6 Yankees Prospects Who Can Contribute in the 2020 Season

Expected to be among the top teams in the 2020 Major League Baseball (MLB) season by publications such as USA Today, the New York Yankees boast a veteran-laden roster. It includes All-Stars like Aroldis Chapman, Gerrit Cole, J.A. Happ, Gleyber Torres, and Aaron Judge.

The organization's farm system, meanwhile, was ranked as the 20th best in MLB by Bleacher Report prior to the start of the 2020 season. Despite being in the bottom-third of the rankings, the Yankees have several prospects who could see time at the Big League level in 2020, including the six players listed below:

1. Michael King

The Yankees starting rotaton is in good shape heading into the 2020 MLB season with the signing of prized free agent Gerrit Cole and the return of Jordan Montgomery. However, the team's bullpen might be an area of weakness following the departures of Nestor Cortes Jr. and Dellin Betances.

Michael King is one prospect who could help out in that regard. A 24-year-old native of Rochester, New York, King allowed two hits over two innings of relief with the Yankees last season, but spent the majority of the season in the minor leagues. He started eight of the 11 games in which he appeared and registered a 5.48 earned run average (ERA) through 46 innings. He allowed 47 hits and struck out 44 batters.

An alumnus of Boston College, King was selected by the Miami Marlins in the 12th round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft and acquired by the Yankees in November 2017 in exchange for Garrett Cooper and Caleb Smith. He projects to be a back-of-the-rotation starter, but could excel in a relief role if called upon this season given his impressive accuracy.

2. Deivi Garcia

If not King, Deivi Garcia is a pitcher who could compete for extended playing time out of the bullpen. While he's expected to begin the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the 20-year-old could earn a recall to the Yankees if he is able to conquer opposition batters early in the season.

He struggled at the Triple-A level over 40 innings pitched last season, but was dominant with Double-A Trenton and High-A Tampa. He pitched a combined 71.1 innings with those teams and struck out 120 batters.

Signed by the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic in 2016, Garcia has a career win-loss record of 17-20 in the minor leagues. In addition, he has a 3.37 ERA and has struck out 416 batters through 293.2 innings.

3. Estevan Florial

Like Garcia, Florial was signed by the Yankees out of the Dominican Republic. The 22-year-old outfielder was ranked among the top 70 prospects by the MLB and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2019 season. Unfortunately, he experienced a wrist injury in spring training that ultimately derailed his season.

He played in only 74 games for the Yankees' High-A affiliate in Tampa and registered a .237 batting average to go along with 8 home runs and 38 RBI. Given that Aaron Hicks is expected to be sidelined for an extended period of time in 2020 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Florial could make the Yankees as a bench player if he has a solid showing in spring training.

4. Nick Nelson

Although he isn't considered a top 10 prospect in the Yankees organization, right-handed pitcher Nick Nelson put up impressive statistics in 2019. The 23-year-old struck out 114 batters in 89.2 innings pitched and registered a 2.81 ERA through 17 starts and one relief appearance.

He made four stats for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre near the end of the season, indicating the Yankees believe he's close to being capable of contributing at the Big League level. Nelson was selected by the Yankees in the fourth round of the 2016 MLB Amateur Draft.

5. Clarke Schmidt

Selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2017 MLB Amateur Draft, Clarke Schmidt began the 2019 season with the Yankees Gulf Coast League affiliate. He rose to Double-A Trenton by the end of the season.

Through 18 starts and one relief appearance across three minor league levels, the 23-year-old allowed 79 hits and struck out 102 batters in 90.2 innings pitched. He had a win-loss record of 6-5 and a 3.47 ERA. He could start some games for the Yankees in 2020 in the event of an injury to one of its starting pitchers.

6. Albert Abreu

Although he struggled in 2019, Albert Abreu is still a highly-regarded pitching prospect who has shown flashes of brilliance throughout his minor league career. The 24-year-old registered a 4.28 ERA and walked just under five batter per nine innings last season at Double-A Trenton.

Notably, however, he was ranked among the top 100 prospects by MLB, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus prior to the 2018 season. Through six seasons in the minor leagues, he has a 3.77 ERA and has struck out 446 batters in 439 innings pitched.

6 Free Agents the Yankees Should Consider in the 2019-20 Off-Season

The New York Yankees’ 2019 season proved to be one of its most successful in the last decade with 103 regular-season wins and a close battle with the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. While the team still fell short of the championships, the off-season free agent selection presents promising opportunities that could improve its roster prior to the 2020 season. This includes an abundance of talented pitchers, which some sportswriters consider to be the Yankees' greatest area of need. The team ranked 14th in the 2019 Major League Baseball (MLB) Team Stats with a combined earned run average (ERA) of 4.31. Here are six free agents that the Yankees could benefit from targeting in the 2019-20 off-season:

Gerrit Cole

A 29-year-old native of Newport Beach, California, Gerrit Cole was a finalist for the American League (AL) Cy Young Award in 2019 after he achieved a win-loss record of 20-5. Additionally, he achieved a league-best 2.50 ERA and 326 strikeouts, the latter of which was also a career high. Cole also finished 10th in the AL Most Valued Player (MVP) voting and earned his third All-Star distinction in 2019.

Cole was originally drafted out of high school by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 Major League Baseball (MLB) Amateur Draft, but instead opted to play at the University of California, Los Angeles. He was then selected first overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft and has since compiled a 94-52 win-loss record to go along with a 3.22 career ERA and 1,336 strikeouts. He has started at least 32 games in each of the past three seasons, and he remains a favorite among Yankees fans and baseball critics.

Stephen Strasburg

Stephen Strasburg is another strong free agent pitcher this off-season. The 31-year-old registered a wins above replacement (WAR) of 6.5 last season, which was just below the 6.8 figure recorded by Cole. He pitched for the Washington Nationals that season and finished with a record of 18-6, in addition to a 3.32 ERA and 251 strikeouts. Furthermore, he boasts the strikeout capabilities that the Yankees have targeted, and he achieved a 51.1 percent ground-ball rate in 2019, which was his best mark in this regard since 2013.

While some reporters in the baseball world expect Strasburg to re-sign with the Nationals, Strasburg could complement the Yankees' pitching staff in the playoffs. The first overall pick of the 2009 MLB Amateur Draft, he has a career playoff record of 6-2 to go along with a 1.46 ERA and 71 strikeouts through 55.1 innings pitched. He was named the World Series MVP in 2019.

Zack Wheeler

Zack Wheeler doesn't have the same pedigree as proven pitchers like Cole or Strasburg, but the 29-year-old former first-round pick of the New York Mets could be signed for considerably less and was deemed a perfect fit for the Yankees by MLB.com. Moreover, there's speculation that the Yankees' premier analytics department could help Wheeler reach his full potential as a star-quality pitcher. Although he has experienced injury troubles in the past, Wheeler was healthy during the past two seasons and posted a combined 8.9 WAR. He finished the 2019 campaign with a win-loss record of 11-8 and 3.96 ERA.

Travis d'Arnaud

The catcher position isn't an urgent need for the Yankees, but expanding its organizational depth can benefit the team if backup catcher Austin Romine opts to pursue other opportunities as a free agent. While the Yankees could still re-sign Romine, free agent Travis d'Arnaud is another attractive option. The 30-year-old former first-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies hit 16 home runs in only 351 at bats with the Tampa Bay Rays last season and recorded a career-best 67 RBI.

Didi Gregorius

While there are several intriguing free agents who recently played with other organizations, it could serve the Yankees well to try re-signing some of its key contributors from last season. One of these players is shortstop Didi Gregorius. The 29-year-old's hold on the starting shortstop position is challenged by 22-year-old Gleyber Torres, but Gregorius has the edge in defensive capabilities. Moreover, if he were to rejoin the team, it would provide an opportunity for New York to augment DJ LeMahieu’s versatility as a utility infielder.

Brett Gardner

Brett Gardner could serve as a good insurance plan at center field, while Aaron Hicks recovers from Tommy John surgery. Gardner, who was selected by the Yankees in the third round of the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft, has spent his 12-year career with the team and has 124 home runs, 524 RBI, and a .260 batting average through 1,499 career regular season games. He also won the World Series with the team in 2009 and was named an All-Star in 2015.