Back in the 2018 MLB Draft, the New York Yankees selected an outfielder that was committed to Vanderbilt who wowed scouts with his raw power and ability to drive the ball. That prospect would be the New York Yankees 28th ranked prospect, Ryder Green. Green who is from Knoxville, Tennessee is a powerful outfield prospect. He loves to put on a show for fans with the way he is able to hit the ball before the game even starts. Green has played all around the outfield since making his pro debut in 2018, but he seems to project better as a corner outfielder. Green has really good bat speed, above-average power, and pretty good speed coming out of the corner outfield. Green struggled in his first action of rookie ball back in 2018, but he rebounded to have a solid year in 2019.
Improved 2019
Last year, Green had a pretty good season for the Pulaski Yankees. In 61 games, Green hit .262 and had an OBP of .343. Also in those 61 games, Green hit 8 homers and drove home 28 runs. Green also displayed his aggressiveness on the bases where he stole 10 bases in 2019. In watching Green, he’s got a lot of easy power. However, one of the biggest issues is that he knows he’s got easy power. He seems to attack looking for the long ball almost every time he goes to the plate. When he connects they can go a long way, but this approach is leaving him exposed to a lot of strikeouts. I was very encouraged to see the average and OBP go up last year. I think he showed a lot of great promise in his ability to make adjustments at the pro level. I firmly believe that Green has a lot of solid tools and could become an MLB level outfielder.
Consistent Progression
Green is very young in his professional career at just 20 years old. Yes, he’s behind a few other outfielders in the system, but there is a lot of reason to believe in this kid. He’s got natural power, he’s got an unbelievable arm from the outfield, he’s a good runner, and he plays the game the right way. Green is a prospect that could make some leaps this year due to his natural skill and talent. When the season starts, I want to see Green continue to make consistent contact with the ball as the competition gets stiffer. I want to see him focus on driving the ball more gap to gap as opposed to hitting the ball 400 feet. Green is already showing the ability to make adjustments and improve year to year, and I just want to see him do that again when the 2020 season gets started.