TRENTON

Prospect 1: Melky Mesa, CF - .251/.323/.436, 9 doubles, 8 home runs, 30 RBIs

 He’s cut his strikeouts a ton, but suffered a bad break when a sore right shoulder in the middle of May sidelined him for three weeks. He’d also shown off tremendous range and a deadly throwing arm in center field.

Scout’s view: “I think Melky’s tools get him to the big leagues. I think he’s going to be a guy who goes up and down and up and down and never secures a spot.”

Earlier in the season, the same scout compared him to a guy like Justin Maxwell or Greg Golson, a guy who, despite having tools upon tools, never quite capitalizes on his own potential.

Prospect 2: Zoilo Almonte, RF - .275/.315/.406, 6 doubles, 4 home runs, 25 RBIs

Like Mesa, Almonte missed a chunk of time this season. In his case, hamstring spasms were the culprit. After a breakout first half in Tampa in 2011, Almonte earned a spot on the 40-man roster. His boffo spring training also caught the eye of Yankees manager Joe Girardi.

Scout’s view: “I don’t think he’s a regular in the big leagues, but I think he’s got enough bat and enough athleticism and can play enough defense to be an extra outfielder in the big leagues.”

Prospect 3: Cody Johnson, DH - .245/.336/.528, 11 doubles, 16 home runs, 37 RBIs

The book on Johnson is the same as it ever was: He’s the Double-A version of Adam Dunn. He’ll strike out, take walks and hit monstrous home runs. He’s in the midst of a nasty slump right now, but his light-tower power still makes him one of the only true longball threats in Trenton’s lineup.

Scout’s View: I thought he’d made strides and has made himself a prospect. He’s got unbelievable power. … His velocity off the bat is way above anybody else. Where he plays is another story, but he’s certainly got some impact.”

Scout’s View: “I think he’s better than what I’ve seen with the Braves. I think he’s got a little bit better load than he did then.  It was a much bigger takeaway, and he’s shortened it up a bit, but I still am very concerned with the high strikeout rate. … He’s got big-time power. He just does. You can’t deny the kid that.  I just don’t think it plays at the highest level.”

Prospect 4: Brett Marshall, SP – 7-3, 2.99 ERA, 84 1/3 IP, 51 SO, 29 BB

Without question the best pitching prospect on the Thunder, Marshall has done quite well for himself in his first turn at the upper levels. He’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in nine of his 13 starts this year. The numbers prove that he still has to improve his command and control in order to advance to the next level and cash in on his potential.

Scout’s View: “I don’t think he has a big upside, but I think he could certainly pitch in the big leagues. He’s probably the most interesting arm that I saw anyway, at Trenton. For me, he’s a long reliever, spot-starter type guy. Not a big upside, but there’s some stuff to like there. I think he’s got the potential to have three average major league pitches and throw strikes.”

Scout’s View: “I thought he threw good. I think he could be a fourth or fifth starter, a back of the rotation guy.”

Those four certainly aren’t the only players who were mentioned. One scout said he saw a Juan Cruz-like ceiling for reliever Kelvin Perez. Another noted that outfielder Abraham Almonte had a little bit of “strength in his swing,” likening that trait to that of current Yankee Brett Gardner.

For the most part, though, Mesa, Zoilo Almonte, Johnson and Marshall were the biggest names. And after reading the quotes from scouts, it should be clear that Trenton, despite its success over the first half of the season, should not be the team Yankees fans look to for its next wave of impact players.