Bronx Bomber Ball

It was a somber day for the New York Yankees. Guys like Carlos Beltran, Ivan Nova, Andrew Miller and Aroldis Chapman were gone. The locker room wasn’t the same and the game they had to play tonight almost seemed like an afterthought. In tonight's 6-5 win, the Yankees showed that they might still have some energy left in them. Photo Credit: Kathy Willens | AP

Throughout the years, the front office and manager Joe Girardi have stuck with players that quite frankly don't deserve to be in the majors. Right now, they have two of those players sitting on their bench. Not only do they have liabilities on the bench in outfielder Aaron Hicks and utility man Ronald Torreyes, but they have guys in Triple-A that deserve a chance to prove themselves, as the Yankees look destined for sell-mode in late July. Photo Credit: Julie Jacobson | AP

It is now May 17, 2016 and the BBB is bringing you a long overdue minor league update. This is something I’ve been meaning to do for a few weeks now, but I anticipate it being a weekly update, probably to be released every Sunday afternoon going forward, so be sure to check in for the latest on the Yankees farm system. Here, we’ll be updating you on the team’s top prospects, standout players who are enjoying strong seasons so far, as well as those with high expectations that they are not fulfilling. Since it has been just over a month and this is our first update, this will be a 4-part series with updates on each individual team, starting in Triple-A. But following this week's update, I will be able to put them all into one article.

With their 7-0 win last night, the Yankees finally ended their six-game losing streak. Today, the Yankees were looking to win their first series since the Tampa Bay series at home, on April 22-24. Winning today would also give the Yankees their first road series win of the season. The Yankees sent Masahiro Tanaka to the hill to face Baltimore’s Kevin Gausman. Earlier today, the Yankees sent James Pazos down to Triple-A, while calling up OF Ben Gamel. Gamel has never played at the majors level in his career. Meanwhile, sending Pazos down eliminated the extra arm the Yankees were carrying in their bullpen. Brett Gardner was out of today's lineup after his elbow was hit by a pitch. Picture Credit: Associated Press/Patrick Semansky

As a result of both minor-league call-ups and trades during the offseason, the Yankees roster already looks significantly different from last year. New players from trades such as Aaron Hicks, Ronald Torreyes, and Starlin Castro started the season in the Bronx and both Torreyes and Castro have taken advantage of the new environment and have succeeded early in the season. Only one player that spent significant time in the Yankee farm system has done exceedingly well with the Yankees this year, and he’s Johnny Barbato, who has pitched 6.0 IP, allowed only 2 hits, and has struck out 9. There is definitely talent brewing in Triple-A Scranton and here are the top 5 most likely call-ups, the probable timing of the call-up, and the likelihood of a call-up on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not likely at all and 10 being very likely. Here is the list of rankings on the Yankee farm system, developed by some of my BBB colleagues, Chad, Julian, Sammy, Phil, and James. Picture Credit: Pinstr...

While the Yankees have their major league outfield set with Brett Gardner, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran, the depth behind them is largely unsettled. Top prospect Aaron Judge is still working on the finer points of his game down in Scranton while prospects Slade Heathcott and Mason Williams have already seen time in the Bronx. Behind this group there aren’t many inspiring names but one outfielder that will look for a role in the majors is 23 year old Ben Gamel. Photo Via RiverAveBlues

The Hot stove is heating up and the Winter Meetings are approaching. At this point of the offseason, the trade market creates the most buzz. One of the names being thrown out there is OF Brett Gardner. It is no secret the Yankees are trying to ship Gardner as he’s been involved in rumors with many teams like the Mariners, Cubs and Dodgers. The Yankees certainly won’t get an ace for Gardy but he can bring back a controllable middle of the rotation type pitcher. That of course, would leave a hole in LF. As the Yankees showed us in 2015, they are not afraid of going inside the organization to find a replacement. Here are five guys who could take over in left, with Gardner possibly on the move.        Might Judgement Day be Coming?

Photo Via Outside Pitch MLB In the Yankees first deadline move, general manager Brian Cashman moved prospects Ramon Flores (OF) and RHP Jose Ramirez. In return, he got the former number two overall pick in 2009, a versatile left-handed hitting Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners. Now I may not be speaking for all Yankee fans, but the common consensus around fans is that the Yankees have already lost this trade or that it’s a disaster. If you glance at Ackley’s numbers, you’re not going to be impressed. Those who know me know I’m a huge UNC Tar Heel fan, so I’ve watched Ackley since he was 19 years old. He’s now 27, entering his prime, and is surely an upgrade over Stephen Drew and Brendan Ryan. You don’t believe me? Let’s take a deeper look at it.

After several years of the Yankees fielding a poor farm system, the farm is rebuilding and is pretty quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In addition to potential superstars in the MLB, the Yankees also have a ton of potential solid major leaguers and some prospects flying ay under the radar. This blog isn’t to focus on the big names you’ve probably heard one thousand times (Severino, Judge, Bird, Refsnyder). Let’s take a look at some of the prospects flying under the radar. Tyler Wade