It’s often said Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial beginning of summer.
With the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror (although barely so this year), and the NBA and NHL playoffs reaching their crest, the nation’s attention slowly begins to turn to baseball.
Memorial Day is seen as the first “checkpoint” of a long baseball season, and with the calendar about to flip to June, here’s a look at the Yankees’ and Mets’ minor league affiliates, where they stand heading into Friday’s action, and what prospects could be on the way up:
Yankees
Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Railriders (27-25)
None of the Yankees’ Top 10 prospects (as rated by Baseball America) are currently at Triple-A — which speaks to the lack of major league ready talent the Yankees have in the upper levels of their farm system.
However, there are a few names to watch: second baseman Jose Pirela (.298 batting average) and reliever Mark Montgomery (28 strikeouts in 23 innings).
Double-A Trenton Thunder (30-24)
Trenton is where you’ll find the Yankees’ top prospect: catcher Gary Sanchez.
He is hitting only .251, but has shown some pop, hitting six homers in 171 at-bats. He has also thrown out 38 percent of base-stealers.
High-A Tampa Yankees (26-27)
The prospect to watch in Tampa is catcher Peter O’Brien, who has since been promoted to Double-A.
A University of Miami product taken in the second round two years ago, O’Brien was a machine at Tampa, with a .321 batting average and 10 homers in just 112 at-bats — good for a whopping 1.040 OPS.
Single-A Charleston RiverDogs (27-26)
Two of the Yankees’ three first-round draft picks from last year can be found here: outfielder Aaron Judge (.308 batting average, .405 OBP, .850 OPS), the team’s No. 6 prospect, and starting pitcher Ian Clarkin (1-2, 3.97 ERA, 22 strikeouts in 22 ²/₃ innings), the team’s No. 7 prospect.
Mets
Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (34-20)
There aren’t many true prospects in Triple-A, but utilityman Andrew Brown has been tearing it up, hitting .363 and posting a 1.186 OPS with 11 homers in 124 at-bats.
Double-A Binghamton Mets (30-22)
After a slow start, catcher Kevin Plawecki, the team’s No. 5 prospect, has surged in May, hitting .389 with five homers and 27 RBIs, along with a gaudy 1.064 OPS.
High-A St. Lucie Mets (31-22)
Outfielder Brandon Nimmo, the team’s No. 8 prospect and first-round pick from three years ago, is enjoying a breakout season, with a .332 batting average and an improved batting eye, as he has drawn 45 walks against just 46 strikeouts. That’s good for a .456 OBP.
Single-A Savannah Sand Gnats (34-15)
Although he has yet to hit a home run, 19-year-old first baseman Dominic Smith — the team’s No. 1 draft pick from a year ago — is more than holding his own, hitting .264.