2014 Stats:
Level: A
576 PA .272/.350/.349 9.9% BB% 20.5% K% 22/35 SB +5 DEF
Wade ranked #21 on Chris’ Yankees top 100 list.
Background:
In 2013, the Yankees selected then high school shortstop Tyler Wade with its fourth-round pick. He jumped right into rookie ball, and had no difficulty adjusting to minor league competition. In 198 trips to the plate, he showed an impressive eye (16.2% BB%), some speed (11 SB), and a good batting average (.309 BA buoyed by a .417 BABIP). He didn’t offer much power (.062 ISO), but his performance was still good for a 146 wRC+. This earned him a four game stint with Staten Island by the end of the season.
2014 Results:
Following a strong showing in the prior year, the Yankees stuck Wade in Single-A Charleston for all of 2014. He had an OK campaign with the Riverdogs, putting up a league average batting line according to wRC+. He didn’t do anything particularly impressive, but at least he held his own in perhaps an aggressive assignment for a 19 year-old.
What Kiley says:
Wade took a big step forward this year to scouts outside the organization, but was a Yankee favorite for some time after drafting him in the 4th round in 2013. Wade took the opportunity when the more hyped Abiatal Avelino was injured or struggling at Low-A last year and the lefty-hitting Wade performed very well for a 19-year-old in full season ball. Wade is an above average to plus runner with the tools to stick at shortstop and the internal clock and instincts to get the most out of his tools. He’s more of a contact type hitter and power isn’t a big part of his game, but lefty hitting shortstops that hit when they’re young for the league aren’t easy to find.
What KATOH says:
What really hurts Wade, in KATOH’s eyes, is his lack of power. At the A-ball level, ISO is one of the most predictive stats of big league success. And with a .077 ISO last season, KATOH simply isn’t impressed. The projection system gives Wade just a 37% shot to ever crack the big leagues, which seems reasonable. After all, it’s hard to call a guy in A-ball a sure-fire major leaguer unless he’s knocking the socks off his competition. Wade isn’t close to doing that.
2015 Outlook:
The 20 year-old shortstop is going to repeat Single-A Charleston this year, but certainly could merit a promotion to High-A Tampa at some point. Wade will be competing for time at shortstop with another prospect, Abiatal Avelino (31st on our list), meaning that Wade will also probably get some opportunities at other spots on the diamond. Given that this is Wade’s second go-round at the level, he’ll need to show some improvement in order to get KATOH on his side, especially now that he’s a year older. Clearly, scouts are fans of his tools, so there’s no reason to think he can’t improve especially getting a second look at this level of competition.