Meet the Yankee drawing comps to Gary Sheffield

This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch’s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The newest name to know in the Yankees organization is Brando Mayea.

This past week, the Yankees agreed to an estimated $4.35 million deal with the powerful outfielder from Havana, Cuba, who has been compared to a “mini Gary Sheffield” by one talent evaluator. Mayea was rated as the No. 9 prospect on MLB Pipeline’s International Top 50 list.

The Yankees, who have a base signing pool of $5,284,000, have not confirmed the agreement. The deal is pending a physical.

Mayea, 17, is considered a premium athlete with advanced tools for his age, uncommon bat speed and power. He is aggressive in the batter’s box and is gaining a better understanding of the strike zone.

According to MLB Pipeline, Mayea has a mature frame with plenty of upside because he is strong and twitchy. Once a shortstop, scouts believe Mayea could remain in center field, but he could also move to a corner outfield spot.

Mayea figures to soon join the top big-money international talent in the Yankees’ farm system, a group that includes No. 2 prospect Jasson Dominguez, a switch-hitting outfielder who signed for $5.1 million in July 2019. The club is also closely watching No. 11 prospect Roderick Arias, an 18-year-old switch-hitting shortstop who signed with the club for $4 million in January.