With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the New York Yankees are an obvious team of interest. They have several prospects who could be flipped for Major League talent.
While the inner workings of New York’s deadline plan are not public knowledge, a safe assumption is that No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. is the only untouchable name in trade discussions.
However, there could be a few prospects the Yankees would prefer to hold onto. Outfielder Wilberson De Pena, 19, could be among them. De Pena, recently promoted from the Florida Complex League to Single-A Tampa, is someone Yankees fans should keep their eyes on. He’s ranked as the Yankees’ No. 16 prospect.
Originally signed for $50,000 out of the Dominican Republic by the Los Angeles Angels, he was acquired from the Angels for infielder Oswald Peraza at last year’s deadline. During the FCL season, which concluded on Monday, De Pena took home Triple Crown honors by hitting .358 with 16 home runs and 67 RBIs.
The right-handed hitter also led qualified FCL batters with a .667 slugging percentage, 1.088 OPS, 81 hits, 20 doubles, 38 extra-base hits, and 153 total bases.
“De Pena hits balls harder than most New York farmhands and shows feel for launching balls in the air to his pull side, giving him well-above-average raw power and 30-homer upside,” De Pena’s MLB Pipeline bio reads. “To reach that potential, he’ll need to make some adjustments at the plate and let his pop come naturally. He has an aggressive right-handed stroke that gets too long, and he chases too many pitches out of the strike zone.”
On Tuesday, De Pena, batting in front of Dax Kilby (MLB Pipeline No. 2) and Yostin Pena (Unranked), homered on the very first pitch he saw in Single-A, a 96.6 mph bullet over the left field wall against Detroit Tigers farmhand Grayson Grinsell.
MLB Pipeline estimates De Pena’s Major League ETA as 2030, leaving the Yankees with nothing but time as he develops into his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame. At that height, there’s room for the outfielder to develop additional strength.
It may be too early to guarantee De Pena will be the next star in the Bronx. Again, he’s only 19 years old. But the Yankees could have an enticing prospect in their laps that the Angels parted with too quickly.
Photo: New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman during a baseball news conference, Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
