Yankees Farm System Rejuvenates Club During Playoff Push
October 6, 2015 · John Lund · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
As the great Yogi Berra is attributed as saying, it’s like deja vu all over again regarding the New York Yankees.
No, not because the Bronx Bombers made the postseason for the 52nd time in the 103-year history of the franchise and will play the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card Game Tuesday night. Playoff baseball is more expected than celebrated in New York, a sentiment that dates all the way back to when George Steinbrenner purchased the team in 1973.
Some critics might say Steinbrenner bought his success by acquiring big-name players through free agency, trades and high-priced contracts. While Steinbrenner’s spending habits certainly contributed to some of New York’s success, the most recent Yankees dynasty at the turn of the century wasn’t completely bought.
Instead, Yankees talent was cultivated through their farm system, which eventually led to some of the best years in franchise history. That same trend could be happening now, and we don’t have to look very far to see why.
Think back to Sept. 22 of this season. The Yankees were slated for a division battle with the Toronto Blue Jays, who entered the game with a 3.5-game lead over New York for first place in the American League East.
In one of the biggest games of the season, New York sent top pitching prospect Luis Severino to the mound. The 21-year-old didn’t disappoint, holding the Blue Jays to three hits and two earned runs over six innings. With the game tied 3-3 in the top of the 10th inning, 22-year-old Greg Bird belted a three-run home run that proved to be the game-winner in a 6-4 victory.
The guys on base? Pinch-runner Rico Noel and pinch-hitter Slade Heathcott. All four players played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders—the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees—this year.
For another example, one could even look at Oct. 1, when the Yankees clinched an American League wild-card spot and won their 10,000th game in franchise history with a 4-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. With New York clinging to a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning, Bird belted a solo home run. Rob Refsnyder, another prospect who spent much of the season with the RailRiders, added a solo shot of his own an inning later.
In years past, a talent found within the Yankees farm system might have ended up with a much shorter stay within the organization—not because that player was getting promoted to the big leagues, but to be used as part of a trade for an already established ballplayer.
Those decisions, while possibly beneficial for the short term of the franchise, have the potential to leave Triple-A fans wondering what might have been from the players that they watched begin to grow up.
This season was a little different, however, even with the Yankees receiving their usual pressures to make a move near the end of the trade deadline in July. This year, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman remained firm on keeping his prospects, and most notably his “Core Four” of Severino, Bird, Aaron Judge and Jorge Mateo, as Jon Heyman of CBS Sports noted on July 26.
So far, it’s proved a great success.
Severino, who was pitching in rookie ball just two years ago, filled an immediate need in the Yankees starting rotation when he got the call after the trade deadline. He sported a 2.89 ERA with 56 strikeouts in 11 starts and 62.1 innings and a 5-3 record this regular season.
In fact, he’s been so reliable and seemingly unfazed in a big spot that it’s not too far-fetched to think he should be on the mound when the Yankees play their Wild Card Game against the Houston Astros. Instead, Severino will pitch Game 1 of the ALDS—if the Yankees get there—as ESPN.com beat writer Wallace Matthews reported.
Regardless of what happens in the playoffs, Severino definitely has the potential to move into the No. 1 starter role as early as next season.
Bird has done just about as good of a job you could ask for from someone trying to fill the shoes of Mark Teixeira. Originally called up on Aug. 13 to give Tex and Alex Rodriguez some days off, Bird found himself on first base just four days later when Teixeira fouled a ball off his shin and ended his season.
That Blue Jays game in September marked Bird’s 10th home run in 34 games. He ended the season with 11 in 46 games, along with a .261 batting average, 31 runs batted in and a .343 OBP.
Bird will need to produce at the plate if New York has any hope of winning its Wild Card Game and advancing in the playoffs.
Unfortunately for Bird, one of the downsides of playing in the Yankees organization is that there isn’t always enough playing time to go around. Bird could find a starting spot on just about any major league roster but could possibly find himself back with the RailRiders at the start of next season. That is, as long as Teixeira and Rodriguez stay healthy—and productive.
Heathcott has also been a spark for the Yankees after holding that same spark while with the RailRiders. The former 2009 first-round pick, now 25 years old, is batting .400 with two home runs and eight RBI in 17 games with the Yankees.
A big league home run is memorable enough, but Heathcott will certainly remember his second career blast on Sept. 14 against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Yankees trailed 1-0 heading into the top of the ninth and were down to their final out when Alex Rodriguez lined a double that tied the game. Then, after an intentional walk to Brian McCann, Heathcott smashed what would be the game-winner over the wall. Welcome to the Yankees.
Refsnyder, a fan favorite on Twitter whenever Stephen Drew struggled for the Yankees this season, made the most of his playing time this September. The 24-year-old had 13 hits—including two homers—with a .302 batting average in 16 games this year.
Though it might be too early to call Refsnyder the everyday second baseman for the Yankees in 2016, he’ll certainly have a short leash if Drew or others struggle next year.
As for Noel, he played five minor league seasons with the San Diego Padres and stole 90 bases in 2012 before the Yankees signed him to a minor league deal in the summer. In 15 games in New York, he had five stolen bases and had been caught twice while also scoring five times.
Noel most likely won’t see many plate appearances, but he could be the perfect pinch runner in a late-inning game. And hey, the Yankees know the impact a pinch runner can have in a playoff game. Remember Dave Roberts?
Of course, only 25 players make the playoff roster. But that’s only five examples of former RailRiders that helped the Yankees this season and does not include the solid RailRiders prospects who didn’t get the call to the big leagues.
It’s been a long time since such a large number of Yankees prospects had such a large impact on the big league club in one season. In fact, you might have to go all the way back to 1994.
The Columbus Clippers, who were then New York’s Triple-A team, also had several highly touted prospects on their roster. A young Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera would all make their major league debuts a year later in 1995. The rest—as they say—is history, as the Core Four would go on to win five World Series championships.
While it may be unlikely that those five particular prospects who significantly impacted the Yankees in the latter part of the season will one day evolve into Core Four 2.0, the likelihood that the Yankees have their next core of championship players waiting in the wings is very much a possibility—especially if the RailRiders continue to bring success to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.
That area in Northeastern Pennsylvania—more specifically in the borough of Moosic, Pennsylvania, and PNC Field where the RailRiders play their home games—had its own semi-dynasty on its hands during the Core Four reign of the Yankees. However, that dynasty had a slightly different core for a completely different team.
A slew of talent donned SWB Red Barons jerseys in the 2000s, including Chase Utley, Ryan Howard, Shane Victorino and Cole Hamels. Philadelphia’s Core Four then went on to win five consecutive National League East titles from 2007 to 2011, and of course brought home a World Series championship in 2008.
While the 2007 season brought success to the Phillies, it also brought the end to the Red Barons in Moosic. In late 2006, the team announced that it would be changing affiliates to the New York Yankees, which also cut ties to New York’s relationship with the Columbus Clippers, now the Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.
Since then, after some changes to the team name, ballpark and organization, it would be easy to understand why local fans might have had some early difficulties in fully supporting their local team. After all, it was hard enough to accept the departure of the Red Barons since many folks from Northeastern Pennsylvania also root for the Phillies.
However, members of the franchise’s front office, many of whom are local to the Scranton Wilkes/Barre area, had faith. That faith is certainly paying off in a big way.
One of the front office members included in that category is current Scranton/Wilkes-Barre general manager Jeremy Ruby. Ruby joined the Red Barons in 1998 as a baseball operations intern, and it didn’t take long for him to work through the organization. He would serve as the operations manager for five years before being named the fourth GM in franchise history in 2005.
After two years, Ruby became executive vice president/general manager when the organization switched to the Yankees. He was the first SWB GM to win the Governors’ Cup and continues to serve as general manager with the RailRiders—all before turning 40 years old.
But it’s no surprise that Ruby’s tenure has brought forth franchise success. In a way, baseball is all he knows.
His great grandfather, Joseph Paparella, was a longtime MLB umpire who worked in four World Series and four All-Star games. Ruby’s father, Gary, has held several jobs throughout baseball. He was the pitching coach with the Red Barons and helped get his son on board in 1998, and currently serves as the Double-A pitching coach in the Houston Astros organization.
To say Ruby has learned a lot throughout the years is an understatement.
“I learned pretty much everything I do through my dad and traveling with him since he’s been in professional baseball, starting when I was about 12 years old. My great-grandfather passed away when I was in high school, but I do remember going to his house and seeing all the pictures and listening to his stories from being an umpire. But my dad has worked for several different organizations, never has been fired and has a great reputation in baseball. He’s a pretty good source to learn from.”
Still, learning the ins-and-outs of being a general manager for a Triple-A team doesn’t just happen overnight. In fact, it’s very different from the tasks that baseball fans associate with GMs in the major leagues. In layman’s terms, Ruby is no Brian Cashman, who has served as the Yankees GM since the late 1990s.
However, that’s in no way a bad thing, as Ruby noted:
“They’re totally different jobs and we have next to nothing in common. A major league general manager handles player personnel and the coaching staff, whereas we’re in the entertainment business doing everything we can to generate revenues. That might be through ticket sales, sponsorships or merchandise, but we’re looking to generate as much profit as possible. The Yankees’ personnel makes all the decisions with players and coaches—all we do is help them find housing and let them play on the field.”
And much like in the early ’90s, many of those who played on that field this year were talented.
Though players came and went through Moosic as part of rehab assignments and promotions to the big leagues this season, the RailRiders led the International League in batting average (.271), runs (622), hits (1,332), RBI (584), on-base percentage (.339) and OPS (.727).
The team got hot at the right time, accounting for a 51-35 record from June through August after a 26-25 start to the season. It led to another IL North Division title on Sept. 3—the first since 2012—and an 81-63 overall record that brought a playoff game back to Moosic for the first time in five years.
Though the RailRiders were swept in a best-of-five semifinal series against Indianapolis, the buzz for baseball and the local team was certainly back in Moosic and the surrounding areas. A prime example of that buzz could be seen the day the RailRiders won the division title with a sellout crowd of 10,000 on hand. Ruby, to no surprise, also took notice:
“It was awesome to see all of the people coming out,” he said. “I think people are starting to understand what we do here and how much fun we have.
“It starts with our great aggressive ownership group and our front office, which cares about this place. Those guys are from the area and want to see this be the most successful organization in minor league history. That’s our goal, and why wouldn’t it be. We just enjoy what we do on daily basis and just push the fact that this is a great experience when people come here.
“When the people come here, they leave here happy—no doubt about it. I’m starting to see that more and more with people showing up for a third or fourth time. I know we’re doing our jobs and I know we’re doing things well and I’m hoping that that carries over to the 2016 season. We’ve got a lot of great things we’re looking at doing and we feel like we have a ton of momentum after the second half of this year.”
And as The Times-Tribune writer Donnie Collins—a beat writer for the team—noted in a column after the final game, attendance numbers for the season were quite impressive:
“From July 1 on, the RailRiders drew 205,288 fans in 29 openings. That means, more than 7,000 fans—on an average night in the middle of summer—were watching this team play baseball. On Sept. 4, the same day the local high school football season kicked off, the RailRiders drew a whopping 8,484 fans to watch them play a day after clinching the North Division. The day the season ended, 4,507 were there—their smallest crowd in months.
“Really, calling that the smallest crowd in months might be fact, but it’s unfair. For the sake of comparison, when Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last had a playoff game on a high school football Friday in 2010, they brought in a whopping 1,571 fans. They drew just 3,019 in their two playoff games that season.”
Ruby also cited several possibilities for what brought the team success this season, including manager Dave Miley. Miley was the skipper for the Cincinnati Reds from 2003 to 2005 before coming to the Yankees Triple-A organization in 2006.
He was named International League Manager of the Year in 2007—when the franchise won its fourth division title—and in 2012, when the team won another IL North title despite playing all of its “home” games on the road during stadium renovations.
Miley was also the only manager in franchise history to win the Governors’ Cup championship in 2008 and was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame in 2014. As Ruby said, Miley just had a knack for knowing how to win:
“I don’t know how he does it, but all he does is win, no matter if it’s a veteran team or a bunch of rookies coming through. He just gets the guys to do the best possible job on the field they can do. He’s a magician when it comes to managing and I give him and his staff a lot of credit because they work hard every day. They just want to win, and that’s the Yankees mentality.
“This was just a fun team to watch. Of all my years here, this reminds me of the years of Utley and Howard and those nice runs in the playoffs. They battled hard and all they wanted to do was win, just like this group. Now it’s been great to watch some of those guys in the big leagues. The fans might not quite get it when call-ups come around playoff time, but you have to remember that ultimately, these guys are playing for a big league spot. This is just a learning process along the way, but it’s fun to watch them go up there after what they did here and make history for the New York Yankees. It’s pretty awesome.”
This year ended up being a great way for Miley to end his career with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre franchise, as it was reported by New York Post writer George A. King III on Sept. 28 that the veteran skipper will not return for a franchise-record 10th season in 2016. Coaching assignments for minor league clubs are usually not officially announced until winter.
Miley won 714 games as manager—the most in the 26-year history of the franchise—and his No. 11 jersey is one of just two numbers retired by the franchise.
He leaves just one win shy of becoming the 18th manager in minor league baseball history to win 1,900 games in 25 years as skipper, which is more wins that all but one active manager in the minors. His overall record is 782-648, and he won at least 80 games in five of his 10 seasons.
It’s unclear what Miley’s next move will be as far as coaching is concerned. At 53 years old, it’s not necessarily time to hang it up. After almost a decade of managing the RailRiders, perhaps Miley might try his luck back in the big leagues.
The Reds already announced that Bryan Price will return as manager through 2016, as C. Trent Rosecrans of the Cincinnati Enquirer reported on Oct. 3. Rosecrans also said that the rest of the coaching staff is yet to be decided.
There also might be room for Miley with the Washington Nationals, who let go of manager Matt Williams and the entire coaching staff on Monday, as reported by James Wagner of the Washington Post.
Though Miley’s team was the youngest in the entire International League this season, he still managed to find the chemistry needed for success—both on and off the field—en route to a sixth career division title.
Some of that young talent included 23-year-old outfielder Ben Gamel, who was named the International League Rookie of the Year this season and was the first SWB player to receive it since Austin Jackson in 2009. He could have arguably also been named league MVP, hitting .300 with 28 doubles, 14 triples, 10 homers, 64 RBIs and 13 steals this season.
Another is Aaron Judge, who MLB.com ranks as the Yankees’ top prospect still in the minors. Judge struggled a bit this season, batting just .224 with 74 strikeouts in 61 games but also belted eight home runs and drove in 17 runs in August.
The struggles might raise some eyebrows, but former major leaguer and current RailRiders hitting coach Marcus Thames noted in Brendan Kuty’s article on NJ.com that there shouldn’t be much cause for concern.
I know a lot of people say that he struggled toward the end or whatever, but he’s still learning. He doesn’t have that many at-bats. So we don’t want to judge him too soon. But we know the kid has a lot of ability.
I know he’s scuffled there toward the end in Triple-A. But he’s putting in the work and he’s going to continue to do that this offseason, and he’s going to be the player we think we have.
At 23 years old, Judge is still coming into his own, which isn’t to be said lightly for a power hitter who stands at 6’7″ and weighs 275 pounds. The Yankees are hopeful that his numbers will be closer to what he did in Double-A for the Trenton Thunder before getting called up to the RailRiders.
In 63 games, Judge hit .284, slugged .516 and had an OPS of .866. He did strike out 70 times, but he hit 12 dingers and drove in 44 runs. If Judge can lower his strikeout count and become more patient in the box, the Yankees could be looking at their next big power hitter.
In the same article by Kuty, Thames also noted some of the things that Judge can keep in mind when he steps up to the plate while working toward playing at the next level.
You’ve got to continue to know how these guys are going to try to attack you. He knows that, and as he starts learning pitchers and knowing what teams are going to do to him, he’s going to get better. I don’t know one really good slider hitter. Not when it’s a good slider. But I just think he’s going to get better because he’s going to know how these guys are going to try to attack him.
His athleticism. Once he gets that, he’s going to be fine. He’s not just a big guy. He can move around well. He’s a smart guy. If he continues to work hard, put in the work, he’s going to reach his goals.
As for that next level, Ruby and the new owners have done as much as they could this season to continue to strengthen the ties between the RailRiders and the Yankees organization.
In years past, several big-name players have come to Moosic to play in some rehab assignments, including Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. This year saw the likes of Masahiro Tanaka, Ivan Nova, Michael Pineda and Andrew Miller take the mound before returning to New York.
But instead of the organization wishing injury on one of the Yankees star players for a possible rehab appearance, the RailRiders have been proactive instead. Teixeira made an appearance for a meet-and-greet earlier in the 2015 season and future Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera dropped by PNC Field the night the RailRiders ended up winning the division title to do the same.
There was also a Legends Game held on Father’s Day that featured a shortened contest of past Yankee greats, including appearances by Don Larsen, Joe Pepitone, Gene Michael and Reggie Jackson.
Ruby plans to continue growing that relationship with New York and hopes to offer even more events like those next season:
“The relationship with the Yankees is at an all-time high right now because of the relationship with the ownership group. Rivera came down and spent a half hour with the team and their eyes were wide open. They listened to every word he said and always welcome every bit of knowledge they can get from some veterans that rehab here. Those are big names and guys want to get to the same place and be superstars just like them.
“I can guarantee we’ll have more appearances by former Yankees or current Yankees, and we’re looking to have some stuff this offseason as well as into start of next season. We’re already considering another Legends Game and made a presentation to Minor League Baseball to host the 2017 International League National Championship here in Moosic. That would be a big deal, but we definitely have some cool stuff coming up before that.”
And while the RailRiders and the Yankees continue to benefit each other in the next few years, for now, the Bronx Bombers are certainly hopeful that they can reap the benefits of some of the prospects that have already come their way for this postseason.
The Yankees staggered into their first postseason appearance since 2012, losing six of their last seven games. The game they did win guaranteed a spot in the postseason, but clinching home field for the Wild Card Game happened because their opponent, the Houston Astros, lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It seems like a lifetime ago that New York sat at 57-42 and seven games ahead in the American League East on July 28. Since then, the Yankees went 30-33, fell six games behind the Toronto Blue Jays and finished with the second-worst record for this year’s playoff teams at 87-75.
However, the team that many ESPN experts predicted to finish near the bottom of the AL East this season has a chance.
Masahiro Tanaka will take the mound for New York and looks to make up for a disastrous outing the last time he faced the Astros in Houston. The righty allowed six earned runs on seven hits—including three home runs—in five innings.
Houston has to like its chances with potential Cy Young winner Dallas Keuchel to the mound. The lefty, who will be pitching on three day’s rest, has owned the Yankees this season with a 2-0 record in two eight-inning starts. In total, he limited New York to nine hits, one walk and 21 strikeouts, which equals a .161 batting average.
However, all that goes out the window on Tuesday night. After 162 games, Game 163 is a clean slate with all hands on deck. Though many uncertainties face New York entering this postseason, the Yankees have proved time and again that it’s difficult to ever count them out. And with two wild-card teams making the World Series last year—as Berra also said—”it ain’t over ’til it’s over.”
But regardless of the final outcome of this year’s Yankees, the young players that have come through the system this season have at least provided the team with a foundation for several more years.
The beauty of baseball and of all professional sports is the eventual “changing of the guard” that comes when aging veterans pass the torch to the game’s next stars. The Yankees are one of the few franchises in baseball who have managed to find lasting team success and plenty of successors willing to carry that torch.
New York’s last regular-season win brought some brief recognition to that sentiment, as the Yankees are now the winningest team in American League history. New York’s .569 winning percentage is also the best ever at 10,000 wins, beating out the San Francisco Giants when they hit the number with a winning percentage of .540.
As for now, the brief glimpse that Yankees fans have had of their future is bright. Soon enough, the next group of players ready to continue the Yankee tradition in pinstripes will have their day. And, if the success of this year’s farm system was any indication, the future is only going to get brighter.
All interviews were conducted by the writer unless otherwise noted, while all statistics were found at Baseball-Reference. All photos of players wearing the SWB Yankees or RailRiders uniforms were taken by the writer, or his dad. You can follow the writer on Twitter for reactions of the highs and lows of playoff baseball.
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