Yankees Development: The Walks Issue

So last night I was listening to a Sally League game between the Yanks' Charleston  Riverdogs, and Boston's Greenville Drive.  I was listening primarily because Ian Clarkin was pitching.   First, a word about the Sally League.  The Sally league is the lowest level of full season ball.   In fact, it's called Low A.   Players in the Sally League are made up of: preps from the previous year's draft, 19 or 20 year old IFA's, some former college player from the previous year's draft, organizational filler, and guys who are repeating the level.   The point is, most of them haven't been with their organizations more than a year or so.   They are the least experienced full season players.

Anyway, last night the Drive were just grinding Clarkin, and got him out of the game with a pitch count of 71 and two runs after 3.    While this was going on, the Dogs' radio guy pointed out that the Drive was leading the Sally league in batter walks by a considerable margin.   The Dogs weren't even in second place.  They were third, over 35 walks behind the Drive when the game started.   That's about a game and a third of outs they haven't made more than the Dogs.   And players should walk a ton in the Sally as the pitchers are still learning to throw strikes.

So what is it that the Boston kids are learning by the time they reach full season and the Yankee kids aren't learning nearly as well?  It's plate discipline.  And that's embarrassing, but at least we can that one organization is emphasizing it to their young players effectively, while the Yankees are not.

So, I wonder how much of our problem with hitters is a product of omissions during their very first year in the system?

One interesting guy is Dante Bichette Jr.  When he was drafted, he walked quite a bit in short season. Then he went to Charleston for two full years and stopped walking.   He's been walking again this season and is on the verge of putting himself back on the prospect map.  He recently homered three games in a row.   But where did his walks go for two years when he was struggling?   And why wasn't he reminded to take them.

Here's the even weirder part, even though he's in High A Tampa this year, he has the same coaches he had last year because most of the Charleston staff was promoted to High A, while most of the Tampa staff was scattered.

That was part of the in-house development fix, but I fear they were overlooking the walks.   Those coaches have had Pete O"Brien for most of last year and this, and he still doesn't walk.  Cito Culver walked at Charleston but doesn't walk now.   There's a lack of consistent emphasis throughout the organization, especially at the lowest levels.

There's no reason why the Red Sox kids should learn how to grind sooner and better than the Yankee kids do.   That's probably the most important issue on the hitting side, because a player who can get on base has value, a play who can't does not.  

I think they don't just need an organization hitting czar, but they need an organizational walks czar, or some way of indoctrinating the kids when they come through the door.    Last night's game was embarrassing, but it drew a big red circle around where the prospects are getting off track and it's at the lowest levels.    Shameful.