Rumfield, 6’5, 225 lb, was drafted in 2021 by the Phillies in the 12th round of the amateur draft and was traded to the Yankees in November 2021. Since then, he was quietly worked his way up through the Yankees minor league system.
The Yankees are in 2nd place in the A.L. East, just a half-game behind the Baltimore Orioles, in a good position to earn a post-season slot. They are playing well, but a team can always use fresh talent, and Rumfield may be just the man they need. This season, in 90 games at Scranton, Rumfield is hitting .281 with a .348 on base percentage. He has 22 doubles, 12 home runs, 57 RBI, 65 strikeouts and 32 walks. He fields his position well, with only 6 errors in 76 games at first base (only 13 errors in 226 games as a pro, and a 2023 Gold Glove Award winner at Double-A Somerset.)
Rumfield is the son of Toby Rumfield, a 12-year veteran minor league player who retired in 2004. Toby was a 1991, 2nd round draft choice by the Cincinnati Reds out of Belton (Texas) High School. He has been a high school coach in Texas for many years, and was the head baseball coach at Temple (Texas) High School when son T.J. played there (my son Brendan pitched against T.J. in high school.)
T.J.’s biggest competitor right now is 25 year-old Ben Rice who is hitting a sub-par .188 in 43 games this season for the Yankees. With those numbers, it seems like a no-brainer to add Rumfield to the Yankees 40-man roster and call him up to Yankee Stadium. The former Virginia Tech and Texas Tech man would definitely be an asset for the Yankees in the field and at the plate.
Look for this to happen soon, Yankee fans.
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Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. He has written 24 books; available in paperback and e-book on Amazon.com.
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