Being dubbed as one of MLB’s top prospects can be a burden for some young players. Especially, if they’re to shine under the New York lights. Some rise up to the challenge, while others falter and become infamous busts. Regardless of what happens when they reach the big leagues, though, many still make their mark on the baseball world because of what they could have been. Here is a look at the New York Yankees’ top prospects of this past century, and how they panned out once they reached the Bronx.
5. Jasson Domínguez
While Domínguez can’t be judged just yet, having only played in 26 major league games, he makes it here solely because of the insane hype surrounding him since signing with the Yankees in 2019. MLB Pipeline has named him as the Yankees’ number one prospect three times (2020, 2021, 2024). However, there’s still no guarantee that he will live up to this status, though he has shown some promise in his short stints at the major league level.
For now, the jury is out on this one.
4. Joba Chamberlain
Almost all Yankee fans will remember this name for a long time. While not a universally coveted prospect, the Yankees organization was very high on Chamberlain when he made it to the majors in 2007. He put up a 2.17 ERA with 152 strikeouts over 124 1/3 innings from 2007-2008?
Unfortunately, that was about all the success that he would see in New York. The right-hander from Nebraska would struggle until his last year in pinstripes in 2013. He bounced around from team to team until he was out of MLB for good by 2017. The appropriate term for Chamberlain would be a bust.
3. Gary Sánchez
The Gary Sánchez story was one that had many ups at its peak, yet too many downs to ignore. Fans often forget that Sánchez was once a top prospect. Baseball America ranked him as the Yankees’ number one prospect in 2014. When he reached the majors in 2016, clobbering 20 home runs in just 53 games, it looked like he would live up to this status.
“El Kraken” had some good years as a Yankee. From 2017 to 2019, he hit 85 homers and slugged to an .815 OPS. He made the All-Star game twice. But after an abysmal 2020, along with recurring defensive issues that he could never resolve, Sánchez couldn’t get things going again. His time in New York was done after the 2021 season, and he’s been a part of five organizations since. While not a total bust, Sánchez’s case is a very good example of a player booming early and never being able to get back to that level.
2. Gleyber Torres
Traded from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Aroldis Chapman in 2016, Torres lived up to his hype as a top prospect when he was named an All-Star in his rookie and sophomore seasons in 2018 and ’19. Those were his two best big league seasons thus far. However, he has still been an above-average second baseman since.
In seven seasons with New York, Torres has accumulated 138 home runs and a .774 OPS, with a brWAR of 16.1. While his tenure in the Bronx is now over, Torres will likely be remembered fondly in years to come, especially because of his postseason heroics this past fall. Overall, Torres’ career has certainly been more boom than bust.
1. Phil Hughes
Named as the Yankees’ top prospect by Baseball America in 2006 and ’07, the Yankees expected great things from Hughes. His “wicked stuff” and “excellent command” were going to make him an ace, but this obviously never happened. That isn’t to say Hughes was a horrible pitcher, but he was never able to live up to his top-prospect status. He put up a few good seasons, specifically in 2009 and ’10, but was never able to be anything more than mediocre.
He did, however, pitch 780 2/3 innings for the Yankees, and was a part of their 2009 championship team, which are two things that most players aren’t able to say. But still, every top prospect has that title hanging over their head for the rest of their career. Hughes was, at times, a solid pitcher, but still warrants the label of bust.
Main Photo Credits: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
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