With September call-ups quickly approaching, the moves each team in playoff contention will make are already under a microscope. For the Yankee’s the moves they make this season are seen as some of the potentially most pivotal in a decade. All season, the Yankees have fought through multitudes of injuries and ineffectiveness at key positions, and they are still on pace for a 100 win season and likely to secure a wildcard berth barring implosion.
The odds-makers don’t have the Yankees reaching the World Series this year, but even the best bookmakers are wrong from time to time, and with the right moves, there is still some sentiment that they Yankees could make it back there if some of their top prospects get a chance to pitch in as discussed at Inquisitr. While there are a couple of prospects the team has said are 100 percent joining the roster barring injury, the rest aren’t so clear cut as reported by Advance Media NJ.
The obvious call-up is Justus Sheffield. According to Inquisitr, The Sporting News referenced him as the top prospect in baseball that could have an impact on the 2018 postseason. He’s one of the top prospects in baseball, GM Brian Cashman has formally announced he will join the team and he will pitch out of the bullpen. The Yankees hope he will have an impact similar to that of David Price in 2008 when Tampa Bay used him out of the bullpen. There is some discussion that if he performs as advertised, in a shot series, he may even get a start.
Tyler Wade is a bit of a super-utility player who can do almost anything but pitch and catch, and in case of a severe emergency, he’s the kind of player that would give it a go if called upon. Wade doesn’t hit much, to the point he has been a liability at the dish this season, but his defensive flexibility and prowess means he is an almost certainty to join the team. The odds are that he will begin serving as a late inning replacement, wherever needed, to get regulars an inning or two off.
Luis Cessa has not been a fan favorite this year during his previous seven call-ups due to inconsistency, but he is almost assured a spot when rosters expand. What makes Cessa a likely call-up is he can spot start, go long, or fill most any role needed out of the bullpen aside from closing. It’s not likely Cessa will start for the Yankees again this season, barring injury to a starter or Lance Lynn going off the rails, but having a guy like him around with some experience and flexibility is the kind of thing manager Aaron Boone looks for.
Pitcher Chance Adams will most likely be a call-up, and it won’t be his first time this year. What Adams has going for him is a strong outing against the Red Sox this season which turned some heads. What he has going against him is that he has slid in prospect rankings this season do to an overall poor year. He won’t start again for the Yankees if called-up, but as a long reliever or mop-up man he would be somewhat useful. As such, he has maybe a 50 percent chance of joining the Yankees.
Finally, Jonathan Loaisiga has about a 50 percent chance of joining the Yankees. That doesn’t mean he is likely to play much, in his case it is a matter of available space on the 40-man roster and who has what options left on their deal. Loaisiga has performed well and under normal circumstance would be an almost certain call-up, but he’s still coming off of an injury, and having developed into a top prospect, they are likely to shut him down for the year and let him ride the pine to get a feel for postseason baseball.
Depending on how Aaron Judge rehabs and Greg Bird performs, things could change. Someone like Ryan McBroom could see a call-up in a case like that. If Aroldis Chapman falls apart and can’t make it back effectively, the Yankees may have to force a spot open for George Kontos. A lot of things can change in the span of a week, so don’t expect Cashman to make any moves until the last minute possible.
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