Yank kids getting schooled in art of September baseball

TORONTO – For the veterans in the Yankees clubhouse, the past 10 days have turned this suddenly promising season into a lost cause. The playoff hopes that seemed so dark when Aroldis Chapman, Andrew Miller and Carlos Beltran walked out the door saw new light with an August turnaround, but this horrific road trip ended those dreams in ugly fashion.

But for the handful of youngsters that have been along for the ride, the past two months have been the equivalent of graduate school. They’ll head home in a week with a masters degree in September baseball, something most of them had never experienced.

The fact that their first taste came during a playoff race only makes it better.

“Next year, we’ll all come in with the expectations of making a playoff push, making a World Series push,” rookie reliever Ben Heller said. “I don’t know if we’ll use the struggles of the past couple weeks as motivation, but I think next year we’ll have all of this year to serve as learning experiences and we can grow from it, use it to push us forward.”

Heller is one of the 10 prospects the Yankees got for Chapman, Miller and Beltran, three deals that not only helped to restock the Yankees’ minor league system, but also to shoot the organization up the lists ranking the 30 big-league clubs in terms of future talent.

Former first-round draft picks Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield and Dillon Tate were all added before the deadline, as was 19-year-old infielder Gleyber Torres, loading the Yankees up with top-tier prospects.

None of those players were ready to contribute this season, but when you consider that Gary Sanchez, Aaron Judge, Tyler Austin, Rob Refsnyder, Luis Severino, Luis Cessa, Chad Green and Heller all picked up experience in the heat of a pennant race, the Yankees should have plenty of optimism heading into 2017 and beyond.

“I think they get an idea of what it takes,” Joe Girardi said. “I also think for some of them, they get an idea of what the extra month means from a physical standpoint. It’s much different.”

Girardi will also have a better understanding about how they work, something he typically sees only during spring training when players are not yet in shape for the season and the games are meaningless.

The past month and a half has been anything but meaningless, at least until the past few days.

“As you move forward when they get in tougher situations you know that they’ve probably been through some of it already and you feel pretty good about how they’re going to react,” Girardi said. “Whether it’s a good experience or a tough experience, I think they’re valuable to their growth as a player, because you’re going to go through it them. Everyone’s going to go through them.”

Austin has watched the way his veteran teammates have carried themselves on and off the field, both during the seven-game winning streak that had the Yankees within striking distance of a wild card spot, and the current road trip, which blew those aspirations to smithereens.

“It’s been big for me to understand the way they carry themselves whether we win or lose,” Austin said. “Everybody on this team as one thing in mind and that’s winning the World Series. Being a part of this team has been beneficial to me and all of us to help us understand what it takes to do it next year.” Heller breezed through Double-A and Triple-A during the past two seasons, but he’s encountered both success and struggles during his limited opportunities since making his debut a month ago. He picked up his first career win during an extra-inning game in Kansas City, but he’s also given up home runs to Mark Trumbo and Josh Donaldson. Each offered its own lesson to the 25-year-old.

“I wouldn’t say the minors were easy, but being able to come here and experience a little bit of failure and a little bit of success, it’s shown me what I need to work on to improve,” Heller said. “If you’re always succeeding, it can be easy to become complacent.” The Yankees’ rebuilding efforts came with a surprising twist, and although their pursuit of a playoff spot will ultimately fall short, it may have set the tone for a season-long run in 2017.