Finally, it’s that time of the year. The time awaited by every prospect was spring training. Though it’s still a few weeks away, things started shaping up way earlier. Like others, the New York Yankees are preparing for it as well. With no shortage of prospects with them, the Bronx squad is looking rather hopefully into the future.
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Manager Aaron Boone has quite some work cut out for him. Apart from the fact that he has to fit a ton of stars into his lineup, he also has to ensure that the rich prospect depth of the Pinstripes doesn’t go to waste. Luckily, Boone has at least two prospects that he wishes to use more in the future.
The New York Yankees manager shows the path to realizing dreams for prospects
There are a lot of things on the mind of Aaron Boone currently. The pressure to come back after a decade was low in itself, but the addition of huge stars has increased it multifold. But his willingness to experiment with the youth is quite well known. In the Talkin’ Yanks Podcast, Boone again showed that willingness by naming two prospects he’s most excited about.
“Chase Hampton is gonna be over and I’m excited about Will Warren. I’m excited about those guys, that next wave of pitchers. I haven’t seen a lot, I certainly haven’t seen in person and, you know, we think very highly of,” Boone shared.
Both Chase Hampton and Will Warren haven’t yet played in the major leagues, a fact they’ll be working to change this year. According to MLB.com, while Chase Hampton was ranked 4th among the top prospects of the Yankees in 2023, Will Warren was ranked 8th. So they are certainly highly rated by the organization and experts.
Yet, as of now, Hampton’s highest level has been the AA league, where he played for the Somerset Patriots. Though his 2-2 record with a 4.37 ERA isn’t earth-shattering, 68 strikeouts at just the age of 24 give positive signs for the future.
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On the other hand, Will Warren had a pretty good 2023 in the AAA league. Playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, he recorded a 3.61 ERA with a 7-4 record. Boone certainly has a big decision on his hands here.
The immense competition for a place in the bullpen
Despite the manager looking forward to these players, there’s a huge battle to be fought here. Ron Marinnaccio will be looking to return to his best after a terrible 2023 that saw him get demoted to the minor leagues. Then there are pitchers like Nick Ramirez, Cody Morris, and Cody Poteet who’d be working hard to get that spot in the bullpen.
What makes the battle difficult is the fact that the Yankees bullpen is filled with talent. As a result, there’s one or two spots in it. So it certainly will be interesting to see who Aaron Boone decides is suitable for his 2024 squad. The battle has just begun.
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Riya Singhal