The Riverdogs

The Yankees Class A team - the Charleston Riverdogs is filled with potential stars. I'll just give you a run down on some of my favorites, but I strongly encourage you to take an in depth look at the team if you get the chance.

Pitchers
Adam Olbrychowski
A.O. is a 6'3 Starting RHP who just has a pitcher's build and mentality. I will start out with his biggest problem which is consistency. A.O. will have an amazing game then a horrible one and back and forth we go. Here is what to expect from him once he becomes consistant: May 31 - A.O. pitches 5 innings giving up only 2 hits against 3 KO's, no walks or runs given up for a win. Nothing eyepopping, but he gets the job done. A guy like this projects to be a back end starter maybe in the #3 or 4 spot. I don't worry much about the consistancy, that will come with experience (he's only 21 years old), especially since he has only been injured once since college. As A.O. gets stronger and gains more experience, he will be very stable. He won't have too many high strikeouts games, but he did strike out 7 once this year in 7 innings pitched. A.O. pitches his 4-seam fastball in the low to mid 90's and he sports a changeup and a slider. once he gets better command of these 2 the strikeouts will go up. Adam was a 5th round selection in the 2007 draft from Pepperdine University. This season he has sported good numbers so far: 4-2 with a 3.19 ERA, 48 innings, 33 strikeouts, only 12 walks and 47 hits. Slightly less than a hit an inning is a good starting point for a young pitcher in his first full season. A.O., in my opinion, is likely to make his pro debut around 2012, if he stays on track.
Dellin Betances
Dellin won't be hard to miss, he is 6''8, 245 lbs, and only 20 years old. Betances will throw his 4-seamer at an impressive 98 mph. His number 2 pitch, surprisingly enough is a knuckle-curve which is an above average plus pitch. He's still working on his changeup, the Yankee brass are excited so far about its progress. Dellin has great command of his pitches and great mechanics, which have returned to form after trouble last season. He was a projected 1st rounder, but he fell to the Yanks in the 8th round from High School in the Bronx. Dellin obviously at his age just needs to continue to see innings. He should be in Scranton by 2010, probably not earlier, but that is a possibility. There is no need to rush him as he is just barely 20 years old and missed part of last season due to injury. He'll likely start next year in Trenton, skipping Tampa, and should be starting in Scranton like I said around 2010. After that, it will depend not only on Dellin's performance, but also whether or not a spot will be available around that time. Dellin will and most defintley should remain a starter.
Craig Heyer
Bet you never heard this name before. Craig made his debut last season, after being drafted by the Yankees in the 22nd round of the 2007 draft. In his 1st season he went 5-0 with 35 strikeouts. Craig is a relief pitcher, but his strikeouts will have to increase to keep up with major league hitters (those 25 K's came in 50.2 innings) He sported a 3.20 ERA. This season, Craig has gotten much better, Through 18 games, 36.2 innings, he is 3-0, 1 save, 1.23 ERA, 21 strikeouts thus far. The strikeouts are coming at a more respectable rate and his ERA is quite impressive. He is 22 years old and likely will see Trenton next season, with Scranton not being far off. Relievers seem to move up the system quickly due to high demand, especially when the give up as few walks as Craig (30 innings = 4 walks). Craig's stuff won't blow anyone away, his fastball sits in the low 90's, has a slider in the low 80's - and that's just what makes him even more impressive.
Lance Pendleton
Pendleton throws a 4 seamer that hits around 95, but he also throws it anywhere from 91-95 for a change of pace. Pendleton also throws a knuckle curve in the 80's and has a developing changeup. He is 5-2 this season, through 14 starting appearances and 9 relief games, with an ERA of 2.13, with 56 KO's in 55 innings. Lance's career will likely be as a reliever. Lance played OF in college as well, but is now focusing soley on pitching. Lance's Bronx arrival is tough to judge, he has been plauged by injuries over the years, but has come back arguably stronger each time. I'd say 2010-12 depending on need. A guy like Heyer in my opinion reaches NY first.
Catchers
Jesus Montero
Montero is incredible! I believe Brit is dedicating a blog to him in the future so I will just give the basics. Montero is a power hitter and is believed to be the heir to Jorge. This season, Montero, who is splitting time behind the plate with Romine, is hitting .300 with 7 HR's and 44 SB. Like all power hitters, he has a tendancy to strikeout alot, but he is not as bad as most sluggers.
Austin Romine
While I am realistic and understand Montero will likely be Jorge's successor, I love Romine! He is 19 years and comes from a strong baseball pedigree and his father was a former major leaguer and his older brother is also in the MiLB. Romine was drafted by the Yanks in 2007 in the second round and chose to sign with the Yankees instead of following his father and brother who both played for ASU. Romine is having a little bit of trouble behind the plate this year, but in my opinion is the most solid minor league catcher. Romine is still developing as a hitter, but is doing quite well this season. Romine's ticket is most defintely behind the plate though. Exhibit AL Romine's pop times to second base has ranged from 1.78 to 1.85 seconds, putting him near an 80 on the 20-80 scouting scale. Exhibit B: Baseball America rated him as the #2 Catcher in high school - they raved about his impressive arm stregth. As I said, he is still developing as a hitter, but so far, he is showing some decent pop, solid average, ability to hit the gaps, etc.
Infielders:
Carmen Angelini
Carmen was an 10th Round pick in the 2007 Draft, who fell due to concerns about his strong desire to attend Rice on a baseball scholarship. Carmen is a shortstop who is both strong armed and smart. Carmen is now 19 years old and not to add any more pressure on the kid, but yes, there is talk he is the heir to Mr. Jeter. It makes sense, Carmen will be expected in the Bronx around 2012-2013, that will put Jeter in his late 30's. Carmen is often compared to Jeter offensively with a little more potential for power. It is suggested he will average around 20 homeruns a season - not bad for a shortstop. The difference between the 2 is Carmen is said to be much stronger defensively, which is saying alot. Carmen has incredible range to both his left and right side with soft hands. Carmen sees the ball well while hitting which has led to him being rated as high as #5 on Yankee Prospects. Carmen also has great speed.
Justin Snyder
I really like Snyder, who is a converted 2nd Baseman who used to play short. Snyder is smooth on defense, but his main problem is a young man named Robinson Cano. This season, Snyder is hitting .300 with HR's , 30 RBI and 4 SB. Justin was a 21st Round selection in the 2007 draft from San Diego State. Justin has great versatility as he can play, SS, 2nd, 3rd, 1st, OF. His main threat is his ability to hit the ball. He always sports a great batting average with decent power numbers. He has a quick strong swing and takes the ball to all parts of the field. This has been an off year by Justin's standards, and by looking above, I can deal with this being an off year.
Bradley Suttle
Suttle is a 3rd Baseman from the University of Texas. Suttle has great hitting ability - he hits for power and average. He has been called by most experts as one of the few "pure hitters" in the game. His defense is not superb, but there is a strong homerun hitting 3rd Baseman currently in NY right now who is also not known for defense. However, don't take that to mean Suttle is the next A-Rod. Suttle still has a lot to prove, he signed late last season and was disappointing in Hawaii ball, but he has started to show his talent in Charleston and is expected to really grow this season.
Outfielders:
Outfield is interesting in Charleston, I really like all the guys there, but none of those guys are playing even close to their potential so its way to hard to write about them. I can tell you there is a lot of speed there, but will it really matter? The Yankees OF of the future is in Scranton right now with Tabata in RF, Gardner in CF, and Jackson in LF. Those guys are in their very early 20's and should roam the Yankee Stadium OF until atleast 2020 - How crazy is that? The guys in Charleston quite frankly will either stay in the minors for their career, sign with another team when an option, be backups, or trade bait. Sounds mean - but Tabata, Gardner, and Jackson are far superior and the Charleston Kids just arent giving us an accurate read to say any different.

But, hey, don't take my word for it - Check out the Charleston Riverdogs!

Pinstriped as Always,
Laura