he continues on his rapid pace. In an era where right-handed power hitters are becoming scarce, Judge could be an anomaly. Yankees legend Reggie Jackson has compared him to Dave Winfield, along with a few other notable names.
“He’s got power like Stargell, McCovey,” Jackson told ESPN New York. “Opposite-field power, which is the best power you can have. That allows you to wait on the ball. He has power like a guy from the ’60s and ’70s.”
Judge isn’t just a swing-for-the-fences hitter, either. Although his on-base percentage has dropped a bit this season with Trenton, the Calif. native boasts a .403 OBP average and an .891 OPS for his minor league career. He’s not too shabby in the outfield for a guy built like an NFL defensive end, either.
While Judge is certainly one of the most highly anticipated future call-ups the team has had in quite some time, he may not even be the farm’s top prospect.
That distinction belongs to Luis Severino, a 21-year-old starting pitcher billed by many as the Yankees’ next big star. The Dominican right-hander was an unknown commodity at the start of the 2013 season, but emerged as the team’s top righty by the end of the year. Although he’s only about 6-foot, Severino can crank up his fastball up around 100 mph—drawing comparisons to a young Pedro Martinez.
His stuff looked promising enough to earn a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this week, putting him on track to earn a spot in the Yankees’ 2016 rotation—if not sooner.
The influx of potential young stars to the Yankees’ 2016 and 2017 major league rosters doesn’t stop there.
Judge is joined in Trenton by Greg Bird, a left-handed hitting 22-year-old first basemen who landed on many top prospect lists after being named MVP of the Arizona Fall League this past offseason and Gary Sanchez, a 22-year-old catcher with a big arm and plus power potential.
Other players who are generating buzz include outfielders Ben Gamel, Mason Williams and Jake Cave—who are all hitting over .300 for their respective clubs—shortstops Tyler Wade and Jorge Mateo and second baseman Rob Refsnyder.
While potential prospects provide clubs with more of a dream than a reality, Cashman’s change in thinking is an important first step towards the reconstruction of the Yankee model. If New York hopes to renew its winning ways, Brett Gardner and Dellin Betances are going to need more home-grown stars to play alongside.
By the looks of it, there will be plenty of them, too.