New York Yankees: Manny Banuelos Extended an Invitation to Spring Training
February 9, 2012 · Bill Ford · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
Left-handed pitching prospect Manny Banuelos has been extended an invitation to attend spring training with the New York Yankees.
Banuelos is one of the top prospects in the Yankees’ farm system. Yankee fans have followed his success as he has progressed through the minor leagues, and are excited about his future.
In 2010, he was promoted from the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees to the Double-A Trenton Thunder.
While pitching in the 2010 Arizona Fall League, he started in the All-Star game.
Moving ahead in his development in the minors, he progressed from being rated as the sixth-best prospect in 2010 to the fourth-best prospect in 2011, according to Baseball America.
In his Triple-A debut with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, he struck out eight batters in five innings.
When he was invited to train with the Yankees in the 2011 spring training, Mariano Rivera said that he thought that Banuelos was the best pitching prospect that he had seen.
Over four seasons moving through the minor leagues, Banuelos had a win-loss record of 19-17, and a 3.02 ERA.
In 345.1 innings pitched overall, he had 353 strikeouts.
This is his second time being invited to the Yankees’ spring training. In 2011, he won the James P. Dawson Award, which is awarded to the best rookie in the spring training camp.
Banuelos certainly needs to spend more time developing in Triple-A, but this second consecutive invitation is quite an honor.
His pitching skills in the minors have been exceptional, and MLB spring training will give him more experience and confidence pitching against veteran batters.
Banuelos deals well with the pressure, and the Yankees organization is clearly able to visualize his future as an asset.
I, for one, am excited about the potential that he brings to NY. Once his arm is unleashed in the Bronx, he will become an intimidating presence on the mound.
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