For almost the first two months of the season, James Cooper may have had one of the more enjoyable jobs in the Yankees’ organization.
And we’re not even talking about managing George Lombard Jr. before he headed off for a bigger challenge.
Until recently, Cooper, who manages the High-A Hudson Valley Renegades, had the opportunity to assign the ball daily to an exciting pitching prospect from his six-man rotation, featuring Carlos Lagrange, Ben Hess, Bryce Cunningham, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, Kyle Carr, and Josh Grosz. Depending on the source, this group includes two to four of the Yankees’ top 10 prospects, with five of them making it into most top 30 lists.
“Whenever you have players of that caliber and that level of talent, it’s incredibly exciting,” pitching director Sam Briend stated in a recent phone interview. “The potential is enormous. There’s a lot to imagine. You could see any of these guys becoming a key rotation piece in New York, which is always the ultimate goal—developing talent that can significantly impact New York.”
