Carson Coleman reflects on signing with the Yankees and his journey through the minors

Photo courtesy: Somerset Patriots

Over the last few years, the New York Yankees have seen many of their top prospects graduate to the majors. That includes Anthony Volpe, Clarke Schmidt, and Oswaldo Cabrera. However, plenty of talented prospects, such as reliever Carson Coleman, are inching closer to their major league debuts.

After finishing his college career, in 2020, Coleman drew interest from a few teams. Coleman ended up signing with the Yankees after going undrafted. He saw them as the team that would put him in the best position to be successful.

"Obviously, 2020 was an interesting draft year, and an UDF was never anyone's priority," Coleman said. "But obviously, when it's your time to go into pro ball, it's time to go into it. I didn't start pitching until college, so I was really fresh to it. At the end of the day, I wanted to go where I would get the best development to where I'm a future big leaguer, not just a minor leaguer. I was fortunate that the Yankees had an eye for me and saw something in me."

During his time in the minors, Coleman has rewarded the Yankees' faith. In 75 games, the righthander has pitched to a 3.56 ERA and struck out 144 batters. The former Wildcat has proven that he can handle high-leverage situations while adding to his arsenal after relying on his fastball in college.

"The biggest thing for me has been getting comfortable," said Coleman. "I think just naturally, you get better the more you play. Because I was late to it, I never had a quality second pitch. Over the last two years, I've become more comfortable throwing a slider. The fastball has always been my bread and butter, but having a secondary pitch has improved my game big time."

As Coleman has moved through the minors, his success has partly been due to advice he received from his teammates along the way.

"Some advice I've gotten is just feel and act like you belong regardless of the level," said Coleman. "I guess part of it is that I am here for a reason and to treat it like that."

During the 2022 campaign, Coleman looked like he belonged, as the Kentucky native posted a 2.13 ERA in 44 games. He held opponents to a career-low .177 batting average and only allowed three home runs. For Coleman, it was a case of changing his mentality on the mound.

“I think the biggest thing was having a quality secondary pitch besides my fastball to mix in,” said Coleman. “Mentally, I wasn’t scared to be in the zone. I think it was Adam Ottavino who had a quote that stood out to me last year before the season. He said he would rather be in the zone and take a chance rather than walking guys and getting beat. I put that in the back of my head, and that led to less walks and more strikeouts.”

While Coleman entered the 2023 campaign with high expectations, he is on the 60-day injured list after undergoing surgery on his throwing elbow. He was one of the organization's top prospects and will be an arm to watch once he is healthy. His MLB debut for the time being has been pushed back, but he will continue to learn from those around him.

"Throughout the Yankees organization, we have good chemistry," said Coleman. "We all learn from and support each other. During spring training, I was able to face guys like Trey Sweeney and Jasson Dominguez and get feedback from them. It works out well."

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