Yankees’ Enns Moves Up The Ladder

NEW YORK—In an age where everyone wants to see pitchers push radar guns into the high 90s, those who lean on location and pinpoint control often get overlooked when their fastball doesn’t reach those digits.

Take the case of Dietrich Enns, a 25-year-old lefthander who began the season at Double-A Trenton.

“He’s a soft tosser with a good understanding of touch and feel,” a scout who saw Enns pitch this season said. “He’s crafty. He knows how to pitch. He sat 89-91 (mph).’’

Often “touch and feel” and “crafty” are polite ways of saying a pitcher’s fastball is short.

However, the 19th-round pick out of Central Michigan in 2012 has added several ticks to his fastball.

“Obviously, he is having a hell of a year,” general manager Brian Cashman said of Enns. “He is a lefthanded pitcher whose fastball is 94 (mph), and you can’t deny the results. He is a prospect who is moving up the ladder. He went to Triple-A (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre) and continued to perform.’’

Through 18 starts, the Frankfort, Ill., native went 11-3, 1.79 with 101 strikeouts in 106 innings at Double-A and Triple-A. He allowed 86 hits and walked 41.

Enns ranked fifth in the minor league ERA race.

The Yankees promoted Enns to Scranton after a May 10 start. Following a May 20 outing, he went back to Trenton and surfaced again at Scranton following a June 25 outing.

Even before the season, Enns was on other teams’ radar.

“I was asked by two different teams,’’ Cashman said when asked if Enns had drawn trade interest from clubs.

“One in December and one in May. He throws a fastball, curveball and changeup, and his secondary stuff continues to develop.’’

YANKEE DOODLES

• Third baseman Miguel Andujar wasn’t bothered by the jump from high Class A Tampa to Trenton. In his first 37 games for the Thunder, the 21-year-old hit .300/.342/.379 with a homer and 27 RBIs. That’s after batting .283 with 10 homers and 41 RBIs in 58 games at Tampa.

• Righthander Bryan Mitchell was supposed to be a big part of the big league bullpen this season until a fractured right big toe in the last week of spring training sidelined the 25-year-old. By early July, Mitchell had resumed throwing off a mound, and the Yankees held out a slight hope he could return before the end of the season. Mitchell got into 20 games last year and went recorded 29 strikeouts, 16 walks and 37 hits allowed in 30 innings.