New York Yankees minor league players

Below is a partial list of minor league baseball players in the New York Yankees system.

Manny Banuelos
Manuel Banuelos (born March 13, 1991 in ) is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He is the Yankees' sixth best prospect for 2010, according to Baseball America. He missed some time during the 2010 season with an appendectomy, but has since demonstrated strong development, with a mid-90s fastball and above-average secondary pitches that include a changeup and curveball.

Banuelos participated in the All-Star Futures Game in 2009.

He currently pitches for the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees.

Dellin Betances
Dellin Betances (born March 23, 1988) is a pitching prospect in the New York Yankees minor league organization.

In 2005, Betances was an Aflac All-American and played for the Team USA Junior National Team.

Bentaces was drafted out of Grand Street Campus School in Brooklyn, New York in the 8th round of the 2006 MLB Draft. He was rated the Yankees' third best prospect for 2007, and their fifth best for 2009, according to Baseball America.

Betances spent 2007 with the Class-A Short Season Staten Island Yankees and 2008 with the Class A Charleston RiverDogs. In 2009, he pitched for the Tampa Yankees, the Yankees Class A-Advanced affiliate. Late in the season, Betances had surgery late in the 2009 season, which was erroneously reported as Tommy John surgery, but was instead a ligament reinforcement procedure.


 * Aflac All-American Roster

Jeremy Bleich
Jeremy Bleich (born June 18, 1987) is a left-handed pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. Baseball America named him the Yankees' ninth best prospect for 2010.

Bleich attended Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and then Stanford University. As a pitcher at Isidore Newman, he was profiled by author Michael Lewis in his short book Coach: Lessons on the Game of Life, published in 2005. He was selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft (44th overall) by the New York Yankees out of Stanford. Bleich said he patterns his game after Andy Pettitte. He is currently with the Yankees Class AA affiliate, the Trenton Thunder.

J. B. Cox
'''James Brent "J.B." Cox''' (born May 13, 1984 in Bay City, Texas) is an American relief pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. Cox was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2nd round of the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft. Cox graduated from the University of Texas in 2005 and he currently pitches at the Double-A level for the Trenton Thunder.

Cox throws a fastball, slider, and changeup. As of 2007, Cox was listed as the eight best prospect in the New York Yankees organization and owning the best slider in the farm system.

Cito Culver
Christopher S. "Cito" Culver (born September 26, 1992 in Rochester, New York) is a baseball shortstop/pitcher. He was selected by the New York Yankees with their first-round pick, 32nd overall, in the 2010 MLB Draft. While he had already committed to play baseball for the University of Maryland, he has passed on his commitment and instead signed a contract reportedly worth $954K with the Yankees. Culver stands 6 feet tall and weighs 172 lbs. He is a switch-hitter who can also play in the outfield. Culver is just the second high school shortstop drafted by the Yankees (also C. J. Henry in 2005) in the first round since the club selected Derek Jeter with the sixth overall pick in the 1992 First-Year Player Draft.

Culver attended Irondequoit High School in Irondequoit, New York, a suburb of Rochester.


 * First-round pick Culver takes his first step toward the Bronx

Grant Duff
Grant Duff is a professional baseball pitcher currently in the New York Yankees farm system. He was born on December 19, 1982, in Milton, Florida.

He bats and throws right handed, is 6 feet and 6 inches tall, and 210 pounds.

Duff is currently playing for the Trenton Thunder, the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Duff was invited to the Yankees spring training camp in 2010, but failed to make the final roster.

Slade Heathcott
Zachary Slade Heathcott (born September 28, 1990) is a minor league outfielder in the New York Yankees organization.

Heathcott was drafted by the Yankees in the first round (29th overall) of the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft out of Texas High School. He was considered the #4 Yankee prospect entering the 2010 season. He currently plays for the Class A Charleston RiverDogs.


 * Prospect Profile: Slade Heathcott

Alan Horne
William Alan Horne (born January 5, 1983 in Marianna, Florida) is a minor league pitcher in the New York Yankees organization. He is listed at 6 feet 4 inches, 195 lbs, and throws right-handed.

Horne was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the first round (27th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft, but opted not to sign and instead went to the University of Mississippi, where he has a solid freshman season, only to succumb to injury requiring Tommy John surgery. Horne took a medical redshirt his sophomore year. Horne then transferred to Chipola College for his junior year. He was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 30th Round (893rd overall) of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, but bypassed a reported six-figure bonus to attend the University of Florida. After helping the Gators to the College World Series Finals, Horne considered returning to Florida as a fifth year senior, but was drafted in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft, by the Yankees in the 11th round (349th overall), and signed, receiving a $400,000 bonus.

Horne made his professional debut in 2006 with the A Tampa Yankees, and in 2007 has pitched for the AA Trenton Thunder, where he has pitched well and attracted interest from other teams.

His best offering a heavy 92-95 mph fastball that he does a good job of keeping in the bottom third of the zone. He works off his fastball with a hammer curveball that bites hard and down in the zone. He learned a cut fastball at Chipola Junior College. On August 25, 2007 Horne was awarded the Eastern League Pitcher of the Year Award. A ceremony was held before the game.


 * Awards and honors
 * 2007 - Eastern League Mid-Season All-Star
 * 2007 - Eastern League Pitcher of the Year


 * Prospect Profile: Alan Horne
 * Minor League Baseball: Statistics

Brandon Laird
Brandon J. Laird (born September 11, 1987 in Cypress, California) is a third baseman in the New York Yankees organization.

On August 2, 2010, Laird was promoted from Double A Trenton Thunder to Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Laird's brother, Gerald is a catcher for the Detroit Tigers. In December of 2009 Laird and his brother were arrested following a brawl at US Airways Center during a Phoenix Suns-Boston Celtics game.

Melky Mesa
Melky Mesa (born January 31, 1987 in ) is an outfielder currently in the New York Yankees organization. He is the Yankees' fastest baserunner, best athlete, and has the best outfield arm of any Yankees minor league player for 2010, according to Baseball America.

With the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees, Mesa won the 2010 Florida State League Player of the Year Award.

D. J. Mitchell
William Douglas Mitchell (born May 13, 1987 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina) is a pitcher in the New York Yankees organization.

on August 21, 2010, Mitchell was promoted from Double A Trenton Thunder to Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

P.J. Pilittere
Peter John Pilittere (born November 23, 1981) is a professional baseball catcher/first baseman currently in the New York Yankees farm system. He bats, and throws right handed, is 6 feet tall, and 215 pounds.

Pilittere was drafted by the Yankees in the 13th round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft. He is currently playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. Pilittere was invited to the Yankees spring training camp as a catcher in 2010, but failed to make the final roster.

Gary Sanchez
Gary Sanchez (born December 2, 1992) is a catcher in the New York Yankees organization, currently playing for the Gulf Coast League Yankees. He was signed as a 16 year old international free agent in July 2009, and was ranked as the Yankees' seventh best prospect for the 2010 season.


 * Staten Island Yankees' Sanchez already thinking big

Amaury Sanit
Amaury Sanit is a professional baseball pitcher currently in the New York Yankees farm system. He was born on July 4, 1979, in Havana, Cuba.

He bats, and throws right handed, is 5 feet and 8 inches tall, and 205 pounds.

Sanit is currently playing for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.

Sanit was invited to the Yankees spring training camp in 2010, but failed to make the final roster.

Sanit was suspended for 50 games in the 2010 season for the use of performance enhancing drugs.

Adam Warren
Adam Parrish Warren is a minor league baseball pitcher in the New York Yankees organization.

Warren attended New Bern High School and the University of North Carolina, where he played for the North Carolina Tar Heels baseball team. Warren was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 36th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft, but he did not sign, instead returning to UNC for his senior season. In the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, the Yankees selected Warren in the 4th round, and he signed.

Warren currently pitches for the AA Trenton Thunder. On August 17, 2010, he set a franchise record by striking out 15 batters in one game. That week, he was Eastern League Pitcher of the Week.


 * Prospect Profile: Adam Warren