Back in 2018, the New York Yankees signed an infield prospect out of the Dominican Republic that has drawn comparisons to Jose Reyes for $350,000. That prospect is the impressive Maikol Escotto. Escotto has only played one professional season for the Yankees, but in that one season, Escotto has really opened some eyes. Standing at 5’11 and weighing 180 pounds, Escotto has found himself playing all over the infield in his first professional season. Last year, Escotto showed off a really good arm, quick hands, and solid range from all around the infield. A lot of scouts believe that he will end up sticking at the shortstop position where the Reyes comps come to life. Escotto has really solid pop in his bat and drives the ball gap to gap. The Yankees went hard after Escotto, and it’s easy to see why when you look at his numbers in 2019.
Impressive Start
In his first year of professional baseball in the Yankees organization, Maikol Escotto far surpassed expectations. Playing for the DSL Yankees in 45 games, Escotto hit .315 with an OBP of .429. He had a walk rate 14.7% which is something that you know the Yankees love to see. He displayed a really good eye and showed off his gap to gap power. In those 45 games, Escotto was able to hit 8 home runs and drive in 26 runs. Combining his impressive offensive numbers with his solid showing around the infield and it’s easy to see why there are so many scouts high on Escotto. His performance was so good over the year that he was named Pinstriped Prospects DSL Yankees Player of the Year in 2019. Obviously it’s way too early to tell just how good Escotto is, but there is a lot of reason to be optimistic.
Building on 2019
When it comes to prospects that you’ll want to keep your eyes on this year, look no further than Maikol Escotto. I’m very curious to see how Escotto does with elevated competition when it comes to pitchers. I would also like to see him spend the next year staying at one position in the infield to continue to fine-tune his defensive mechanics. When the season starts, I want to see Escotto continue to show off his really good eye at the plate. We’ve seen prospects get a little anxious as the competition gets stiffer. I want to see a poised approach from Escotto where he shows off his gap to gap power and compliments that with his solid eye. If there is minor league baseball this year, I have my eyes on Maikol Escotto to be one of the breakout prospects for the New York Yankees.