The New York Yankees drafted a player last year that checks a lot of boxes for the Yankees. Left-handed starter, T.J. Sikkema was picked by the Yankees in the supplemental first round of last year’s draft. Sikkema who is originally from a small town in Iowa is a stocky lefty that goes right after any hitter that stands sixty feet and six inches away. Sikkema goes right after guys with his fastball, slider, changeup combination. He throws from a number of arm angles which makes his pitches even more deceptive. When Sikkema dials back, his fastball can reach the mid-90s. However, he’s got a great ability to lower the arm angle and add some sink to the pitch with a little less velocity. He’s got a really good changeup and a slider that makes a lot of left-handers look silly. Sikkema dominated at Mizzou and it landed him on broadway getting selected 38th overall by the New York Yankees.
Domination
Last year, Sikkema was incredibly dominant at Mizzou. Known as one of the best pitchers in the SEC, Sikkema went 7-4 with a 1.32 ERA in 17 games. Sikkema caught a lot of scouts attention during the last couple of years. He’s a fierce competitor on the mound that reminds people of another Mizzou pitcher who pitched with a similar ferociousness. Sikkema’s domination didn’t stop at the amateur ranks last year. After getting drafted by the Yankees, Sikkema made four appearances with the Yankees Staten Island affiliate. In those four games, Sikkema posted a 0.84 ERA in 10.2 innings. Sikkema struck out 13 batters in his short work in Staten Island. While Sikkema wasn’t one of the premier picks last year in the draft, there is a lot to like about this kid. Pitchers who try to dance around the corners are not the type of pitchers people want to see. Everyone loves a guy who is going to just go out and give you all of his effort with every single pitch that he throws. T.J. Sikkema is that type of pitcher.
2020 and Beyond
Whenever the 2020 season gets underway, I’m just wanting to see how he continues to do against professional competition. There will probably be some growing pains here and there, but Sikkema has a very high floor, and I wouldn’t be shocked to see him knocking on the major league door in a couple of years. For Yankees fans, this is the kind of prospect that you really want to see in the system. A lefty starter that is just going to go right after you.