Feature Photo: Dillon Tate, RHP, Yankees
Following my coverage of the 2017 Florida State League All-Star Game, I traveled to Tampa to get a look at the season debut of Yankees right-hander Dillon Tate, and also got solid looks at shortstop Jorge Mateo and second baseman Nick Solak. Here are my notes on each player.
I’ll be back over the weekend with four additional reports on right-hander Touki Toussaint, left-hander Alex Minter, third baseman Austin Riley and outfielder Ray-Patrick Didder, all from the Florida Fire Frogs, Tampa’s opponent for the three-game series, and the FSL affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
2080 Prospect Spotlights
High A Florida State League
Florida Fire Frogs vs. Tampa Yankees
June 19-21, 2017
Dillon Tate, RHP, Yankees (High A Tampa, Florida State League)
Ht/Wt: 6’2”/210 lbs. B/T: R/R Age (as of April 1, 2017): 22y, 11m
The former fourth overall pick of the Rangers in 2015 who came to the Yankees as part of the Carlos Beltran (OF, Astros) deal at last year’s trade deadline, Tate made his High A debut for the Tampa Yankees on June 20 after a stint on the D.L. with a shoulder injury. In an impressive outing, he scattering three hits and allowed no runs over 5 2/3 innings of work, with a walk and five strikeouts to his credit.
Tate has a well-proportioned, athletic frame with a no windup delivery, and he has a quick arm out of a 3/4’s slot that generates some angle to the delivery. The ball really jumps out of his hand and he gets good extension out front. He pounds the strike with his plus-to double-plus fastball offering, sitting 93-to-97 mph with most readings at 95 mph. He gets good arm-side run with his two-seamer in the lower velo band, as well as late ride and life with plus movement in the strike zone with the four-seamer resting in the higher velo band. He is able to command the pitch to both sides of the plate with plus movement in the strike zone.
His slider has some projection to it, and is presently an above-average offering, with good spin action to it, and he is able to vary the spin from a short action to a slurvy look. It could become a plus offering as he develops more feel and consistency with the pitch. His changeup also can become a future plus pitch, as he already shows some feel for it, getting late fading action and replicating his fastball arm speed well.
It was an impressive start to the season for Tate, and assuming he can stay healthy, he projects to have three plus-or-better pitches in his arsenal, which are the makings of a future Role 60 number three starter at maturity.
Jorge Mateo, SS, Yankees (High A Tampa, Florida State League)
Ht/Wt: 6’0”/188 lbs. B/T: R/R Age (as of April 1, 2017): 21y, 9m
Mateo is a projectable everyday major league shortstop who brings an average bat and above-average to plus defensive ability to the table, though the tools are still somewhat raw, and he still needs some polish for the profile to shine.
Mateo is a double-plus athlete all day, and a burner on the basepaths who is showing more maturity as a baserunner this year, going 28-for-32 (88%) in stolen base attempts after a 2016 campaign (also with High A Tampa) that saw him swipe 36 in 51 attempts (71%). He is double-plus out of the box, and the grade jumps to elite when you see him go from first-to-third base with speed that puts big-time pressure on defenders.
At the plate, Mateo shows quick hands and wrists, with a live bat that is presently more of a pull-oriented, line-drive swing with limited loft, though there’s enough there to project to fringy over-the-fence pop (10-to-12 home runs) at maturity. He can give away at-bats at times by leaking his front side and pulling off of pitches, which makes it tough to cover the outside half of the plate and keep the barrel in-zone for an extended period, and is a contributing factor to his high strikeout percentage (27% over 297 plate appearances) to-date.
He can also be aggressive in his approach, expanding the zone especially when chasing breaking stuff, and he will need to develop better plate discipline as he advances (5% walk rate). He does bring some pop with the bat, showing good bat speed and getting his share of extra base hits (partly attributable to the run tool), with 16 doubles and eight triples to go with four home runs, and with more seasoning he should project to an overall average hit tool.
Defensively, Mateo shows plus agility and footwork at shortstop, with quick hands and presently average fielding actions that will improve as he develops more body control. He shows good first-step quickness to have above-average range, and tops it off with a plus arm and quick release that allows him to make all the necessary throws to hold down the position for the long term. The defensive package projects to plus overall.
Mateo is an exciting player to watch, and his loose, athletic body, raw speed, and wirey strength give him the tools and ability to project to a Role 55, above-average everyday shortstop in the big leagues. He has a chance to become a Role 60 player capable of an occasional all-star appearance if he can develop more plate discipline and plate coverage and get on base more often to take advantage of his speed, which pairs quite nicely with the plus defensive profile.
Ed. Note: Mateo was promoted to the Double-A Trenton Thunder (Eastern League) on June 27.
Nick Solak, 2B, Yankees (High A Tampa, Florida State League)
Ht/Wt: 5’11”/175 lbs. B/T: R/R Age (as of April 1, 2017): 22y, 3m
The Yankees’ 2016 second-rounder out of Louisville, Solak is having a solid first full season of pro ball. After slashing .321/.412/.421 in the Short-Season A NY-Penn League last year, he made the jump straight to Tampa to start the season, and he has basically replicated those numbers to-date, slashing .311/.412/.456 with a 39:45 BB:SO rate over his first 272 plate appearances. He was in the middle of a tear when I viewed him June 20, hitting .459 over his last 10 games, with an average that was sixth best in the FSL, and an OBP that was good enough for second in the league.
Solak is a grinder at the plate, and when he gets his pitch, he can really barrel it up, making consistent hard contact with the ability to manipulate the bat and spray the ball to all fields. His swing is more line-drive oriented at present, but I see the ability to develop some loft as he matures, and ultimately hit for fringe-average power, and who can work deep into counts and draw his share of walks, and whose ability to manipulate the barrel will allow him to hit for average as well.
As a defender, Solak is able to make the routine plays with average agility, hands and fielding actions, but he is slightly limited by his fringe-average range and fringy-but-playable arm strength. He’s a converted outfielder, so I would expect some projection here as he acclimates to the position. He’s not going to wow you with his defensive ability, but there is enough there to hold the position if his development curve continues in the right direction. He’s also an above-average runner (4.2 second home-to-first base times) with plus base-running instincts to be able to score from first on a double, and steal the occasional base (he’s 8-for-12 this year)
Solak is a grinder at the plate and a gamer on defense, but it’s the plus to double-plus potential with the bat that’s going to carry him to the big leagues, with a realistic role of an offensive-minded, Role 50 regular second baseman on some teams, though its possible that his ultimate defensive home could change depending on his adaptation to second base. He reminded me some of Daniel Murphy (2B, Nationals), just with less power in the profile.
