Several weeks ago, the New York Yankees found themselves fielding inquiries about their top international prospect from 2022, Roderick Arias. The promising 18-year-old player started his minor league career with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) team before moving to the Florida Complex League.
Despite an initial struggle in the DSL, where he posted a .194 batting average and a .379 OBP, Arias displayed dominance in the Complex League. With a .267 batting average, a .423 OBP, a .505 slugging rate, and impressive stats like six home runs, 26 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, a 22.3% strikeout rate, 20.8% walk rate, and 143 wRC+, he shone across 27 games.
Yankees’ Confidence in Switch-Hitting Shortstop Arias
The Yankees hold high hopes for the switch-hitting shortstop, whose profile suggests a potent minor-league player with significant MLB potential. With his young age and an imminent promotion to Low-A Tampa, his journey through the farm system is expected to be swift and productive.
However, according to John Brophy from Pinstriped Pros, Arias is likely slated for season-ending hand surgery after being removed from the lineup a few days ago. This is undoubtedly disappointing for the Yankees, especially considering his dominant performance and his readiness to ascend to the next level.
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Yankees’ Investment and Hope for Arias
The Yankees front office had invested all their international pool money in Arias, who was last year’s top prospect from the class. The team has been accumulating shortstops for several years, recognizing the position’s premium trade value.
Despite several trade offers for Roderick at the trade deadline, the Yankees chose to retain him, foreseeing his potential in the long run, rather than leveraging their older prospects currently blocked at the Major League level.
There is hope that Arias will fully recover from his surgery and kick off next season with Tampa. The objective is for him to advance to A+ Hudson Valley at some point in the future.