The New York Yankees are dealing with a nightmare season at the MLB level. Now, their entire minor league system is being called into question by a former prospect. Ben Ruta spent parts of five seasons in the Yankees system after being drafted by the team in 2016. In recent days, Ruta has made highly critical statements about what Yankees coaches emphasize to their players.

The ex-prospect summarized the main problem exhibited by Yankees brass as “getting too many of the same guys and trying to make everyone…the same player.” Ruta was quick to add that he is not “anti-analytics” but emphasized the human element of the game.

In one example Ben Ruta provided, he complained about the Yankees' emphasis on OPS+. Ruta is critical of the stat because it does not penalize hitters for striking out.

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Appearing on the Foul Territory podcast earlier in the week, Ruta predicted that the Yankees would make wholesale changes to their minor league coaching staff after the season.

Ben Ruta specifically name-checked the Bronx Bombers' former hitting coach, Dillon Lawson. Lawson was fired in July after the team's woes on offense. “All the coaches were brought in by Dillon Lawson and the analytics guys,” Ben Ruta told the Foul Territory hosts. “They will change developmental culture back to old Yankees days.”

For New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman, this will serve to raise more questions about the direction of the team. While the Yanks have reached the postseason in six straight seasons, they currently sit in last place in the AL East. Their struggles center mainly on the team's performance on offense.