The New York Yankees were sellers at the trade deadline for the first time in over 25 years. That is very telling. For a franchise that has long sort to solve problems by throwing money at it, this was a huge shift in philosophy.
So now the Yankees have one of the top farm systems in baseball, which is great! However, what does that really mean?
Yankees Finally Getting Young
With seven of the top 100 ranked prospects in baseball in various levels of the minor leagues, the Yankees have several quality players to eventually help the big league club. More importantly, all of that talent leads to something much more vital for the fan base; hope.
This should not be taken as a “woe is me” feel bad for the Yankees article, because no one should ever feel bad for the Yankees. With so much financial clout, history shows that the Yankees never stay down for long.
However, this is something different.
The Yankees have embraced what clubs such as the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, and bitter rivals Boston Red Sox have known for years; you need to build from within. The first example of a young player making his way through the system is the recently promoted Gary Sanchez.
Gary Sanchez Gets the Call
The young catcher has been in the Yankees organization since 2010. He finally got his permanent call to the big leagues a few weeks back. While it’s obviously way too soon to tell what kind of career Sanchez will have; the early returns have gotten Yankees fans excited.
Gary Sanchez's 9th career MLB game:
4-for-5, Solo HR, 2 R, 1 RBI.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/ZTBxv8OGZA
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) August 11, 2016
Small sample sizes are not a good indicator of future success. What they do provide if hope for fans that the player will be every bit as good as promised.
Sanchez is the first, but not the last of the Yankees prospects that figure to get called up between now and the end of the season. With Alex Rodriguez set to be released this weekend, another roster spot will become available. Not surprisingly, the Yankees figure to call up another one of their promising youngsters, in this case either Tyler Austin or Aaron Judge.
On top of that, when the rosters expand in September, count on seeing a number of other young guys such as Ben Gamel¸ Jake Cave, or perhaps the newly acquired Clint Frazier.
When the Yankees essentially waved the white flag at the deadline, they punted on the 2016 season. These last few weeks are crucial to the development of a number of these prospects. Being able to get big league experience will only benefit the team in the long run.
2017 will feature position battles at first base, right field, and perhaps left field. Figure the Yankees will do everything they can to make sure those spots are covered by their young guys.
Sanchez symbolises the mantra of what the Yankees hope to accomplish in the coming years. He is young and full of talent. More importantly, that promise will lead to hope within the organisation and the fan base.
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