No Potential, No Problem: The Buster Adams Story - jkra0512's Blog

jkra0512's Blog

No Potential, No Problem: The Buster Adams Story

Posted on June 23, 2013 at 02:16 PM.

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The New York Yankees selected Buster Adams, 18, in the 13th round of the 2012 draft with hopes that he would help fill out the roster. His potential wasn't that of a first-round selection, but what little potential scouts said he possessed, he made sure he made good on.

He ascended through the lower parts of the Yankees' farm system rather quickly. He dominated the NY-Penn League, with the Staten Island Yankees and was promoted to the South Atlantic League (SAL) where he was assigned to the Charleston Riverdogs. He pitched alongside other Bronx-hopefuls, and more well-known prospects like Jose Campos, Caleb Cotham, Bryan Mitchell, Gary Sanchez, Tyler Austin, and Mason Williams. It was easy to see the reason Adams was overlooked.

He ended the year with the Riverdogs and pitched to a 3.14 ERA (3.24 FIP) with his low 90's fastball, plus changeup, and average curveball. Scouts began recognizing he had a little more potential than they previously thought. He located his pitches, especially his fastball, on the corners very well and used his changeup to deceive lefties and his curveball to freeze righties. Seemingly overnight, his star has brightened and have forced the Yankees to move him up to the next level, Double-A Trenton.

The Thunder opened the season with a few of their biggest prospects like the aforementioned Gary Sanchez, as well as fellow catcher, JR Murphy and centerfielder Slade Heathcott. The parent club decided to hide Brennen Boesch and Lyle Overbay at the AA level and together they serve as the Thunder's main power supply.

Meanwhile, the pitching staff is stocked with plenty of worthwhile prospects such as Jose Campos (closer), Corey Black, Vidal Nuno, Matt Tracy, and Shane Greene. Chien-Ming Wang is the staff ace as he tries to make it back with the team that gave him his first shot in the show, where he served as the parent club's ace of sorts for three seasons before suffering a fluke injury rounding third base in an interleague game.

Fast forward to Buster's first start, the Trenton Thunder were 3-1 in the opening series of the year against the Portland Seadogs. Adams took to the bump in the first game against the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, and didn't disappoint.

Throughout the entire start the Fisher Cats swung early in the count. Adams never dealt more than 13 pitches in an inning. He gave up six hits and no walks over eight innings while striking out seven on his way to blanking the Fisher Cats.

However, the Thunder were also silenced throughout the contest. Up until the seventh inning they amassed only two hits. All told, they struck out 12 times to six walks and scored the game's only two runs in the top of the tenth. Both starters pitched well enough to win, but neither got a decision.

Adams, at least on this night, has made Yankees fans notice he might be worth watching out for.

Thunder at Fisher Cats \|
Apr 8, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Trenton (3-1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	5	0
New Hampshire (2-2)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	1
W: Huff (1-0) L: Brummett (0-1) S: Campos (3)

Trenton Thunder
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Pirela (SS)	4	1	1	0	1	1	0	.466
Maruszak (1B)	4	0	1	0	1	2	0	.142
Boesch (RF)	5	0	1	0	0	0	0	.333
Mesa (LF)	5	1	2	2	0	2	1	.250
Bichette Jr. (3B)	5	0	0	0	0	2	0	.095
Neal (DH)	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	.200
Heathcott (CF)	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	.250
Murphy (C)	2	0	0	0	2	0	0	.200
Mahoney (2B)	3	0	0	0	1	2	0	.117
BATTING: 2B: Pirela HR: Mesa RBI: Mesa 2 GIDP: Boesch

New Hampshire Fisher Cats
HITTERS	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	HR	AVG
Pillar (CF)	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.222
Wilson (DH)	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	.157
Robinson (1B)	4	0	2	0	0	1	0	.312
Glenn (RF)	4	0	0	0	0	1	0	.150
Schimpf (3B)	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.266
Ochinko (C)	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.285
Velez (2B)	4	0	1	0	0	1	0	.200
Nolan (SS)	3	0	0	0	0	1	0	.100
Tolisano (LF)	3	0	2	0	0	0	0	.222
BATTING: 2B: Robinson GIDP: Pillar, Glenn
FIELDING: E: Glenn

Trenton Thunder
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Adams	8.0	6	0	0	0	7	0	0.00
Huff (W, 1-0)	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
Campos (S, 3)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0.00
TEAM TOTALS	10.0	7	0	0	0	7	0

New Hampshire Fisher Cats
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
McGuire	7.1	3	0	0	4	10	0	0.00
Brummett (L, 0-1)	2.1	2	2	2	2	1	1	5.40
Korecky	0.1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1.68
TEAM TOTALS	10.0	5	2	2	6	12	1

Comments

# 1 jmaj315 @ Jun 23

hopefully he continues to do well, I really like those 'diamond in the rough' guys, especially when i can tell my friends that I'd heard about him first lol... and maybe im just really optimistic in thinking that the 13th round isnt that bad of a spot to go in?
how many rounds are there anyways?

# 2 jkra0512 @ Jun 23

Yeah, I didn't want to make it too late. There's plenty of rounds, but I think a HS player being drafted that late is pretty late because they have leverage (they can always opt to go to school).