Yankees Minors: A Look At Staten Island's Roster (Pitching)

Well, SI pitchers present an interesting mix to start the season, and I can assure you that it will keep changing, because so many college pitchers were drafted and will sign.  This is where we have some bottlenecking.

Tonight's starter is David Palladino.   This guy is one of our most intriguing arms, and in his way, is just as exotic as any of the high end IFA pitchers we've got coming through the chain.  I've seen Palladino listed as 6'8" and 6'9", so the brother is big.  Last year he pitched in SI and gave up too many hits.   But guys this size take time to get their deliveries together and standardized.

In fact, it occurs to me that Palladino is a good case study for the Gil Patterson era throwing system.   We have last year's results.  Since then, he's been in Tampa working on improving under the eye of Patterson and Co.   So we'll see what kind of progress is made this year.   Palladino's down side is multi inning power reliever.  His upside is rotation horse.  Seems like a great kid, so let's hope he makes it.

Of the other 14 pitchers it's hard to tell which ones will be starters and which will be relievers.   So let's talk about them by height, because they are a big group.

After Palladino, Andy Beresford is the next tallest at 6'7", he was drafted in the 19th round last year, and had a good season at SI.  He started this season as a reliever in Charleston and failed to scintillate.  So he's back to SI to get re-booted, and perhaps learn another pitch.

Next up, we have a trio of 6'5" guys:

Jordan Cote was a big prep signing a few years ago, out of the hinterlands of New Hampshire.  He was really good in the GCL, but stalled out as they moved him to Charleston this year.  I really wish they had left him there, because, being from the North, he needs all the game experience he can get.  And I don't know if he'll get that in short season.  He needs work to improve.

Cale Coshow is the next 6'5" guy.   Great kid, and he's at SI to see if he can be productive.   Big guy, who should prove durable if he also proves good enough to keep running him out there.

The third guy is SI's own Dillon McNamara.  He's a 6'5" power arm that they need to find a role for.  If he's coming out of the pen, this season, they've probably cast him.

Next are two 6'4" guys.

Andury Acevedo has control problems and they have lead to periods where his walks match his K's.   My guess is that he's a place holder for a recently drafted guy.   Acevedo should probably stay in the lab till the control is much better.

Elvin Perez is another guy with too many walks, and too many hits.  He's probably another place holder.

Ethan Carnes is a 6'3" lefty.  Yanks got him last year and was solid and K'd guys as a reliever in the GCL.  He'll probably be expected to do more of that here.

At 6'2" they have a few.

Sam Agnew-Weiland was drafted last year, and was a multi inning reliever for the SI Yanks last year. He had more K's than IP in that role.  I have no idea why he's back in SI now and not climbing the ladder.

Tim Giel is about 15 pounds heavier than Sam, and stated his Yankee career in the GCL last year, K'ing guys in relief.    Another interesting multi-inning reliever guy.

They have some 6'1" guys, too.

Manolo Reyes had a 4 year gap in his DSL career and this is supposed to be his first stop in the USA. I have a feeling he's a place holder.  He's got a 1989 birthday, and didn't have great stats in the DSL.

Matt Wotherspoon was drafted last week.   He's 6'1 and just 175 but was an effective pitcher for Pitt. He may begin his career as a starter, but eventually seems pen bound.

We have two more at 6'0"

Jose Pena is a strike outy 23 year old who closed for Yankees GCL2 last year.  He had been a decent starter in the DSL, too. We'll see if he can refine his stuff and become more lights out this year.

Chad Taylor was an undrafted guy last year and has had decent results.   Might be a place holder.

And coming in at 5'10" we have Francis Joseph, a reliever from the DR, who's K-rates have climbed since his career began.  He's just 21 so they could still be climbing.

So that's a look at what we can only call SI's provisional pitching staff.  Because of all the college arms coming, it will probably be pitch well or perish around SI this year.

It will also be interesting to see if any relievers get turned into starters, like Whitley has been.  God knows they've done the converse and will continue to at a moment's notice.

And again, for the returning guys who've been in the lab, we'll see if there's a Gil Patterson effect.  If Palladino, Cote, and Coshow, who all have the ability to dominate start doing it, we'll have cause for celebration.