The Yankees have promoted one of the game’s best pitching prospects, left-hander Justus Sheffield, from Triple-A Scranton, Conor Foley of the Scranton Times-Tribune reports. Sheffield’s not on the Yankees’ 40-man roster, which is full, so they’ll need to create space for him.
Sheffield entered the professional ranks as a 2014 first-round pick of the Indians, who chose him 34th overall, but only lasted a couple years in the organization. The Tribe, hoping to win a World Series in 2016, dealt a package including Sheffield, outfielder Clint Frazier and lesser pieces to the Yankees for star reliever Andrew Miller at that July’s non-waiver trade deadline. Miller nearly helped the Indians to a title after the trade, but they fell in seven games to the Cubs in the Fall Classic that season.
Sheffield was a well-regarded prospect when Cleveland sent him to New York, and that remains the case. The 6-foot, 200-pounder ranks as the majors’ 22nd-best prospect at Baseball America (subscription required), while both MLB.com (No. 27) and FanGraphs (No. 50) are among other prominent outlets that are bullish on him. In their free scouting report, Jim Callis and Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com note that the 22-year-old Sheffield may end up with three “plus” offerings – a 92 to 97 mph fastball, a slider that sits in the mid-80s and a changeup – and add that he has the potential to emerge as a No. 3 starter in the majors.
Sheffield has impressed as a starter in the minors, including this season at Scranton, where he logged a stingy 2.56 ERA/3.13 FIP with 8.59 K/9, 3.68 BB/9 and a 44.9 percent groundball rate in 88 innings. But the Yankees did recently prepare Sheffield to work as a reliever upon his first big league promotion, and he may fill that role in the coming weeks. After all, with Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ, C.C. Sabathia and Lance Lynn, the Yankees currently have a set rotation, and that group will shrink if the Bombers get past the AL West runner-up in the wild-card round and advance to the ALDS.
While Sheffield looks like a potential reliever for the Yankees right now, he may have a shot to win a spot in their rotation in 2019. The only two members of the Yankees’ starting staff who are sure to return next season are Severino and Tanaka. Happ, Sabathia and Lynn are set to become free agents, and there aren’t any obvious in-house replacements on hand beyond Sheffield. Fellow youngsters Domingo German – whom the team’s recalling from Scranton, per Foley – and Jonathan Loaisiga have struggled in the majors this season, while Jordan Montgomery will miss a large portion of 2019 after undergoing Tommy John surgery in June. Therefore, the door could be open for Sheffield, who ranks as the Yankees’ No. 1 prospect at Baseball America and MLB.com.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
xabial
Who cares if it’s Even as a Reliever, YESS!!!
Btw, I think Sheffy is a SP in the long-run.
kenneth cole
Obviously. This is a September move only.
Harry pness
Thanks for the intelligent reply
xabial
There’s been some debate RP or SP; assumed non-NYY fans didnt know other than it being September-call up, Sheffy’s career-high innings came 2015 when he maxed out at 127.2 innings. Last year, he only tossed 98 innings
Yankees are carefully monitoring his innings, hence the need to call him up as a reliever, but the long-term move remains in play- SP. For context, he threw 116 IP, 2018
Harry pness
No brainier he will be in the rotation next year, hence the September call up to get acclimated as a RP to get used to the big league level
thegreatcerealfamine
Damn X you’ve been catching some stuff the last few weeks. You’re right by the way he’s definitely counted on as a big league starter somewhere next year…
kenneth cole
Yes, I’m also a Yankees fan. He’s a career starting pitcher. Just because he’s being moved to the bullpen in the short term so guys like Aj Cole don’t pitch in meaningful innings doesn’t mean he’s gonna be a reliever. This happens fairly often with pitchers in the minor leagues and it’s commonplace to limit innings, especially after injuries. This isn’t any new insight you’re proclaiming.
NotaGM
Teams like the sox have a history toying with pitchers with their roles to only lose them. If the yanks have a plane for sheff. Then they outta stick to it.
kimjongun2.0
They have to let Kahnle go he’s just ruining it for the bullpen and the Yankees chance to get home field advantage in wild card game
walls17
gotta assume they move clint to the 60 day DL to make room for him on the 40 man
jorge78
The future is now!
Forget service time!
baseball1600
Just showcasing him before they package him for Bumgarner in the winter.
bklynny67
What a terrible deal that would be. Bum is injury prone now and not worth a top prospect anymore.
baseball1600
Two freak accidents. “Injury prone.” Also, he’s been just as efficient this year as he has most years, the only difference is he’s gotten virtually no run support and has had guys like Alen Hanson, Hunter Pence, and Evan Longoria stumbling around behind him.
baseball1600
Plus the giants have many pieces that the fit the Yankees needs. Belt has a swing that’s naturally built for Yankee Stadium, and Will Smith is a shutdown lefty that could replace Britton next year. In fact, Smith has been far better than Britton this year.
vtadave
Strikeouts down, velocity down, walks way up, swinging strike rate down. Maybe his prime has passed.
Houston We Have A Solution
Madbum is only 28 going to be 29 years old. A motorcycle accident and getting hit by a line drive is not injury prone. He is in his prime.
1 year 12 mill of him is worth a guy like justus sheffield in a 1 for 1 swap especially if the yankees believe they could compete.
But the Giants can sweeten the deal for the yankees. by including belt to make rooom for Posey at 1st.
southbeachbully
Yanks haven’t shown a willingness to trade top prospects (top 50 prospects) for 1 year rentals. Also, I’m just not sure that Bum is a NY kind of guy. If he doesn’t mesh well or take to NY then he’s gone the next season in FA. I think the Yanks would want someone with multiple years of control if they were to include Sheff in a deal.
As for 1b I think they like what they see in Voit and barring a move like Harper to 1b as a FA then I think it’s Voit’s job to lose for 2019.
pasha2k
This is a sure World Series winning move!
pasha2k
What makes you think he’ll want to come to a great fan base like The Evil Empire? Especially after talking to the Panda about east coast baseball!
manos
Now they have Judge and Justus on the same team lol
lukeski4
Let’s hope the legal puns never stop
gleybertorres25
Too bad that got rid of Drury
rayanselmo
This article failed to answer the main question I had about Justus Sheffield.
(Nope, not Gary’s kid.)
agentp
I would’ve loved to see Sheffield instead of Tommy Tightpants put another game out of reach.
rocky7
Tommy Tightpants….that’s a good one!!!
southpaw2153
Sheffield needs to improve his walk rate or he’ll be nothing but a reliever. His presence will do nothing for this team this year.
gleybertorres25
lol
Judge Judy
MLB is about to find out what everyone in NY has been giddy about. This kid is an Ace. Don’t be surprised if he is called upon to start the wild card game. Stoked!!
Priggs89
Yah, I’d put a LOT of money on that not happening.
mrbseball3
He isn’t eligible for post season play
agentp
I think he is, he was in the organization prior to August 31st and when Montgomery went on the 60 day DL they can, at any time, pick another pitcher not on the 40 man to still be eligible for postseason play, so long they’re a member of the organization on the last day of the waiver deadline. If he was just acquired from another team, you’d be correct but because he was in their organization and they have an injured player, he should be eligible. Not saying he’ll make the postseason roster but I’m pretty sure they can make him eligible.
Cat Mando
They have to petition the Commish
“Clubs can petition the Commissioner’s Office to add any player that was not on the 40-man roster as of Aug. 31 — provided the player was in the organization on Aug. 31 and is replacing a player who has spent at least 60 days on the 60-day disabled list.”
m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/postseason-eligibi…
KD17
Based on recent performances it’s time to move on from worrying about OAK and start worrying about TB. If NY gets swept in TB, there is still a chance they could catch the Yankees. They play Texas and Toronto the rest of the season except for their games this weekend with Oakland and 4 games in TB against the Yankees. Based on their recent record, they could sweep Toronto and Texas for an 11-0 record in those games!! If they win today and tomorrow against Oak then sweep TOR and TEX they have 92 wins. Add 4 wins against NY and they could finish with 96 wins!.
NY has 91 wins with 4 against Toronto and Baltimore. 3 out of 4 seems likely with 4 out of 4 possible.. Then 6 with BOSTON. If BOS wins 4 of 6, NY has 96 wins (assuming 3 of 4 with Tor and Bal) so a sweep by TB creates a playoff game for the second wild card!
Key needs for NY – MUST take 3 of 4 from Toronto and Baltimore, MUST split the 6 games with Boston to eliminate TB, or MUST win at least 1 in TB.
NY must be 4 games ahead of TB when they head to Boston the final weekend. Hard to believe TB still has a long-shot chance at making the second wildcard!! They have been written off for dead for months!!! Could make the Oakland run the back page story!!
thegreatcerealfamine
Thank God for the real level headed Sox fans who post on here. Hint..you’re obviously not one of them…
lukeski4
Relax. With 14 game left to play the Yankees are up 9.5 games. Basically the Rays have to win 15 straight and the Yankees can’t go better than 4-10. The odds of both of those things happening are a long shot. It’s fair to say all 5 AL playoff teams are mostly set.
KD17
Thegreatcerealfamine = loser comment next time keep your bullying crap to yourself. All facts were presented, nothing stated deserved your bs. Facts are facts… so maybe you don’t get what level headed means!!
TB has gone 19-5 in their last 24 games and half their games were against division leaders including Boston, Cleveland and Atlanta. After winning today against Oakland and possibly winning tomorrow they finish with 10 games against Toronto and Baltimore. Is it really hard to believe they couldn’t beat them 9 or 10 of 10 times? That puts them at 91 wins or 92 if they win tomorrow. That means a sweep of the Yankees gets them to 96 and a 12-2 finish against all weak teams. It is not likely, which is why I call it a long shot, but it’s also not impossible considering what they have done versus good teams over the last couple of months. The Yankees need six wins to eliminate them. Assuming tomorrow is one against Toronto, then they need 5 more and they should get 2 playing a weak Baltimore team in a 3 game series. That means you need 3 out of six against Boston which could happen but if you only get 2 then TB has a chance. Most important to my point is that NOBODY gave TB a chance to make the playoffs a month ago. This has been an incredible run!! For all the paranoid Yankee fans, this was a believe or not comment about TB because they have been incredible not a comment about the Yankees. The Yankees were only in the story because they are the team the Rays are chasing, the second wildcard spot.
FYI… Oakland has been on an incredible run too but ran into a tough TB team today and tomorrow which has helped the Yankees. With 10 of 14 remaining games against Boston and TB and with Oakland playing theirs against Minnesota (3), Seattle (3) and LAA (6). The current 1 1/2 game lead which likely will go to 2 1/2 by tomorrow still looks too small to hold on to home field advantage. Oakland could struggle against the far weaker teams and NY could play better than they have all season but what are the odds? Seems like a trip out west, if TB doesn’t catch them, is in the cards for NY!!
thegreatcerealfamine
We get it you hate anything Yankees, and you’ll take any chance to present long winded nonsense such as this.
diller79
It’s funny how desperate the Yankees are. Like the Oakland As strike this much fear in them when the As will most likely throw out mike fiers for the wildcard game. Yankees are a joke
jdgoat
Do you really think there is any teams that fear any other?
diller79
The Yankees fear the Red Sox this season. Just as much as my local junior college fears playing Alabama in football
bobtillman
In about 2 hours, Spankee fans will have Sheffield in the HOF (right next to Refsnyder, probably)…….Seriously, I’ve seen him pitch, and he’s pretty good….not the greatest “stuff” (altho it’s there) but HUGE “pitchability”…I can see him doing very well…..
sufferforsnakes
Meh…..overrated.
Bocephus
You obviously have a sense of grief from the loss.
sufferforsnakes
More like a sense of joy.
thegreatcerealfamine
lol
Gordon Shumwhey
Future hall of famer
mattblaze13
A move that was long overdue
butch779988
The hype train is about to meet reality.
tharrie0820
Seems like a pretty decent amount of walks in the minors. probably won’t get much better in the majors
Caleb Clark
Victor Victor to Miami
Victor Jr. to Baltimore
Caleb Clark
Way to go Yankees! Finally bringing up Sheffield!