With just nine days left until the New York Yankees open the regular season against the Washington Nationals, building out the active roster is a more pressing challenge. With four more spots opened up for a condensed 60 game schedule, the Yankees can carry extra players into the season.
With numerous youth players fighting for an opportunity, there are two specific youngsters who have looked good at times during intrasquad exhibition games.
Here are two youth players that could make the active roster:
1.) Deivi Garcia
Garcia is one of the most exciting prospects climbing the minor-league system. He jumped all the way to the No. 3 prospect in the organization last season.
He rose from single-A to AAA baseball in just three months, and over three starts this past Spring Training period before the MLB shit down, he allowed six runs over seven innings. While his small sample size suggests obvious struggles, there is plenty of potential to unveil as his development progresses.
In an intrasquad game last week, Garcia acted as an opener, an interesting role that could earn him live reps during the regular season.
Yankees’ Aaron Boone liked what he saw from the youngster. He said Garcia was “really efficient,†and he threw some “good breaking pitches.†Boone talked about how facing some of the “big boys†was a “good step up for him.†He finished by saying that it was “good to see him get out there and get going.â€
Garcia finished the first inning striking out two batters and dominating his way to a positive response from Boone. This is a great sign for Deivi and gives him an advantage moving forward.