The Best

Behold Dellin Betances, the best pitching prospect in the Yankees system. He just got done pitching 6 innings of 1 hit, 1 walk, 8K ball in his third rehab start after coming off of the same ligament reinforcement surgery that Mo Rivera had many years ago. His FSL ERA is .50. In his 18 innings of work since returning, he has given up 6 hits, walked 2 and K'd 21. He's 6'8" and has already touched 98 on the gun several times in his return. He works around 95 and features a knuckle curve and a plus changeup as his other offerings. He's a terrific kid whose personality will remind you a bit of CC Sabathia's. He's the kind of kid that if he struck out 26 in a nine inning game, he'd give all the credit to the teammate who caught the pop-up.


The Yanks originally took Dellin in the 8th round of the 2006 draft as an overslot Prep pick out of Brooklyn, NY. And this is why you sign the Preps. If even one of them turns out like Dellin is turning out, it pays for the whole draft over and over. Because of his injuries a lot of the pundits had written him off. The Yankees didn't. And given the fact that most pitchers get injured, if it comes to surgery in the minors, you'll have the prep back at a still young age. Some of the college guys who unfortunely go through surgery end up coming back at 24,25, 26 or even 27. It's tough when that happens and it happens frequently.

The Yanks have another giant pitching prospect named Andrew Brackman, who's even taller than Dellin, but was an older college pick. He too has caught fire recently and is probably our second best pitching prospect as he is finally showing excellent control and keeps adding velocity. We got him as a junior who immediately needed TJS. He's 24 or 25 already and in High A ball Patience has been a virtue for the Yankees with both giant pitchers. But sign those Preps!