3 Yankees Pitching Prospects Who Need to Take Massive Steps Forward in 2020

The New York Yankees spent a fortune on Gerrit Cole in the offseason and have since been plagued by the injury bug, losing both Luis Severino and James Paxton to various ailments. Both of those factors mean in-house options will be looked at to help bolster the pitching staff. The Yankees have talented pitching prospects in the farm system who will have to step up and prove their worth in 2020, whether or not they're called upon immediately or farther down the line. The continued development of these three young arms will be vital to the Yankees in 2020.

3. Nick Nelson

New York Yankees prospect Nick Nelson has risen through the organization. / Tim Warner/Getty Images

Nick Nelson is the No. 16 overall prospect in the Yankees system. He rose from Advanced-A to Triple-A in 2019 and had a 2.81 ERA in 18 appearances. He has been a starter pitcher since joining the organization, but the most innings he has thrown were 121.2 back in 2018. After striking out an impressive 83 batters across 65 innings last season, Nelson is anticipated to make his big-league debut in 2020, but he'll need to cut down the walks before he does.

2. Clarke Schmidt

New York Yankees pitcher Clarke Schmidt is a former first-round pick. / Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

Clarke Schmidt is heralded as the second overall prospect in the organization. He was drafted No. 16 overall back in 2017 even after undergoing Tommy John surgery that same year. He made it up to Double-A in 2019 and has impressed early on in spring this year. Schmidt threw a total of 90.2 innings last season and he will begin pushing towards a normal starter's workload in 2020. Schmidt boasts an abundance of talent and figures to be a key member of the rotation in the Bronx in the future. For now, he just needs to focus on continuing his development until his eventual promotion.

1. Deivi Garcia

New York Yankees pitcher Deivi Garcia is a top prospect. / Mark Brown/Getty Images

Deivi Garcia is only 20 years old and made it up to Triple-A in 2019. He stands only 5-foot-9, but the third-ranked prospect in the organization still racked up 165 strikeouts in 111.1 innings last year. He has been in the organization since his early teenage years and is young enough to where the Yankees could call him up as a reliever just to gain the experience. Garcia just needs to prove he can handle the added innings and pressure at such a young age, but his future is as bright as any prospect within the system.