Who Is Yankee Prospect Mark Melancon?

(The Voice of Yankees Universe)

Peter Abraham over at the LoHud Yankees Blog noted (in bold) that Mark Melancon looked sharp Sunday in batting practice and impressed Jorge Posada. His name has been floated around for awhile as an outside contender to make the Yankees bullpen in 2009.

Currently, it appears that the only three locks for the bullpen are Mariano Rivera, Brian Bruney, and Damaso Marte. You would also have to imagine that Jose Veras, Edwar Ramirez, and Phil Coke are considered to be on the team, unless they prove otherwise.

That will essentially leave one more spot for a long reliever such as Dan Giese or Alfredo Aceves. However, it’s not unimaginable that Melancon can sneak in and steal a spot either by competition or injury.

If he doesn’t make the team out of Spring Training, he will most certainly be up on the big league club at some point this year. Scout.com has 2009 as his estimated time of arrival. Melancon will be 24 in March.

Here is the story of Melancon:

He’s considered one of the top prospects in the Yankees' system and was drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round of the 2006 draft. He could have been drafted in the lower rounds, but injury concerns allowed the Yanks to snatch him up so late.

He underwent Tommy John surgery back in 2007 and had to miss the entire season. However, he pitched impressively in the minors last year and skyrocketed through the system.

He started in A ball and worked his way up to AAA Scranton by the end of the year. Joel Sherman of the New York Post considered him the next Joba.

Melancon’s repertoire consists of a power sinker at 90-94 MPH, a four seam fastball in the 92-94 MPH range, a 12-6 curveball that he uses as a strikeout pitch, and a changeup.

His stuff, command, and makeup allow him to be projected to be a future closer. They also say that he is unflappable on the mound. All he needs now is for Mariano to show him the cutter, and we have our closer for the next 15 years.

Mark Feinsand of the Daily News provided these quotes from Yankees about Melancon:

Joe Girardi: “His ball cuts, it sinks; it’s got a lot of movement and late life to it. That usually translates into swings and misses, not solid contact.”

Jorge Posada: “Good curveball, his four-seamer naturally cuts and he’s got a very good two-seamer. … His attitude, his demeanor, he works really hard. It’s good to watch what he’s doing. He’s very professional.”

“Every day, I’m happy my arm feels good,” [Melancon] said. “You take that for granted if you’re not hurt, but once you get hurt, you realize how important it is to take care of your arm. Every day, I’m thankful for that.”