2025 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

The Yankees were supposed to pick #29, #65, and again after the second round as compensation for losing Juan Soto, but they wound up with just the #39 pick instead due to a combination of salary overages and the signing of Max Fried. That left them with the smallest bonus pool of any team – less than $5.4 million, all together just about the slot value of a mid-first round pick – and very little flexibility to get creative with this draft. That's how it went, with a very straightforward class that neither played many games around over and under slot bonuses nor chased high upside. After starting with a pair of shortstops, they moved into a fairly pitching-heavy class the rest of the way with 13 pitchers over their next 19 picks. Highlights of the class of course include first rounder Dax Kilby, an all-around ballplayer with a chance to play a steady role in the Bronx for a long time, Bronx native Richie Bonomolo Jr., the sons of former MLB infielders Jeff Kent and Mark Grudzielanek, one of the most effective sliders in the country coming from Blake Gillespie, and a 6'8" JuCo arm in Hayden Morris.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. For example, "2-50" would indicate that a player was taken in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-39: SS Dax Kilby, Newnan HS [GA]
Slot value: $2.51 million. Signing bonus: $2.8 million ($290,500 above slot value).
My rank: #52. MLB Pipeline: #62. Baseball America: #75.
Two years after drafting George Lombard in the first round, the Yankees went back to the prep ranks for a similar prospect in Dax Kilby. Besides having an elite baseball name, Kilby is a darn good player and a scout favorite. Hailing from the town of Newnan on the outskirts of the Atlanta metro, also the hometown of legendary country music singer Alan Jackson, Kilby has long been a known commodity but has really come on strong in the past calendar year. He's beginning to fill out a lean, physical 6'2" frame and thereby adding impact to his already polished game, pushing his stock over the top into a first round selection. He hits from a simple setup that translates into a leveraged left handed swing, helping him drive the ball with authority to all fields and, increasingly, over the fence. It's a disciplined approach that helps him consistently find pitches to drive even against advanced competition, and now that he's impacting the ball more, it could translate into 15-25 home runs per season with high on-base percentages. An above average runner, he showed very well at the MLB Draft Combine not just with his hitting but for his speed and athleticism, adding to the heat behind his name. At this point, Kilby is not a lock to stick at shortstop, as he's not quite as explosive as other top defenders in the class and his more deliberate style on ground balls may fit better at second or third base. Still, he should hit enough wherever he ends up, and overall projects as a well-rounded addition to a future Yankees lineup. He had been committed to Clemson but figures to sign for a large bonus, perhaps $3 million-plus, with the Yankees here.

3-103: SS Kaeden Kent, Texas A&M
Slot value: $744,400. Signing bonus: $744,400.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #185.
The Yankees' first college selection of the draft comes in the form of Kaeden Kent, another infielder with solid tools across the board. The son of 2000 NL MVP Jeff Kent, Kaeden worked a part time role at Texas A&M and showed well over his first two seasons. Spending 2025 as the Aggies' starting shortstop, he posted good-not-great numbers amidst an extremely disappointing season for the Texas A&M club as a whole. Kent shows below average raw power, but his ability to whip the barrel through the zone and elevate the ball to the pull side helps that power play up a bit in games, ending up with 13 home runs in 2025. He likely won't threaten twenty home runs in the majors, but his left handed bat will play well at Yankee Stadium and he could provide 10-15 home runs per season at peak. Kent's hit tool is where he shines, with strong plate discipline and bat to ball helping him walk (14.7%) more than he struck out (13.9%) against A&M's difficult schedule. It is a pro-ready bat that also handled tough Cape Cod pitching very well back in 2023 (.329/.405/.430), though the numbers dipped in his second year there in 2024 (.257/.328/.333) and he didn't perform well in SEC play either this spring. Defensively, the Austin native has seen time all around the infield projects to be at least capable at any position despite fringy speed, with a sound glove and enough arm to make most of it work. In an every day capacity, he probably fits better at second or third base, but in the reserve/platoon role he's likely destined for at the major league level, he can handle shortstop on an occasional basis where needed.

4-134: LHP Pico Kohn, Mississippi State
Slot value: $550,300. Signing bonus: not yet announced.
My rank: #130. MLB Pipeline: #122. Baseball America: #168.
This feels like an arm that the Yankees will get the most from. Pico Kohn was a known commodity at Chilton County High School in Central Alabama, but made it to campus at Mississippi State and showed well out of the bullpen as a freshman in 2022, though Tommy John surgery wiped out his sophomore campaign. Joining the rotation in 2024, he earned some draft interest but ultimately went back to school, where some rough outings inflated his ERA but he ultimately showed well enough to become a priority senior sign. Kohn sits in the low 90's and touches 95, modest velocity these days, though the pitch plays up a bit with flat plane from a deceptive slot. An above average slider is his best pitch, getting nice dive across the plate and missing a ton of bats in 2025, while he has shown some feel for a changeup to give him a third big league pitch. Kohn's command has improved considerably in Starkville and now looks average, which combined with an athletic 6'4" frame and a repeatable delivery gives him a chance to start at the major league level. He'll turn 23 right at the start of the offseason and will want to move quickly, but he's advanced enough to do so as a tall, seasoned three pitch lefty. The Yankees have done well with similar arms and figure to add him to the back of their rotation at some point in the next couple of seasons.

6-194: RHP Rory Fox, Notre Dame
Slot value: $319,800. Signing bonus: not yet announced.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #288.
Rory Fox has long been a do-it-all athlete who has gradually narrowed his focus over the last few years. A state champion quarterback at Catholic Memorial High School in the Milwaukee area, he focused on baseball at Notre Dame where he was initially recruited as a two-way player. He never got to hit much and more recently took to pitching only, leading to a very strong 2025 in which he eventually pitched his way into the Friday night (ace) role. Fox sits in the low 90's with his fastball and touches 96, showing some riding life negated by a higher release point. He can cut the fastball a little or turn it over into a true slider, a pair of pitches that often served as the key to his success, while a less used curveball and changeup round out a full arsenal. While he doesn't get great extension down the mound, Fox's athleticism helped him stick around the zone with fringe-average command. That athleticism combined with his big league 6'3" frame and deep arsenal gives him the chance to become a #4 or #5 starter, but he could surprise and rise higher if he continues his upward trajectory now that he's focusing on pitching only.

7-224: OF Richie Bonomolo Jr., Alabama
Slot value: $252,100. Signing bonus: not yet announced.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #358.
There haven't been many major leaguers from the Bronx lately, but the Yankees are looking to corner the market with Andrew Velazquez and now Richie Bonomolo Jr. Bonomolo grew up in the shadow of Yankee Stadium, playing high school ball at Cardinal Hayes High School just half a mile down Grand Concourse, then went away to Wabash Valley JC in Illinois before transferring to Alabama for his junior year. He showed well in his lone season in Tuscaloosa, producing nearly identical chase, contact, and exit velocity data to Yankees third rounder Kaeden Kent. Bonomolo is undersized at 5'11", in contrast to the big, physical ballplayers New York likes to target, but takes big right handed hacks that allow him to show some moderate thump in games, likely enough for up to about ten home runs per season. His above average bat to ball ability and strong approach allow him to swing like that without running high strikeout rates, though most of the power is to the pull side and will likely always be that way. Bonomolo is an above average runner with excellent instincts in the outfield, giving him every opportunity to provide value in center field for the Yankees. The lack of power likely relegates him to a fourth outfielder role in the long run, where he should show well at all three positions.

9-284: RHP Blake Gillespie, Charlotte
Slot value: $196,600. Signing bonus: not yet announced.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #231.
The Yankees picked up a very interesting arm in the ninth round. Blake Gillespie began his career at Georgia, but struggled mightily to a 13.74 ERA over two seasons and transferred out to Charlotte for his junior year. To say he improved would be an understatement – Gillespie tossed an eleven strikeout no-hitter against James Madison in March, finished the season with the fourth most strikeouts (131) in all of Division I baseball (and in four fewer appearances than any of the names ahead of him), and ultimately won the AAC Pitcher of the Year award. He did so on the strength of his slider. It's a plus pitch with nasty, late dive that hitters constantly chase down out of the zone because they can't pick it up, and even if they do, they can't find the bottom. The Southwestern Ontario native leaned heavily on the pitch, throwing it more than his fastball, and hitters still couldn't hit it. He also adds a low 90's fastball that touches 96 with riding action, giving him a second potentially above average pitch. Gillespie will use his changeup against left handed hitters but mostly relies on the fastball and slider. His command improved considerably in 2025 as he ran just a 4.9% walk rate and now looks average. The 6'2" righty has a bit of an interesting delivery, as he follows a high leg lift with a really soft landing and short extension, almost like he's stopping his delivery halfway through and just tossing the ball in off his back foot. Given that he's up to 96, it's a testament to his arm strength and you can bet the Yankees will look to smooth that out a little and gain another tick or two on the fastball. Because he relies so heavily on his slider, it's easy to peg this as a relief profile, but the Yankees may try to develop him as a starter and bring that changeup along. It's a fun profile that the player development staff can get creative with.

19-584: RHP Hayden Morris, Blinn JC [TX]
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
This is an interesting one, though it's looking iffy whether he'll actually sign. Hayden Morris missed his freshman season at Blinn College due to injury, but came back this year and showed big stuff from a big frame. The fastball sits low to mid 90's and touches 97 at peak, playing up because he uses his huge 6'8" frame to extend down the mound and release the ball right in front of hitters. He has a tight low to mid 80's breaking ball that helped him miss bats, and in the end it helped him to a perfect 10-0 season with over 100 strikeouts for the Buccaneers. Command is a question right now post-surgery, but he looks durable and the longer he stays healthy on the mound, the more he should build up in that regard. Morris has a ton of upside with his size and arm strength, and if he signs, the Yankees will work to bring along the command as well as add a third pitch. He is just 20 years old and could return to Brenham for his redshirt sophomore season, where he'll be age-appropriate for the 2026 draft.

20-614: SS Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, Southern California
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked.
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek has been a known commodity on the West Coast for a long time and will look to do the same on the East Coast. The son of former All Star and Gold Glove winner Mark Grudzielanek, Bryce began his career at UCLA but never saw the field, so he transferred to USC for his sophomore year in 2023. A steady performer when healthy for the Trojans, he'll depart a career .296/.377/.446 hitter over 136 games. He comes with the prototypical size at 6'3", 185 pounds, though that size has led to just modest power in Los Angeles. A relatively aggressive hitter, he does run into strikeout problems (22.3% in 2025) and will need to shore up the approach in pro ball. His glove will carry him after starting 59 of USC's 60 games at shortstop in 2025, with steady, confident actions in the dirt that will help him stick there long term. As the son of a longtime major leaguer, the Yankees will take the size, defense, and bloodlines and see if they can't develop Martin-Grudzielanek into a utility infielder.

2024 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

There was no secret to the Yankees' strategy this year: college pitching, college pitching, and more college pitching. Each of the team's first seven picks were college arms from either the SEC or the ACC, though they certainly mixed up profiles within that demographic. Greysen Carter and his 103 MPH fastball with zero command represent one extreme, while Gage Ziehl and his pitchability/makeup over stuff profile represent the other (though I don't want to sell him short – he did hit 97). Many pitchers of course fell in between, with New York looking for strong combinations of stuff and physicality, hoping to bring in the next generation of starting pitchers.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-26: RHP Ben Hess, Alabama {video}
Slot value: $3.33 million. Signing bonus: $2.75 million ($585,400 below slot value).
My rank: #44. MLB Pipeline: #44. Baseball America: #38.
This was a bit of a surprising pick to start things off for New York, but Ben Hess brings considerable upside for a college arm and saved the team over half a million dollars against their bonus pool. After showing well as a freshman at Alabama in 2022, he impressed scouts with a red hot start to 2023 but got shut down with a flexor strain after seven starts. Fully healthy in 2024, he had an up and down season but showed enough ups to still sneak into the back of the first round. Hess is a mountain of a man at 6'5", 255 pounds, and he looks it. The arm talent is undeniable, beginning with a fastball that sits in the mid 90's and has reached as high as 99 with impressive riding action. His plus curveball misses a ton of bats with power two-plane break, while his slider gives him another above average breaking ball. He has shown feel for a solid changeup at times, flashing above average, though he hasn't found it consistently in games. Everything plays up further because Hess creates great extension with his big frame and gets a lower release than you'd expect for his size, making for as complete of a profile as you're going to find, metric-wise. Of course, there's more to pitching than just stuff and size, and that's where the questions come in. The Downstate Illinois native has battled injuries throughout his career, with 2024 being his first fully healthy season in a long time. Meanwhile, and I would wager this is highly correlated, his command has fluctuated. He has shown average, even above average command at times, but he was much too inconsistent in that regard in 2024 and pessimists may put a fringe-average grade there. Personally, although he was technically healthy in 2024, I think he needs to string together a little more consistent time on the mound to really settle back into that groove after never throwing more than 36.1 innings in a season before. He'll certainly need to watch his conditioning going forward to withstand a pro workload, and if he proves durable, he moves well enough on the mound to get back to average, if not above average command in the long run. Combine that with his wicked stuff, and he could be, dare I say, an ace at the big league level. A lot does need to go right to get there, though.

2-53: RHP Bryce Cunningham, Vanderbilt {video}
Slot value: $1.72 million. Signing bonus: $2.3 million ($576,300 above slot value).
My rank: #46. MLB Pipeline: #63. Baseball America: #39.
After grabbing Ben Hess for an under slot deal at #26 worth roughly the value of the #33 pick, they went almost exactly as high above slot value to grab Bryce Cunningham in the second round at #53, where his $2.3 million bonus was worth roughly the value of the #41 pick. Cunningham is a bit of a polarizing prospect, but an interesting one with upside for sure. After working as a swingman in 2022 and 2023, he moved to the rotation full time in 2024 to inconsistent results, producing some downright dominant outings while faltering in others. With Cunningham, it all starts with the fastball. He sits comfortably in the low to mid 90's and has reached back for as much as 99 in short stints while topping out closer to 97 in longer outings. Thrown with pretty good extension and a pretty low release point compared to his 6'5" frame, the pitch's above average riding action helps the fastball play up to plus, though its results were more good than great against top SEC hitters. He relies heavily on an excellent changeup with tremendous running action, a pitch with true plus potential as well. His slider is a bit behind, coming in with short, tight break that can tie hitters up with its mid 80's velocity but which overall projects as just a fringy to average pitch. It's a pretty compact, repeatable delivery from a big, durable frame, though his control is ahead of his command and like quite a few top Vanderbilt pitchers before him, he can get hit a little bit in the zone if he falls behind in the count or gets too comfortable. The Yankees are buying the size, special arm strength, and changeup here, with the hopes that they can figure something out with the breaking ball. If he can take a step forward in that regard while holding onto average command, he's a legitimate mid-rotation starting pitcher. Cunningham will look to continue what's become a line of Yankees pitchers from small towns in Alabama, joining David Robertson, Chase Whitley, and Clay Holmes off the top of my head.

3-89: RHP Thatcher Hurd, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: $838,900. Signing bonus: $837,400 ($1,500 below slot value).
My rank: #97. MLB Pipeline: #114. Baseball America: #128.
Thatcher Hurd feels like a very Yankees pick. Considered a potential second round pick out of high school in Southern California, he instead removed himself from the 2021 draft so that he could attend UCLA alongside Gage Jump, a fellow Southern Californian and arguably the top high school pitcher in the country to spurn the draft that year. Both ended up having a change of heart, as Hurd transferred to LSU after his freshman season and Jump followed him to Baton Rouge a year later. Hurd was uneven in his sophomore year in 2023 but showed enough to push himself into the first round conversation, then struggled in 2024 and lost his spot a crowded Tigers rotation. The 6'4" righty has big stuff. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and has been up to 98 in short stints, at times showing big time riding life but at others flattening out a bit. His best trait is his feel for spin, with a pair of power breaking balls that flash plus at best with hard bite, though the slider is more consistent than the curveball and he didn't always show the feel to execute either of them how he wanted to in 2024. At this point, he doesn't really use his changeup. Hurd has a pretty simple delivery but doesn't always repeat it, leading to below average command and a 12.7% walk rate over the past two seasons. His stuff gets more hittable as he falls behind in the count and leaves it over the plate, which lead to his 6.55 ERA this year. The Yankees are buying his power fastball and excellent ability to snap off a hard breaking ball, hoping they can mold the rest of the profile into a starting pitcher or perhaps a power reliever. This profile reminds me a little bit of 2022 sixth rounder Chase Hampton, who is progressing nicely in the Yankees' system.

4-119: RHP Gage Ziehl, Miami {video}
Slot value: $606,700. Signing bonus: likely to be around slot value, perhaps slightly above.
My rank: #77. MLB Pipeline: #89. Baseball America: #110.
This might be my favorite pick in the Yankees' class if they can get him for a reasonable bonus. Gage Ziehl is an Upstate New Yorker, hailing from the outer Rochester suburb of Macedon, where he attended Penfield High School and earned an eleventh round selection by the Cubs as a senior. After spending three years at Miami and amassing 227.2 innings for the Hurricanes, he'll come back home to the Empire State. The. fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and has touched 97 with solid riding life, playing up a bit from a somewhat lower release point. He has great feel for his cutter/slider, which he can tighten up around 90 or manipulate to get more sweep in the mid 80's, which is still plenty hard. It's an above average pitch. There's also a changeup in there with some promise, but he doesn't use it too much just yet. For Ziehl, everything plays up because he pounds the strike zone with conviction, going right after hitters and challenging them with his solid stuff. He shows plus command on top of that, which more than makes up for his stuff being more above average than plus, so he can really execute in the zone. Scouts rave about his competitiveness as well. Sturdily built at 6', 225 pounds, he lacks projection but still looks like a bona fide #3/#4 starting pitcher who can eat plenty of innings, which he's done with 31 starts and 192 innings over the past two seasons at Miami. This pick somewhat reminds me of 2021 second rounder Brendan Beck given Ziehl's pitchability and competitive fire, though while Beck looked brilliant in his short healthy stint in 2023, he has battled injuries for a long time and has just those 34 pro innings to his name.

5-152: RHP Greysen Carter, Vanderbilt {video}
Slot value: $440,100. Signing bonus: $440,100.
My rank: #181. MLB Pipeline: #226. Baseball America: #161.
Greysen Carter is virtually the opposite of Gage Ziehl as a pitcher. While Ziehl has been as steady as they come as a stalwart member of the Miami rotation, Carter was once cut from the Vanderbilt team because he simply could not throw strikes. He worked his way back onto the team and has since spent the last two seasons serving as a swingman, albeit to uneven results with the same poor command. Carter's stuff is undeniable. The fastball sits in the upper 90's and has reached as high as 103, and it seems like it's coming even harder than that because he gets over six and a half feet of extension. He rips off a power curveball that looks like an above average pitch when he locates it, but he lacks feel to land it in the zone. The changeup, perhaps unsurprisingly, comes in a little too firm and again he lacks true feel for it. The command, as mentioned, is well below average and he has walked nearly 20% of the hitters he's faced in college, with his 16.4% rate in 2024 representing a career-best. Carter did throw one gem against Missouri in late March, allowing just four baserunners and one unearned run over 8.1 innings while striking out eleven, but that turned out to be his only outing of the season of greater than four innings. Carter's arm strength does not grow on trees. In fact, it really doesn't grow anywhere. The Yankees are getting a truly special arm talent here, albeit one in need of significant refinement. He's probably a reliever when it's said and done but you never know with guys like this – he lacks the command and secondaries, but at 6'4", 235 pounds, it's not like the Denver-area product lacks the physicality or arm strength to start.

6-181: LHP Griffin Herring, Louisiana State {video}
Slot value: $339,600. Signing bonus: $797,500 ($457,900 above slot value).
My rank: #165. MLB Pipeline: #157. Baseball America: #172.
Griffin Herring, a draft-eligible sophomore who turned 21 in May, signed for more than double slot value in the sixth round for third round money (close to pick #92). He showed well out of the LSU bullpen as a freshman in 2023, then was quietly one of the most reliable arms in the SEC in 2024 while again pitching out of the bullpen due to LSU's crowded rotation. Although he's a two-pitch bullpen guy, he does have a good chance to start in pro ball. The fastball is not overwhelming, sitting in the low 90's and topping out around 95 with more run than ride, though it plays up because he gets above average extension towards the plate. He throws an above average slider nearly as much as his fastball, which itself plays up because he has great feel to locate it to both sides of the plate. Herring is sturdily built at 6'2" and repeats his delivery well, showing above average command of both pitches and effectively maximizing his results with his pitching savvy. If the Yankees want him to start, he'll have to add a changeup and prove his command can hold together in longer stints.

7-211: RHP Wyatt Parliament, Virginia Tech {video}
Slot value: $265,800. Signing bonus: $199,350 ($66,450 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #478.
The Yankees got another New Yorker here, and Wyatt Parliament comes from wayyy upstate. He hails from tiny La Fargeville, population 733, which is located eighty miles north of Syracuse and fifteen miles north of Watertown/Fort Drum, close to the Canadian border. He began his career at Rutgers, where he served as both a starter and a reliever but struggled with consistency. Transferring to Virginia Tech after two seasons, he struggled to a career-worst 7.63 ERA in 2024 but his peripherals point to the potential for much stronger performance. So does the stuff. His fastball sits in the low 90's and has gotten up to 97, but it plays way above its velocity with riding and running life and a low release point. In fact, it's probably one of the sneakier fastballs in the class. He also shows a solid slider with some sweep, which plays well when he locates it but too often gets hit when he leaves it over the plate. At this point, he doesn't show much of a changeup. Parliament has long arm action and a three quarters arm slot, creating both a funky look and a much lower release point than most pitchers at hist 6'4" stature. Additionally, while many fastballs can run like his in that slot, few ride as much as his and that makes it really tough to square up the fastball up in the zone. Additionally, Parliament pounds the strike zone, showing average command of both his fastball and slider, though the control is ahead of the command. To top it off, he's extremely young for a college junior and won't turn 21 until January, making him nearly nine months younger than true sophomore Griffin Herring. I think the 7.63 ERA was both a fluke and potentially a usage issue and that he could become a legitimate fastball/slider reliever for the Yankees.

11-331: RHP Mack Estrada, Northwest Florida State JC {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: likely well above that that if he signs.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #273.
$115,900. It's unclear whether Mack Estrada will sign, but it appears that the Yankees have some money to offer him against a Florida State commitment. With only fourth rounder Gage Ziehl, Estrada, and 20th rounder Cole Royer unsigned, the Yankees have $722,600 left in their bonus pool and over $1.1 million if they use the 5% overage. Assume Ziehl signs for slot value and those numbers become $115,900 and $406,725, respectively, so the Yankees could likely offer Estrada around half a million dollars so long as Ziehl doesn't go too far above slot value. Estrada showed well as a freshman at Northwest Florida State, especially early in the season, though he faded down the stretch a bit. While the fastball touched 96 early on, it settled more in the low 90's as the year progressed, coming in with heavy, late running life. He tosses a solid slider with great finish to miss bats, while his changeup is coming along as well. With long arm action and a bit of a raw delivery, he struggled with command at times as well. Estrada has projection remaining in his 6'4" frame and will need to build up his durability in order to start in pro ball, but the Yankees think they can get him there as he has both the stuff and size to start.

14-421: 2B Austin Green, Texas Tech {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #303.
The Yankees picked up a well-rounded bat here in the fourteenth round. Austin Green began his career at Weatherford JC in Texas, then after two seasons transferred to Texas Tech where he was one of the Red Raiders' best hitters in 2023 and 2024. While he lacks a carrying tool, he also lacks many true weaknesses. With a compact 6' frame, the switch hitter unleashes a pair of simple but powerful swings to drive the ball to all fields effectively. He has average raw pop that he taps in games, with the potential for 10-15 home runs per season at peak. He also makes plenty of contact and takes professional at bats, helping him run a minuscule 9.7% strikeout rate in 2024. He won't be a star or hit fourth at Yankee Stadium, but it's the kind of profile that can sneak up on you and earn every day playing time towards the bottom of the lineup if he keeps hitting up the ladder. The East Texas native is also a solid runner who has played mostly second base and right field during his time in Lubbock, with the ability to handle left field as well for the Yankees. The defensive versatility will help as he looks for a place to sneak his bat into the lineup in New York. He's a senior sign, but he's on the younger side for that class and only turned 22 in May.

2023 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

The Yankees lost their second and fifth round draft picks after signing Carlos Rodon, pulling in a college-heavy class after starting with one of the best high school shortstops in the country. It's a class that fits the Yankees' developmental strengths, focusing on hitters with strong batted ball data more so than positional flexibility as well as pitchers with power arms and projectable offspeed stuff.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.
Note that the number before a player's name indicates their draft position. "2-50" would indicate that a player was drafted in the second round with the fiftieth overall pick.

1-26: SS George Lombard, Gulliver HS [FL] {video}
Slot value: $3.07 million. Signing bonus: $3.3 million ($235,000 above slot value).
My rank: #27. MLB Pipeline: #31. Baseball America: #31. Prospects Live: #28.
The Yankees were consistently tied to a slew of prep bats towards the end of the draft cycle, and the rumors came true when they picked up George Lombard, a toolsy shortstop out of Florida. He had been a bit streaky throughout much of his prep career, but he came out of the gate red hot during his senior season and never looked back. Standing 6'3", he is beginning to fill out his projectable, athletic frame and has plenty of room to continue adding strength naturally. He channels that strength into a powerful right handed swing that produces above average power for now, and his swing is geared to tap it in games. As I mentioned, the hit tool had been streaky at times, but when he's going right, you can't get anything by him. Fool Lombard once, and he'll adjust within the at bat to ensure you can't get the same pitch by him again. It's a really well-rounded offensive profile for a kid who just turned 18 in June, putting him on the younger side for the high school class. In the field, there are split opinions on whether he sticks at shortstop, but I think he has a good shot. The arm is closer to average than plus, but it plays up because he has a quick release and the body control and the ability to throw from multiple angles. Foot speed will be the other determining factor, as he's a solid runner for now but may slow down as he gets stronger. Still, with the potential for 20+ home runs per season and high on-base percentages while likely sticking in the infield, it's a potential All Star profile that is well worth the over slot bonus here to keep him from a Vanderbilt commitment.

3-97: LHP Kyle Carr, Palomar JC [CA] {video}
Slot value: $692,000. Signing bonus: $692,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #174. Baseball America: #123. Prospects Live: #280.
It was down year for junior college prospects, allowing Kyle Carr to push to the front and be the first one drafted this year. He began his career at San Diego but didn't make much of an impact, instead transferring to Palomar College in his hometown of San Marcos, California. Carr was lights out for the Comets, going 12-1 with a 2.31 ERA and a 111/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 78 innings, looking stronger and stronger as the season progressed and closing it out with back to back scoreless starts of double digit strikeouts against Southwestern and East Los Angeles. The 6'1" lefty sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and touches 97, holding that velocity throughout his starts with nice life as well. His slider has sweeping action but is very inconsistent at this point, needing to add significant power in order for its bite to play better. While he rarely uses his changeup, it's actually ahead of his slider at this point with fading action to the arm side when he commands it. Carr is skinny but has room to fill out, with a very athletic delivery that helps him generate his velocity effortlessly while pounding the strike zone. The Yankees likely see this as a package they can continue to refine over the long term, with all the puzzle pieces in place already to become a starting pitcher with more development. Though his fastball is his lone established average pitch, it's not hard to imagine a strong Yankees pitching development system bringing those secondaries along. He fits very well in this organization and signed away from a TCU commitment for slot value to get there.

4-129: 2B Roc Riggio, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $506,800. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: #156. MLB Pipeline: #130. Baseball America: #139. Prospects Live: #224.
If you watch college baseball, especially if you watched in 2022, then you know who Roc Riggio is. He was actually a well-known prep prospect as well out of Thousand Oaks High School in California, where he was teammates with A's 2021 first round pick Max Muncy and A's 2023 first round pick Jacob Wilson. Riggio had looks in the top five rounds, but made it to campus at Oklahoma State where he made an immediate impact, especially capturing national attention with his high energy, in-your-face style of play at the 2022 Stillwater Regional where he went 15-27 with four home runs in five games. Though he got more national exposure in 2022, Riggio quietly put together a better season in 2023 where he slashed .335/.461/.679 with 18 home runs and a 48/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He's a compact player at just 5'9", but he leaves it all on the field with big left handed hacks with natural loft and adjustability to help him hit for power and average despite average exit velocities. He did struggle on the Cape a little bit last summer (.200/.258/.339) and we'll see how the power plays with wood, but he's still trending in the right direction and has a long track record of hitting quality pitching dating back to his prep days. Defensively, the Southern California native isn't remarkable, with a gritty style of play that will work at second base or the potential to move to left field with his fringy arm and speed. The Yankees are buying the bat and the energy here and he'll look to provide both.

6-192: RHP Cade Smith, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: $285,400. Signing bonus: $282,900 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #390.
Cade Smith did not rank highly on any public boards, but fits the Yankees profile of athletic, physical power arms. He has been a key cog in the Mississippi State rotation for a couple of years now, but never quite put it together in Starkville and in 2023 posted a 5.23 ERA and a 46/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 43 innings. He throws a low to mid 90's fastball that can touch 96 in relief, with nice life on the pitch that the Yankees can work with. His power slider has gotten harder and sits in the mid 80's now with lite tilt, and he can work it into more of a cutter in the upper 80's as well. The 6'1" righty is athletic on the mound with the sturdy frame to handle a future in the rotation, though to do so he'll have to clean up his inconsistent command that led to a 14.4% walk rate in 2023. He's cleaned up his delivery a little bit in Starkville but there's still more ground to cover. This seems like a project not too dissimilar to Chase Hampton a year ago (and Smith was selected just two picks later in his respective draft, #190 vs #192) and Hampton is quickly establishing himself as one of the best pitchers in the system.

7-222: 1B Kiko Romero, Arizona {video}
Slot value: $224,700. Signing bonus: $197,500 ($27,200 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #198.
Kiko Romero is a senior sign, set to turn 23 in September, but he has plenty of track record with the bat. He mashed for three years at Central Arizona JC, parlaying an especially huge 2022 season into a spot on the Arizona squad in 2023. He continued to rake in Tucson, slashing .345/.441/.724 with 21 home runs and a 56/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games, putting up one of the better offensive seasons in the Pac-12. Only listed at 5'11", 185 pounds, he's plenty strong for his size and has room to continue filling out. He holds his hands high in his stance, with a slight hitch before bringing them down to with strong barrel accuracy and natural loft in his left handed swing. Romero produces strong batted ball data that should continue to play in pro ball, and he had no problem transitioning from the Arizona JuCo circuit to the Pac-12 while actually lowering his strikeout rate from 25.4% to 19.6%. The Tucson native could stand to get a little more disciplined in the box, which may be his biggest hurdle transitioning to pro ball, but he has a pretty adjustable barrel and has stepped up against good competition before. He played mostly first base at Arizona and that's where the Yankees drafted him, but he's a pretty good runner that actually stole 19 bases at Central Arizona last year and could make it work in a corner outfield spot. He profiles as a future bench/platoon bat with some power.

8-252: RHP Nicholas Judice, Louisiana-Monroe {video}
Slot value: $188,000. Signing bonus: $185,500 ($2,500 below slot value).
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: #175. Baseball America: #420. Prospects Live: #162.
The Yankees got great value here in the eighth round with Nicholas Judice. Another senior sign, he was an unremarkable reliever for three years at Louisiana-Monroe before his velocity took off in 2023 and he posted a 3.82 ERA and a 41/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 innings. Judice is a massive, 6'8" right hander that comes from a low, wide arm slot that creates an extremely unique look for hitters. He sits comfortably in the low to mid 90's but has the arm strength to eventually touch triple digits in short stints, with running and sinking life. The Baton Rouge native can also spin a nasty, sweeping slider that dives across the plate and flashes plus, while he's been working to incorporate a fringier changeup into the mix as well. Though he filled up the strike zone at ULM, he allowed more free passes in his brief Cape Cod League stint after the season and likely develops into average command. If the Yankees are willing to be patient with the 22 year old and work on the changeup and command, they could develop him into a back-end starter, but he fits better as a power fastball/slider reliever that provides a different look in high leverage spots.

10-312: RHP Brian Hendry, Oklahoma State {video}
Slot value: $164,400. Signing bonus: has not yet signed.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Out of the Yankees' eighteen picks this year, Brian Hendry was the only one from the northeast. A South Jersey native from Medford, where the Pine Barrens meet the Philadelphia suburbs, he pitched three years at St. John's from 2019-2021 but never put it together, finishing with a 5.12 career ERA. After missing the 2022 season, he showcased some impressive stuff in the Cape Cod League that summer and got picked up by Oklahoma State, but where he pitched to a 6.63 ERA and a 51/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 36.2 innings. Hendry sits in the low to mid 90's with his fastball, which can touch 97 in short stints with downhill plane and some riding action. He can really spin the ball, with a pair of distinct power breaking balls in a curveball and a slider that both miss bats in bunches, while his changeup gives him a fourth usable pitch. Though Hendry is experienced and has a pretty easy delivery, he is very much control over command and that ultimately led to his stuff getting hit over the plate. He was a swingman at Oklahoma State and may be able to continue earning spots in pro ball, but he'll have to tighten up that command in order to do so. As a fifth year senior sign, Hendry is also extremely old and will turn 24 in October, so he'll want to get moving up that pro ladder quickly.

15-462: C Tomas Frick, North Carolina {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: #448.
This is more of a depth play than an upside play. UNC's starting catcher since he stepped on campus as a freshman, Tomas Frick broke out in 2023 by slashing .322/.408/.571 with 12 home runs and a 36/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 59 games. He lacks a standout tool, instead showing well in a broad array of categories. Frick makes a lot of contact from the right side, showing the ability to get to balls all over the zone with a quick bat and a simple swing. There's some sneaky power to the pull side, though he lacks projection in his compact 6' frame and will likely top out with fringy pop. The Upstate South Carolina native is also a solid defender behind the plate, making up for average actions with a strong arm and a frame built for blocking baseballs. Set to turn 23 in October, he profiles best as a backup catcher who could move relatively quickly.

18-552: OF Coby Morales, Washington {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
Coby Morales began his career at Cypress JC in California, then transferred to Washington. He was unremarkable as a sophomore in 2022, but broke out in 2023 by slashing .332/.432/.548 with 12 home runs and a 59/40 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. Morales is big and strong at 6'3", with above average power playing to all fields from big left handed hacks. A patient hitter, he does a good job of waiting for a pitch he can drive, though he can get in trouble deeper in counts with fringy pure bat to ball skills that lead to elevated strikeout rates. That's the tradeoff this late in the draft, but getting this kind of power/on-base combination in the eighteenth round is always a nice find. Morales is not a great runner and will likely be limited to an outfield corner, where he profiles as a power hitting platoon bat.

20-612: RHP Bryce Warrecker, Cal Poly {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: $150,000.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: #286. Prospects Live: #433.
The second 6'8" righty drafted by the Yankees this year, Bryce Warrecker brings an interesting profile to the table. He didn't do much over his first two years at Cal Poly, but earned a spot in the Cape Cod League and was named the league's Most Outstanding Pitcher, where he posted a 2.03 ERA and a 36/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 40 innings. Returning to San Luis Obispo for his junior season, he turned in middling results with a 4.96 ERA and a 79/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 81.2 innings. Warrecker works off deception, coming from a low three quarters slot where he hides the ball well behind his big frame. The fastball sat in the low 90's on the Cape but dipped into the upper 80's at times with Cal Poly, and either way it's not likely to be an overpowering pitch in pro ball. His slider has shown flashes, with more depth at times and sweep at others, and it missed a lot of bats on the Cape. He also shows an above average changeup, giving him a solid three pitch mix. The Santa Barbara native commands everything well and kept advanced Cape hitters off balance consistently. In order to miss more bats in pro ball (he ran just a 22.6% strikeout rate on the Cape and 21.7% at Cal Poly this year), he'll need to find a way to add more power to his stuff, which may only come with a move to the bullpen. There, he could work as a junkballing reliever that gives hitters fits for a couple innings at a time.

Undrafted: RHP Aaron Nixon, Mississippi State {video}
Slot value: up to $150,000. Signing bonus: unreported.
My rank: unranked. MLB Pipeline: unranked. Baseball America: unranked. Prospects Live: unranked.
The Yankees plucked one of the better undrafted arms in Aaron Nixon, who was a key piece of the Texas bullpen for two years before transferring to Mississippi State this year and posting a 2.66 ERA and a 24/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 20.1 innings. It's a power arm that gets up into the mid 90's in relief, while his downer slider has flashed plus at times and should get there consistently with pro coaching. A former two-way player out of high school in the Rio Grande Valley area, he's also a strong athlete on the mound that repeats his delivery fairly well, though the command is fringy. He's a pure reliever going forward but a sleeper that could move up quickly and provide the Yankees with middle innings help in the near future.

2022 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

While some teams like to play with the bonus pool to go well above or below slot, the Yankees played this draft extremely straightforward by paying exact slot value for each of their first five picks, never going more than more than $233,500 above slot at any point, and never going more than $92,300 below slot. They're getting better and better at developing pitching, so in this draft they picked up fifteen college pitchers out of their twenty picks. In fact, all twenty of their selections this year came from the college ranks as they looked to pick up quick moving talent that can be up in the majors and contributing by 2024-2025. The Yankees like their guys big and physical, and that was certainly the case here with each of their first seven selections standing at least 6'2" and an average overall size of 6'3", 210 led by their first round selection Spencer Jones at 6'7". Lastly, the Yankees already have west coast flair on the team between Californians Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, Aaron Hicks, and Kyle Higashioka, and this draft heavily featured the west coast as well from top to bottom including in each of the first five picks.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-25: OF Spencer Jones, Vanderbilt. My rank: #29.
Slot value: $2.88 million. Signing bonus: $2.88 million.
The Yankees started off their draft class with one of the more interesting profiles available. Spencer Jones was a highly touted two-way prospect who earned some first round interest out of high school in the San Diego area back in 2019, but he got hurt his senior year and opted to head east to Vanderbilt. Despite showing a low 90's fastball and an above average curveball from a projectable frame, he never got on the mound in Nashville after Tommy John surgery cost him a third consecutive season. Meanwhile, his bat has developed slowly but steadily and he's gotten better and better throughout his time in the program. He began to turn the corner with a strong (.309/.409/.457) run through the Cape Cod League last summer, then fully broke out by slashing .370/.460/.643 with 12 home runs and a 64/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 61 games this spring. Standing a towering 6'7", he'll fit right into that Yankee lineup with fellow hard hitting skyscrapers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and he draws a lot of parallels to the former. Jones hits the ball extremely hard with some of the best high end exit velocities in the class, helping him tap power consistently in games despite more of a line drive, all fields approach. Speaking of his approach, he takes very good at bats despite not following the most straightforward development path. While he does strike out at a high clip, that's more due to his long limbs creating a longer bat path than due to chasing bad pitches. He's also a great athlete for his size, one that runs well enough with plenty enough arm strength to be an above average right fielder in time or even take a shot at center field. It's a package of tools you don't see often, so despite the swing and miss questions, the Yankees are getting huge upside in a guy who could hit in the middle of their lineup within a few years. At his ceiling, that could mean 30+ home runs per season with high on-base percentages if he manages his strikeouts.

2-61: RHP Drew Thorpe, Cal Poly. My rank: #93.
Slot value: $1.19 million. Signing bonus: $1.19 million.
I remember watching Drew Thorpe hold Vanderbilt to just two runs over seven innings in his very first college game back in 2020 (and ironically struck out Spencer Jones to close out his first inning), and since then he has quietly been one of the best pitchers on the west coast. He was at his best this spring, posting a 2.32 ERA, a 0.86 WHIP, and a 149/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 104.2 innings highlighted by a fifteen strikeout performance against UC San Diego in March. Thorpe sits in the low 90's with his fastball and gets up to about 96 at his best, with some sneaky life on the pitch to boot. His best pitch by far is his changeup, a nasty offering with massive fading life. It's so good that he'll often pitch off of it rather than his fastball, something you rarely see at the amateur level. Previously, the southwestern Utah native struggled to spin a quality breaking ball, but his slider took a step forward this spring and now looks like an average pitch. Despite a delivery that can be a bit rushed at the end, Thorpe pounds the strike zone and rarely lets walks derail his outings. The Yankees will want to help continue improving his slider to give him a second out pitch, and his combination of stuff, command, and a sturdy 6'4" frame could help him move relatively quickly through the minors. While his stuff isn't quite explosive enough to warrant a potential top of the rotation projection, he's a good bet to become a mid-rotation guy in the near future.

3-100: RHP Trystan Vrieling, Gonzaga. My rank: #102.
Slot value: $611,400. Signing bonus: $611,400.
Gonzaga had a loaded pitching staff that featured Gabriel Hughes (now with the Rockies) and William Kepmner (Giants) as their two most famous names entering the season, but Vrieling made it a true three headed monster with a big junior season. He finished the year with a 4.91 ERA and a 107/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 80.2 innings, but he was much stronger early in the season (3.16 ERA, 79/25 K/BB through nine starts) before tiring later in the season (9.13 ERA, 28/21 K/BB over his final six starts). At his best, Vrieling features above average command of a very solid four pitch arsenal, looking like a potential #3 starter. His fastball sits in the low to mid 90's and tops out at 97 with steep plane and some riding life, while his curveball, slider, and changeup all flash above average. When he's going right, he can locate even the offspeed pitches well to both sides of the plate, making for a complete profile. However, his command deteriorated as he tired later in the season and he was hit hard, leaving him as a bit of an enigma. The 6'4" righty will need to build up his durability in the Yankees system and get more consistent with everything, and he's certainly in the right system to do so.

4-130: OF Anthony Hall, Oregon. My rank: #120.
Slot value: $456,500. Signing bonus: $456,500.
Anthony Hall is not a terribly dissimilar player to Spencer Jones, albeit with a half grade off the tools across the board. Also a San Diego-area product like Jones, he showed well in the Cape Cod League (.283/.382/.481, 4 HR) before breaking out this year at Oregon, where he slashed .333/.402/.640 with 14 home runs and a 43/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games. Big and strong at 6'2", Hall can really put a charge into the ball with a leveraged, smooth left handed swing. He previously had trouble tapping that power in games as he didn't always swing at the best pitches, but he's progressively gotten more disciplined in the box and controls the strike zone much better now. That led to him increasing his isolated power (SLG minus AVG) from .184 last year to .307 this year while simultaneously dropping his strikeout rate from 21.7% to 16.6%. It's still a power over hit profile, but certainly a much more balanced one. Hall is a decent runner that can hold his own in a corner outfield spot, but he won't be a value add out there and it will be the bat that carries him up. At best, he profiles for 20-25 home runs a year with average on-base percentages, providing some nice upside for a guy whose floor is that of a platoon/bench bat with pop.

5-160: RHP Eric Reyzelman, Louisiana State. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $340,700. Signing bonus: $340,700.
Eric Reyzelman has some of the loudest stuff in the Yankees draft class at his best. A San Francisco transfer, he pitched well on the Cape (2.93 ERA, 38/8 K/BB in 27.2 IP) before landing at LSU this spring, where he put up a 4.04 ERA and a 66/18 strikeout to walk ratio over 42.1 innings out of the bullpen. He loves to attack hitters with his fastball, which is easily his best pitch for now sitting in the mid 90's and touching 99 in short stints. It has a ton of riding and running life on it as well, making it very tough to square up. He has a cutter, slider, curveball, and changeup all in his pocket, but he usually leaves them there and sticks with the old #1 as he's much more confident in that fastball. The slider stands out as perhaps his best secondary with good shape, though he does need to sharpen it up. The 6'2" righty is a very good athlete that moves well on the mound with an athletic delivery, and the arm strength is clearly already there. The Yankees' player development system will need to help him choose a couple secondaries to focus on and also get more consistent with his command, and if they can, he has a sneaky chance to start. If not, he can just lean on the slider and watch his fastball approach triple digits, which I'm sure the Yankees would not mind. The San Francisco Bay Area native is a really fun ball of clay and it will be interesting to see what he looks like in a few years.

6-190: RHP Chase Hampton, Texas Tech. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $264,000. Signing bonus: $497,500 ($233,500 above slot value).
The Yankees lone over slot bonus of the first ten rounds is Chase Hampton, a big righty out of Texas Tech. He was well known as a high school senior but went undrafted in the five round 2020 draft, so he headed across the state to Lubbock and has shown flashes of big potential. As a draft eligible sophomore this year, Hampton put up a 4.29 ERA and a 72/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 56.2 innings as the Red Raiders Sunday starter, finishing off the season with a twelve strikeout performance against Notre Dame at the Statesboro Regional. This seems like the kind of profile that could have gone back to school for his junior season and put it all together, which is why the Yankees bought in early with a large over slot bonus for a guy who went unranked on the MLB Pipeline top 250 and came in at #291 on the Baseball America 500 and #548 on Prospects Live. The fastball sits in the low to mid 90's but can touch the upper 90's early in his starts, showing nice riding action on the pitch. He mixes in a curveball, slider, and changeup, all of which flash potential and give the Yankees a lot to work with. Big and strong at 6'2", 225 pounds, the East Texas product has calmed down his delivery a bit since his high school days in Kilgore and has a chance to start if the Yankees are patient and get it right. He still needs to get more consistent with his secondaries and command but he's very young and brings a lot to the table. The profile is actually fairly similar to Eric Reyzelman above him, except that Hampton is much more physical (35 pounds heavier at the same height) and trusts his secondaries more while Reyzelman is thinner and more athletic with a little extra hop to his fastball at the same velocities.

7-220: RHP Cam Schlittler, Northeastern. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: $207,500. Signing bonus: $205,000 ($2,500 below slot value).
This is a big, strong pitcher that will be fun for the Yankees player development system to work with. Cam Schlittler had a nice season in the Northeastern rotation, where he out-pitched the more well known Sebastian Keane (also a Yankee draft pick) to the tune of a 3.53 ERA and an 85/32 strikeout to walk ratio over 91.2 innings. He's a huge guy listed at 6'6", and honestly he looks even taller standing up on that mound. The fastball sits in the low 90's but he can touch the mid to upper 90's when he reaches back, coming in with steep downhill plane albeit without much life. He shows great feel to spin the ball, with a sweepy slider flashing above average with great shape and a softer curveball looking average with more top to bottom movement. As with the two arms drafted before him, he does need to get more consistent with those secondaries and his command, but I think he'll get there. Schlittler is not a great athlete, relying more on his height than his lower body to get downhill towards the plate, though he does not throw with much effort and could start in pro ball. Perhaps toughest for some Yankees fans to get over will be the fact that he grew up in Walpole in the shadows of Gillette Stadium and less than twenty miles from Boston, so he's a New Englander through and through.

12-370: RHP Jackson Fristoe, Mississippi State. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $272,500 ($147,500 against bonus pool).
Jackson Fristoe seemed like a good candidate to go back to school after a tough sophomore season, but the Yankees picked him up for a large day three bonus to see what they could make of him. After a solid freshman season at Mississippi State, Fristoe regressed in 2022 and posted a 7.71 ERA and a 48/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 37.1 innings for a Bulldogs team that fell far short of expectations. He has a premium body at 6'4" and moves very well on the mound, with a low to mid 90's fastball that can touch higher with life. He throws a sharp cutter/slider in the upper 80's that could be a true weapon if he gets more consistent with it, and also flashes a less used changeup that's effective when it's on. His command is presently below average and the Yankees will need to help streamline his long arms and legs into a more consistent delivery, but the pieces are certainly there to build on. It's a relief profile for now, but you never know. Though the western Kentucky native is eligible as a true sophomore, he's a full year older than his graduating class and already turned 21 in March.

14-430: RHP Kris Bow, Southern Nevada JC. My rank: unranked.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $125,000.
Kris Bow has been one of the more interesting JUCO arms on the west coast for a few years now, and he finally put it all together with a great 2022 season in which he posted a 2.16 ERA and a 64/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 41.2 innings for the College of Southern Nevada. He has a low to mid 90's fastball with some riding life from a low release point, as well as a full arsenal of secondaries led by an above average slider. He has a very sturdy 6'4" frame and should be durable, but hasn't started on a consistent basis at CSN and he'll have to prove his stuff can hold up over longer periods of time. Still, he has a combination of size, arm strength, secondaries, and command that is difficult to find on day three of the draft, so he could be lightning in a bottle for New York. He just finished his third year at Southern Nevada after previously committing to transfer to Arizona, so he'll turn 22 early in the offseason.

18-550: RHP Sebastian Keane, Northeastern. My rank: #220.
Slot value: up to $125,000. Signing bonus: $125,000.
Sebastian Keane was one of the more famous recruits to ever reach campus at Northeastern, coming into Boston having spurned top five round interest out of his northern Massachusetts high school. He's been up and down for the Huskies, but unfortunately 2022 was more of a "down" and he finished with a 5.99 ERA and a 50/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 70.2 innings. Now he'll join rotation mate Cam Schlittler in the Yankees system, and they'll work to get him on track. Keane is a great athlete with a low 90's fastball that gets up to 96, while adding a slider that flashes plus at its best in addition to a less used curveball and changeup. The stuff can be extremely inconsistent, with his slider losing snap and his fastball sitting closer to 90 at times, and in 2022 he really struggled to miss bats. His 15.0% strikeout rate this year was by far the lowest on my list, a product of leaving too many pitches over the plate and that regression in his stuff. Still, he doesn't walk too many hitters and has shown flashes of dominance, such as in the Cape Cod League last summer, and has the athleticism and premium stuff at peak to become an impact arm. He's just really far away from that right now and trending in the wrong direction, which is why he's being drafted here in the eighteenth round and not thirteen to fourteen rounds higher like he was projected at his best. And one last piece of good news for Yankee fans – though he grew up in Massachusetts and went to college in Boston, Keane did grow up a Yankees fan, so he's not crossing rivalry lines here.

2021 MLB Draft Review: New York Yankees

Full list of draftees

The Yankees have recently shifted their drafting philosophy from toolsy athletes to players with strong work ethics and high baseball IQ's, and judging by the success of guys like Anthony Volpe, Ken Waldichuk, and Josh Smith (traded to the Rangers at the deadline), among others, it seems to be working. The Bombers continued that philosophy in 2021, and they're hoping to get another strong draft class out of it that outperforms expectations. They only made one big over slot signing in third rounder Brock Selvidge, instead spreading slight under slots (for the most part) to their other day one and two picks. Still, they came away with a strong class and I think I'm most interested in first rounder Trey Sweeney as my favorite pick, especially considering they got him below slot.
Full index of team reviews here. Full rankings here.

1-20: SS Trey Sweeney, Eastern Illinois. My rank: #16.
Trey Sweeney was a late riser in 2021, just mashing his way into the first round against a weaker schedule. He ranked back to back with #5 overall pick Colton Cowser in my rankings, because honestly I saw a lot of similarities in their games and you could make a very strong argument that Sweeney is actually the better player. He burst onto the scene this year with a ridiculous .382/.522/.712 slash line, 14 home runs, and an exceptional 24/46 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 games against a weaker schedule in a hitter-friendly conference, but those numbers are not a mirage. Sweeney picked up two hits against the man drafted immediately behind him, Cubs first rounder Jordan Wicks, and finished that series against a strong Kansas State pitching staff 5-13 with a home run and just one strikeout. The Louisville native simply shows exceptional plate discipline everywhere he goes, to the point where the Yankees are comfortable that it will translate to the much better pitching he'll face in pro ball. There's above average raw power in there as well, as he's posted high exit velocities on his plethora of line drives and home runs this year. It's a bit of a loud setup with some bat waggle, a big leg kick, and a slight hitch in his left handed swing, but still he struck out in just 10.6% of his plate appearances this year and swing and miss should not be an issue. Opinions are split on his defense, with proponents seeing his strong arm and just enough glove to stick at shortstop and detractors seeing a lack of speed better fit for third base. Given the presence of Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza in this system, plus the fact that the Yankees are rumored to be interested in a long term deal for Corey Seager or Trevor Story this offseason, might push him to third anyways. Regardless, I really like the upside here and Sweeney has a chance to produce 20+ home runs annually with high on-base percentages in New York. He signed for $3 million (about $240,000 below slot) and has homered and walked once each in four plate appearances in the FCL.

2-55: RHP Brendan Beck, Stanford. #91.
Brendan Beck was another late riser this spring, and honestly I wish I pushed him up my board a little further before the draft came around. The younger brother of Giants prospect Tristan Beck, Brendan was eligible last year but was thought of more as a sixth to tenth round arm and went unselected in the shortened draft, then raised his stock this spring with a 3.15 ERA and a 143/26 strikeout to walk ratio over 108.2 innings. Perhaps his signature moment came in Stanford's super regional opener on June 11th, when the temperature hit 106 degrees in Lubbock (something the Bay Area kids are likely not used to at all) and he decided to choose the black jerseys because "it was going to be Texas Tech's funeral." Indeed it was, as Beck struck out thirteen Red Raiders and the Cardinal won the game 15-3. I really respect that move not only because it sounds badass, but because it speaks to a deeper level of competitiveness. It is not easy for anybody to travel out to the West Texas flatlands, which are about as different from Palo Alto as it can possibly get, then play the #8 national seed on their home turf in sweltering heat. Rather than try to make the best of it by wearing white, which would have been a perfectly respectable choice, I love that he leaned into the challenge and basically said "screw it, let's go to war and just wear black." Anyways, onto Beck's stuff, which ticked up late in the season. The southern California native now sits in the low 90's with his fastball and has been touching 95-96, adding an above average curveball and a distinct, average slider. The changeup is currently his fourth pitch, but with his aptitude for pitching, he should be able to deploy it as a solid option in the big leagues. Beck goes right after hitters and pounds the strike zone, showing above average command and pitch execution that makes everything play up. The 6'2" righty has also proven extremely durable, throwing nearly 300 innings in his Stanford career (with a 3.11 ERA no less) and getting better and better throughout. While there's likely not a #1 or #2 ceiling here, he strikes me as a high probability big leaguer who will almost certainly earn MLB innings in some capacity, something that is hard to say for most players picked outside the top fifty picks. The ceiling is that of a #3 or #4 starter, and I think he'll move quickly once turned loose in the minors (though that could come relatively slowly as he shouldered a heavy load in Palo Alto this year). He signed for $1.05 million, which was about $260,000 below slot value, despite being set to turn 23 after the season.

3-92: LHP Brock Selvidge, Hamilton HS [AZ]. My rank: #156.
This was the big over slot pick, so while Trey Sweeney had the biggest bonus in the first round, there will be a lot of pressure to get this one right. Brock Selvidge was one of the best arms in the West over the summer last year, showing a projectable frame and the potential for two plus pitches, but he struggled in the spring and tumbled down draft boards. He was likely bound for LSU until an exceptional showing at the MLB Draft Combine in June reversed his fortunes, and the Yankees gave him as much money as he might have expected had the draft been before that rough spring. Selvidge is a 6'3" lefty with plenty of projection in his athletic frame, and his fastball touches 95-96 with high spin rates when he's at his best. There's a slider that was above average last summer, fringy this spring, and back to above average at the combine, and additional refinement with pro coaching could make it a plus pitch. He throws a curveball and a changeup at times, with the changeup flashing average and the curve looking like a distant fourth pitch. His delivery has gone through many iterations; last summer, it looked like he was jerking his way through it at times even when his stuff was at its best, leading to fringy command. This spring, he was throwing with more effort overall, pushing his command down another half grade. Then at the combine, he showed a smoother delivery than even last summer, and he filled up the strike zone consistently. The Yankees will have their work cut out for them to bring the best version of Brock Selvidge, but they've had a lot of success developing prospects lately so they're pretty confident in their ability to do so. The Phoenix-area native signed away from that LSU commitment for $1.5 million, which was $862,400 above slot value.

4-122: 2B Cooper Bowman, Louisville. My rank: #234.
This is another safe-bet money saver. Cooper Bowman began his career at Iowa Western JC, one of the top JUCO's in the region, before transferring over to Louisville this year. While many Cardinals had down seasons, Bowman was one of their steadier players, slashing .293/.387/.455 with eight home runs, twenty stolen bases, and a 32/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 games. The Rapid City native is looking to become what I believe would be the only active major leaguer from South Dakota (Sean Doolittle was born in Rapid City as well but grew up in New Jersey), and he should be able to move towards that relatively quickly. He shows strong plate discipline and held a strong 14.3% strikeout rate against a tough schedule this year, with moderate gap power that will keep pitchers honest in pro ball. He's a plus runner that can make things happen on the bases, and his potential to produce relatively high on-base percentages should enable him to make the most of that speed. Bowman doesn't quite have the arm for shortstop but should be a solid second baseman, and overall it's a utility infielder outlook. He signed for $353,000, which was $116,000 below slot value, then got off to a hot start in the FCL with four hits (including a home run) in eight at bats.

5-153: 1B Tyler Hardman, Oklahoma. Unranked.
In the fifth round, the Yankees picked up arguably the best hitter in the Big 12 this year. After never hitting more than six home runs or batting above .306 in any of his previous three seasons at Oklahoma, Tyler Hardman busted out for a .397/.481/.661 slash line, twelve home runs, and a 59/34 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. The southern California native, who actually grew up in the same hometown (Corona) as second rounder Brendan Beck, shows big raw power from the right side that he gets to consistently in games, and in 2021 he also showed the ability to handle advanced Big 12 pitching consistently. It's a patient approach for the 6'3" slugger that leads to a slightly elevated strikeout rate (22.5% this year), but he draws his walks (13%), and he fits right in with the right handed power bats Yankees fans have come to know for better or for worse. Hardman is limited to first base defensively even as his defense has gotten better there, so all of his value will be tied to his bat. He's a bit older given that he turned 22 in January, but he has enough thump in his bat to potentially profile as a regular at first base or if not, a strong platoon option. Hardman signed for $200,000, which was $146,800 below slot value, and has two doubles in five at bats so far in the FCL.

6-183: RHP Richard Fitts, Auburn. My rank: #139.
Richard Fitts has been perhaps one of the most difficult players in this draft cycle to get a read on. A day two prospect coming into his junior season, he was electric in fall practice and showed three above average or better pitches while pounding the strike zone with all of them. Had the draft been over the winter, he may not have even been available when the Yankees picked in the first round. It turned out to be a nightmare spring, however, and he finished with a 5.88 ERA and a 41/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 41.1 innings, even losing his rotation spot some weeks as he battled a foot injury. He did seem to find his groove a bit in May, where he went six and eight innings while allowing just one hit apiece against LSU and Missouri in two of his final three starts, though that was sandwiched around a rough start against Texas A&M. When the Birmingham-area native is at his best, he attacks hitters with a low to mid 90's fastball, an above average downer slider, and an above average splitter, all while pounding the strike zone and controlling at bats. This spring, though, both of his offspeed pitches lost their bite, and hitters could sit on his fastball and crush it when he left them over the plate. The 6'3" righty has a durable frame and is relatively new to starting, so the Yankees likely think this was more of a hiccup than anything else and would love to get him into their development system. There's huge upside to be had here if things do work out, but you're also looking at a 21 and a half year old who really only has a few good starts on his resume spread out between fall practice and the end of his spring season. Fitts signed for $346,800 ($80,800 above slot value), marking the Yankees only other above slot pick on day two besides Brock Selvidge.

10-303: SS Benjamin Cowles, Maryland. Unranked.
I like to highlight hometown picks in these reviews, and tenth rounder Benjamin Cowles somewhat gives me a chance to do that. Cowles grew up in Newark, but not the one across the Hudson – he's an upstater from Newark, New York, which is a small town between Syracuse and Rochester. Cowles headed south to Maryland for school, where he's gotten better and better every year. After slashing .200/.317/.314 as a freshman, he improved to .241/.364/.463 as a sophomore then broke out in 2021, slashing .287/.409/.632 with 18 home runs and a 57/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 48 games. He draws his power from a quick, clean uppercut from the right side, using his 6'1" frame to put great loft on the ball and tap his average raw power very consistently in games. There's a bit of bat wrap and uppercuts often lead to some swing and miss, and he did strike out in 26% of his plate appearances this year. You're usually projecting infielders as utility guys at this point in the draft, but Cowles' ability to tap his power gives him the ceiling of an everyday guy. He signed for $140,000, which was $4,100 below slot value, and has singled, tripled, and walked in seven trips to the plate in the FCL.

11-333: RHP Jack Neely, Ohio State. Unranked.
With their first pick on day three, the Yankees took a flier on Jack Neely, a flame throwing right hander who has bounced around quite a bit. He began his career at Texas, but walked 14 batters in 9.2 innings and allowed eighteen runs. Transferring to Iowa Western JC (where he played with fourth rounder Cooper Bowman), he was dominant in a small sample, then held his own in a larger sample at Ohio State this year with a 6.10 ERA and a 62/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 41.1 innings. The massive 6'8" righty saw a velocity bump this spring and now sits comfortably in the mid 90's and even hit triple digits with his fastball. His offspeed stuff is fringy but the slider took a step forward this year, looking like at least an average pitch, while his curveball and changeup remain below average. His command has improved from non-playable to simply below average, which given his velocity and the step forward with his slider, you'll take. There is still a lot of work to be done and the San Antonio native still probably projects as a reliever, but the Yankees are buying the size and arm strength hoping for something more. Neely signed for $150,000, of which $25,000 counts against the bonus pool.

13-393: RHP Zach Messinger, Virginia. Unranked.
The Yankees biggest bonus of day three went to Virginia righty Zach Messinger, who couldn't quite crack the Cavalier rotation on a regular basis but showed well when he was on. He finished the season with a 4.89 ERA and a 64/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 57 innings, including a ten strikeout relief performance against VCU on April 20th. The 6'6" righty has plenty of arm strength and can get into the mid 90's in relief, adding an above average slider as well as a fringier curve and changeup, not unlike Jack Neely. He shows close to average command and if he can refine either the curve or changeup a little bit more, he does have the build and delivery to start. The Yankees have been very good about finding diamonds in the rough lately and Messinger seems like he could be one. The Evansville, Indiana-area native signed for $225,000, of which $100,000 counts against the bonus pool.

15-453: RHP Danny Watson, Virginia Commonwealth. Unranked.
I want to get another semi-hometown pick in. Danny Watson may be at VCU, but he grew up in the upstate town of Nassau, New York (not to be confused with Nassau County) and attended Columbia High School across the river from Albany. This year in Richmond, he posted a 4.06 ERA and a 55/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 44.1 innings out of a swingman role. He brings a really unique look to hitters as a massive 6'7" righty with a very low three quarters, nearly sidearm slot. That creates an extremely tough look on his fastball, which has ticked up into the mid 90's in relief, and his slider looks like a weapon in pro ball as well. He hasn't always been consistent though and his fringe-average command will likely keep him in the bullpen going forward, but if developed right, he could be a late inning weapon. Mason McRae, who in my opinion is one of the best evaluators out there and got plenty of looks at him attending VCU, does have a stern warning not to develop him as a sinkerballer, which he believes would be "catastrophic." Watson signed for $125,000.

17-513: OF Grant Richardson, Indiana. Unranked.
Grant Richardson hit a respectable .264/.335/.491 as a freshman in 2019, then got off to a scorching start with a .424/.453/.797 line in a brief 14 game stint in 2020. He earned looks at the back of the shortened draft, but returned to Indiana and hit .320/.397/.517 with seven home runs and a 35/17 strikeout to walk ratio over 44 games this year. Richardson may remind some of a left handed Matt Gorski, who was a second round pick of the Pirates in 2019 out of Indiana, standing out for his athleticism in addition to his performance. The Indianapolis-area native is a plus runner who can impact games on both sides of the ball, and he has a knack for finding the barrel that has held up over longer stints in Big Ten play. With a chance for average power and contact to go along with that plus run tool, I'm a bit surprised he lasted this long, though he is somewhat raw for a player who turned 22 on day three of the draft. Richardson does have to refine his plate discipline a little, as he's very aggressive and has a tendency to chase, though that aggressiveness did not hurt his production in college ball at all. It's a similar story in the outfield, where he has the wheels and arm to stick in center, but he needs to refine his reads and routes. This is a fourth outfielder profile on the surface but I think he has what it takes to play full time one day. He signed for $125,000 and has singled and walked in six trips to the plate in the FCL.

2020 Prospect Depth Chart: New York Yankees

As has been the case for a few years, the Yankees' system is much deeper in pitching than in hitting. They have starting and relief pitching prospects up and down the system, especially from their successful work in the international market, and guys like Deivi Garcia, Luis Gil, Miguel Yajure, Clarke Schmidt, Roansy Contreras, and Alexander Vizcaino all see their stock rapidly on the rise. They've worked hard to try to develop some hitting, though guys like Estevan Florial, Anthony Seigler, Everson Pereira, and Anthony Garcia saw their progress stall a bit in 2019. Fortunately, they did get a breakout from Canaan Smith, and I also see Oswald Peraza as a sleeper, so there are at least a few interesting bats out there. Oh yeah, and we're all on the edge of our seats to see what superstar international signee Jasson Dominguez can do.

Affiliates: AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre RailRiders, AA Trenton Thunder, High A Tampa Tarpons, Class A Charleston RiverDogs, short season Staten Island Yankees, rookie level Pulaski Yankees, complex level GCL and DSL Yankees

Catcher
- Josh Breaux (2020 Age: 22): The second of back to back catchers selected by the Yankees in the 2018 draft, Breaux went to in the second round out of McLennan Community College in Texas. He hit well in his first full season in 2019, slashing .271/.324/.518 with 13 home runs and a 59/15 strikeout to walk ratio over 51 games at Class A Charleston, though he missed a big chunk of the season with an elbow injury. He comes with both big power and big swing and miss, though fortunately the strikeouts weren't an issue this year and the power played up. The higher levels will still be a test for his bat, but I think he's hit his way into being a legitimate prospect. Now defensively, he's still got some work to do, as he's talented but he remains erratic behind the plate. If he has to move to first base, his bat could still profile in a reserve role, but he probably has to figure out a way to stick as a catcher if he wants to start.
- Anthony Seigler (2020 Age: 20-21): Seigler is still the better prospect to Breaux, but while Breaux's 2019 was a step in the right direction, Seigler's very much was not. After being drafted in the first round out of Cartersville High School outside Atlanta, where he was the second best athlete in his graduating class behind Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, Seigler slashed just .175/.328/.206 with a 28/20 strikeout to walk ratio over 30 games at Class A Charleston before taking a fastball off his knee, ending his season in July. He's combines great athleticism with advanced feel for the game, and even as he struggled to make quality contact in his 30 games with Charleston, he showed good knowledge of the strike zone for a 20 year old in Class A. High school catchers are risky, and Seigler might take longer to develop than originally expected, but with his athleticism and feel for the barrel, he could still be a starting catcher with high on-base percentages and 10-15 home runs per season if he gets it figured out. His defense is far superior to Breaux's and he should be above average back there.
- Keep an eye on: Antonio Gomez

Corner Infield
- Chris Gittens (2020 Age: 26): The Yankees are really shallow at first and third base, so a guy like Chris Gittens stands out after a huge 2019 where he slashed .281/.393/.500 with 23 home runs and a 139/71 strikeout to walk ratio over 115 games at AA Trenton. He has plenty of power in his 6'4" frame, which he got to consistently in 2019 in part because he's willing to wait to get a good pitch to drive. That patient approach comes with a lot of strikeouts, and he probably won't ever hit enough to start every day in the majors, but he did smoke left handed pitchers to a .313/.442/.634 line, 13 home runs, and a 40/30 strikeout to walk ratio in 2019 (versus .265/.367/.432 against righties). With that skill, he could be able to carve out a platoon role as a right handed power hitting 1B/DH against left handed pitchers.
- Mickey Gasper (2020 Age: 24): Gasper is another guy who sticks out because of the lack of corner infield depth in this system. A 27th round pick out of Bryant in 2018, he hit .251/.356/.393 with ten home runs and a 79/51 strikeout to walk ratio over 107 games at Class A Charleston and High A Tampa in 2019. He actually hit better after his promotion, jumping from .233/.347/.375 to .321/.393/.462. He has a very strong feel for the strike zone and is able to recognize strikes from balls as well as anyone in the system, and that helps his otherwise average offensive tools play up. He doesn't hit for enough power to ever start regularly at first base, but as a switch hitter whose skills should play up at the higher levels, he could be a useful bench bat down the line.
- Keep an eye on: Mandy Alvarez, Spencer Henson

Middle Infield
- Hoy Jun Park (2020 Age: 24): Most of the Yankees' middle infield talent is lower down in the minors, so Park (along with Kyle Holder) stands out in the upper levels. Signed for $1 million out of South Korea way back in 2014, Park has lost some of his prospect luster after his bat failed to really materialize, but he still has a shot at being a utility infielder in the near future. Park in 2019 slashed .272/.363/.370 with three home runs, 20 stolen bases, and a 91/57 strikeout to walk ratio over 113 games at AA Trenton, showing good plate discipline with a scrappy approach at the plate. He shows good speed and defense at shortstop, which at this point will be his ticket to the major leagues, though he projects to be a bit of a light hitter who might post solid on-base percentages but not much power.
- Josh Smith (2020 Age: 22-23): Smith was a second round pick out of LSU in 2019, and his strong pro debut saw him slash .324/.450/.477 with three home runs, six stolen bases, and a 17/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 33 games at short season Staten Island. Smith actually posted similar numbers in Baton Rouge, and I expected them to take a slight hit once he switched to wood bats/pro pitching, but at least for his first 33 games, that hasn't been the case. Though he has a line drive swing, he has great feel for the barrel and hits the ball hard all over the park, and he showed more patience than expected in his pro debut, which could impact his stock in a real way if he maintains that next year. Currently a shortstop, he probably fits better over at second base, but he could be a really valuable utility infielder who can post high on-base percentages with decent pop or even a starter if he does indeed build off his success so far.
-  Oswald Peraza (2020 Age: 19-20): Peraza is a real sleeper prospect, one who doesn't have loud tools but who has a real shot to be not just a utility man, but a potential starter for the Yankees down the road. The Venezuelan product had a small breakout in 2019, slashing .263/.332/.340 with four home runs, 23 stolen bases, and a 37/21 strikeout to walk ratio over 65 games at short season Staten Island and Class A Charleston, and like Mickey Gasper, he actually hit better after the promotion (.273/.348/.333) than before it (.241/.294/.354). Just 19 years old, Peraza has a very quick bat and excellent feel for putting the ball in play, as he struck out in just 12.6% of his plate appearances this year. He hasn't quite hit for a ton of impact yet, and that for now projects him as a slick fielding utility infielder, but I think he may be able to unlock some moderate power and hit about ten home runs per season with high on-base percentages and good speed, which could mean starting shortstop if things break right for him. He turns 20 in June, by which time he could already be established at High A.
- Anthony Volpe (2020 Age: 19): A local product out of the Delbarton School in Morristown, New Jersey, Volpe was one of the more interesting players in this year's draft class. None of his tools stand out, but he endeared himself to scouts with his exceptionally scrappy playing style, his excellent work ethic, and his leadership qualities, combined with the ability to just play baseball. Despite a strong commitment to Vanderbilt, the Yankees wooed him away from Nashville at the end of the first round and sent him to the Appalachian League. His pro debut by the numbers was fairly underwhelming, as he slashed .215/.349/.355 with two home runs, six stolen bases, and a 38/23 strikeout to walk ratio over 34 games at rookie level Pulaski, but that was a moderately aggressive assignment anyways for a high schooler. Though he lacks much over the fence power and probably won't ever develop too much, he can work counts and barrel the ball up well for someone his age and he plays good infield defense, maybe not good enough for shortstop full time, but enough to be above average at second base.
- Keep an eye on: Kyle Holder, Oswaldo Cabrera, Alexander Vargas

Outfield
- Estevan Florial (2020 Age: 22): Florial might be the best athlete in the system, as he's blessed with physical tools that help him on both sides of the ball. However, injuries have slowed his development somewhat, and in 2019 he slashed .237/.297/.383 with eight home runs, nine stolen bases, and a 98/24 strikeout to walk ratio over 74 games at High A Tampa after returning from a broken wrist. Florial is an explosive hitter, one who can generate impressive batting practice displays and get the ball traveling when he barrels one up. However, his feel for the barrel is somewhat lacking, and on top of relatively high (albeit not overly concerning) strikeout rates, he hasn't been able to get to his power as often as perhaps he'd like. He'll play all of 2020 at 22 years old, which is still young for a player ready to take on the upper minors, but my guess is he'll require a full, healthy season at AA in order to figure himself out as a hitter. Fortunately, his physical tools play up elsewhere, as he's one of the best runners in the system capable of stealing 20 or more bases a year, and he's excellent in center field both with his range and his arm. That buys the bat time, and if it breaks right, he could hit 25-30 home runs per season with middling on-base percentages and great defense, an All Star ceiling, though there's a good chance he ends up more of a 15-20 homer guy with lower OBP's.
- Canaan Smith (2020 Age: 21): A fourth round pick out of a Dallas-area high school in Heath, Texas in 2017, Canaan Smith hit well in his pro debut (.289/.430/.422) in 2017 before slumping in his first full season in 2018 (.191/.281/.316). He was expected to take a little extra time to develop, and in 2019 he began to tap into his potential, slashing .307/.405/.465 with eleven home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 108/74 strikeout to walk ratio over 124 games at Class A Charleston. He initially struggled to make contact in the minors in part due to a lot of excess hand movement that delayed his bat getting to where it needed to go. In 2019, his hands looked noticeably quieter, and that enabled him to get his barrel into the zone much quicker and begin to use his leveraged swing and natural power to do damage. He also drew a lot of walks and kept his strikeouts reasonably down, and as he develops further, he could hit 20+ home runs per season with good on-base percentages. With his thicker build, he's not the best runner, but he has a strong arm and profiles well in right field.
- Jasson Dominguez (2020 Age: 17): Still just 16 years old, Dominguez has already been talked about as one of the greatest international prospects ever. He signed out of the Dominican Republic for $5.1 million on the basis of what can only be described as all-around exceptional play. He's only 5'10" but he has a ton of raw power, can get to it easily with great feel for hitting, and he's an exceptional athlete with big time speed and defense. Of course, I've never actually seen him play and all I have to go off of are a few Youtube videos and people's word, so I can say this; Dominguez looks like the real deal. His explosive athleticism enables him to do everything at a high level on the baseball field, and with ease. Now I also have to say this; Dominguez is far from a guarantee. I've seen this kind of praise heaped on a young teenager three before. 2010 first overall pick Bryce Harper signed a $330 million contract, 2015 international signee Yoan Moncada has established himself as a big league regular, and 2016 international signee Kevin Maitan is currently toiling away in the Angels system and it's pretty clear that he Maitan the player he was projected to be. Harper and Maitan represent two different extremes from the same starting point, and it goes to show that 16 and 17 year olds can never be sure things. That said, I'm really excited to see what Dominguez can do in 2020, where he'll play the whole season at 17 years old and he'll likely break into the complex level Gulf Coast League if not up to the rookie level Appalachian League, and his ceiling is that of an MVP.
- Jake Sanford (2020 Age: 22): Sanford came out of absolute nowhere, as he wasn't even recruited to play college baseball and ended up at tiny McCook Community College in Nebraska before managing to land a spot at Western Kentucky, where he promptly blossomed into one of the best hitters in the country and a third round pick of the New York Yankees. The Nova Scotia native did so by slashing a ridiculous .398/.483/.805 with 22 home runs in 56 games for the Hilltoppers, then after he was drafted, he hit .238/.289/.411 with eight home runs and an 81/14 strikeout to walk ratio over 60 games at short season Staten Island. Two things were immediately clear about Sanford in his debut; he has a ton of raw pop, which is evident in his batting practice displays as well as in games, and his plate discipline needs a lot of work. Sanford might not develop as quickly as the typical college bat, probably spending 2019 in Class A, but he does have plenty of upside and likely settles in as a power hitting fourth outfielder or platoon bat down the road.
- Everson Pereira (2020 Age: 19): The bad news is that 2019 was a lost season for Pereira, as he slashed just .171/.216/.257 with one home run and a 26/4 strikeout to walk ratio over 18 games at short season Staten Island before hurting his ankle and missing the rest of the season. The good news is that he doesn't turn 19 until April, so he has plenty of time to make up for it. The first thing that sticks out to him is his feel for the game, as he already has a great understanding of the strike zone for his age and was already showing the ability to drive the ball to the gaps against older competition in 2018. He's also a natural defender in center field, one who should be able to stick there with his speed. At this point, he projects best as a contact hitting center fielder with a good approach, though at 18 years old he has a lot of time to develop into a number of different directions.
- Ryder Green (2020 Age: 19-20): Green was the Yankees' third round pick out of a Knoxville high school in 2018, and he spent his first full pro season slashing .262/.343/.444 with eight home runs and a 67/25 strikeout to walk ratio over 61 games at rookie level Pulaski. Green is a bit raw as a hitter, and that's why he was held back in the Appalachian League for his first full season, but there is clear raw power from his quick left handed bat and natural strength. His swing mechanics can be inconsistent, but at his best, he can have a much shorter swing than many other young power hitters, and getting more consistent with that swing should be the breakthrough that enables him to start to rise through the minors as a power hitting right fielder. Green, at best, projects for 25-30 home runs per season and decent on-base percentages, of course with a lot of risk and a greater likelihood of becoming a fourth outfielder.
- Antonio Cabello (2020 Age: 19): Cabello signed for $1.35 million out of Venezuela back in 2017, then hit .321/.426/.555 as a 17 year old in the complex level Gulf Coast League in 2018 to put himself firmly on the prospect map. 2019 wasn't quite as successful, as he dropped to .211/.280/.330 with three home runs and a 77/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 56 games at rookie level Pulaski. He's a bit undersized at 5'10", but his explosive athleticism from the right side of the plate helps him drive the ball consistently while his good feel for the barrel helps him get to it. However, his swing does have some holes, and Appalachian League pitching found those holes in his 18 year old swing and that suppressed his production. He still has a high ceiling as an all-around, potential five tool guy, but he'll need to put in some work to get his swing in sync. He'll play all of 2020 at 19 years old with the chance to hit his way up to full season ball.
- Kevin Alcantara (2020 Age: 17-18): Alcantara won't turn 18 until July, and he has one of the highest ceilings in this system for players not named Dominguez. Signed for $1 million out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, he was the youngest player in all of Minor League Baseball outside of the Dominican Summer League in 2019, and he slashed .255/.305/.360 with a home run and a 36/8 strikeout to walk ratio over 41 games in the DSL and in the Gulf Coast League. He has a very aggressive approach at the plate and was a bit overmatched in the GCL (.260/.289/.358, 27/3 K/BB), which is natural when you get there a few weeks before your 17th birthday, but the potential is clear. He stands 6'6" and has an explosive swing that could produce plus power once he fills out, and he moves well for his size, enabling him to play good outfield defense. Alcantara has a ceiling you can dream on, but since he's only 17 and a half years old, I won't speculate on any numbers.
- Keep an eye on: Trey Amburgey, Isaiah Gilliam, Brandon Lockridge, Josh Stowers, Anthony Garcia

Starting Pitching
- Deivi Garcia (2020 Age: 20-21): After signing for $200,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Garcia has built his stock every year until now becoming the top pitching prospect in the Yankees system, if not the best prospect in the system overall. A year after he posted a 2.55 ERA and a 105/20 strikeout to walk ratio over across three levels in 2018, he came back with another solid 2019, posting a 4.28 ERA, a 1.35 WHIP, and a 165/54 strikeout to walk ratio over 111.1 innings at High A Tampa, AA Trenton, and AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre. He stands just 5'9", but he sits easily in the low to mid 90's with his fastball and can touch 97-98, and he gets good movement on it to. His best pitch is his curveball, a true knee-buckler that will be an out pitch in the majors, and he adds a rapidly improving changeup that now features nice drop to the arm side. Additionally, he's very young, only turning 21 in May, yet he already has great feel for pitching and his command is advanced for his age. He walked a few more batters in 2019 than he did in 2018, though part of that was just a product of facing high level hitting in AA and AAA. He still carries the risk inherent in his size, but if he can take one more step forward with his command and really lock down the zone, Garcia has ace potential and a very good chance to be at least a #3 starter. I just don't expect him to be immediately that good in the majors right out of the gate, and he'll probably need a little more seasoning at AAA.
- Michael King (2020 Age: 24-25): King, a Rhode Island native and Boston College product now pitching on the other side of the rivalry, had a fantastic 2018 in which he posted a 1.79 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP, and a 152/29 strikeout to walk ratio across three levels, but his 2019 was slowed by elbow problems. He avoided Tommy John surgery and ended up with a 5.48 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, and a 44/10 strikeout to walk ratio over 46 innings between AA Trenton, AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, and rehab work, then tossed two shutout innings against the Rangers in his first and so far only big league appearance. He's much more about pitchability than pure stuff, and he sits in the low to mid 90's with a heavy, ground ball inducing fastball while adding a pair of breaking balls and a great changeup. He commands and mixes it all very well, which will enable it to play up in the majors. I honestly see a very narrow ceiling/floor combination, as he has a very good chance of ending up between a #3 and a #5 starter, with his most likely outcome splitting the difference at a #4 guy who is dependable day to day but who likely won't go out and spin complete game shutouts.
- Clarke Schmidt (2020 Age: 24): In the midst of a huge junior season at South Carolina in 2017, Schmidt went down with Tommy John surgery shortly before the draft but still landed with the Yankees in the first round. After missing the rest of the season, he got back on the mound for 23.1 innings in 2018 and finally came back mostly healthy in 2019. This year, he had a 3.47 ERA, a 1.18 WHIP, and a 102/28 strikeout to walk ratio over 90.2 innings at High A Tampa, AA Trenton, and complex level rehab, looking like the guy he was two years earlier. After Garcia, he might have the best combination of stuff and command in the system. He sits in the low to mid 90's with his sinking, running fastball that generates a ton of ground balls, but unlike a lot of other sinkerballers, he adds good secondary stuff in a tight, two-plane curveball and a changeup with some serious fade. As he moves farther from his surgery, I expect his stock to continue to rise, and I think he's as safe a bet as anyone in this system to be a #3 or #4 starter.
- Nick Nelson (2020 Age: 24): It remains to be seen whether Nelson can stick in the rotation, as 2019 was a step in the right direction but he has more work to do. This year, he had a 2.81 ERA, a 1.28 WHIP, and a 114/43 strikeout to walk ratio over 89.2 innings at High A Tampa, AA Trenton, and AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre, spending most of his season at the middle level. He has a power arm on his 6'1" frame, helping him sit consistently in the mid 90's and touching higher, and he adds a whole host of secondary pitches that can miss bats at their best. However, he often struggles to command them, which limits their effectiveness. I think he deserves a chance to keep starting in 2020, to prove whether he can overcome the lack of command, as he has a shot to be a #4 guy. However, if he shifts to the bullpen, he could mix his power fastball with some of his better secondary pitches and possibly go multiple innings – sounds like a great opener to me.
- Miguel Yajure (2020 Age: 21-22): Yajure raised his stock perhaps more than any other pitching prospect in the Yankees system in 2019, posting a 2.14 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 133/30 strikeout to walk ratio over 138.2 innings at High A Tampa and AA Trenton. Nothing he throws is plus, but with his low to mid 90's fastball and full set of diverse secondary pitches which he commands very well, he keeps high level hitters off balance throughout the game. That bodes well for his stuff's ability to play up even at the big league level, as he's actually looked better with each promotion as he's learned more and more about his own game. He's probably an Anibal Sanchez-esque #3/#4 guy, one who can be consistent and reliable each start. Of course, we do need to see how his stuff plays against the juiced balls in AAA and the majors.
- Luis Gil (2020 Age: 21-22): Gil joined Yajure in having a huge breakout in 2019, posting a 2.72 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, and a 123/47 strikeout to walk ratio over 96 innings at Class A Charleston and High A Tampa (mostly at the lower level). He's most well known for his mid to upper 90's fastball, which was enough to overwhelm Class A hitters from his high arm slot, but he also adds a rapidly improving curveball that dives away from right handed hitters and should be ab out pitch at the major league level. The rest of his game needs  some work, though, as he lacks much of a changeup and his command comes and goes. Set to turn 22 years old in June, he's an old prospect, but he's also not the youngest kid in A ball, and he'll likely need at least most of 2020 at High A. The upside is immense as a potential #2/#3 starter, but he needs work and could end up as a bat missing, power reliever.
- Roansy Contreras (2020 Age: 20): Contreras is one of the more interesting pitching prospects in the Yankees system. He spent 2019 at Class A at just 19 years old, posting a 3.33 ERA, a 1.07 WHIP, and a 113/36 strikeout to walk ratio over 132.1 innings. He sits in the mid 90's with his fastball and adds a good curveball and changeup, and unlike many pitchers his age, he has pretty good command, and it should be above average by the time he gets up to the majors. He lacks the ceiling of some of the other pitchers in this system like Garcia and Gil, but I think he has a good chance to develop into a #3 starter. He'll spend all of 2020 at 20 years old with the chance to tackle High A.
- Alexander Vizcaino (2020 Age: 22-23): Vizcaino, who signed for just $14,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2016, is a late bloomer who had a major breakout 2019, posting a 4.38 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP, and a 128/38 strikeout to walk ratio over 115 innings at Class A Charleston and High A Tampa. His fastball has climbed up into the mid to upper 90's while his command has gone from decent to solid, and he adds an improving curveball and changeup as well. Vizcaino has the chance for three above average pitches and good command, though on the flip side, as a late bloomer, he was just a little old for Class A. Further improvement of his breaking ball could land him in the back of the Yankees rotation or as a fastball/changeup reliever.
- T.J. Sikkema (2020 Age: 21-22): Sikkema parlayed a dominant career at Missouri into a money-saving competitive balance selection to the Yankees, then posted a 0.84 ERA, a 0.66 WHIP, and a 13/1 strikeout to walk ratio over 10.2 innings at short season Staten Island. He doesn't throw all that hard, sitting just above 90 with his fastball while adding a good slider and a solid changeup, but the lefty has a bulldog mentality that enables him to go after hitters and make his stuff play up. The Yankees will hope to take that fire he brings to the mound continues continues to help him navigate pro lineups, and if he can improve his average command, he has a chance to be a back-end starter. More realistically, he should be a lefty set-up man that can pitch well under pressure.
- Yoendrys Gomez (2020 Age: 20): Gomez has been sneaking up prospect boards as a sleeper guy, and in 2019 he posted a 3.99 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and a 53/19 strikeout to walk ratio over 56.1 innings at rookie level Pulaski and Class A Charleston. Gomez has great stuff in a low to mid 90's fastball, a good curveball, and an advanced changeup, and he's managed to improve his command to be close to average. He's got a lot of work to do in continuing to refine his stuff and hopefully getting that command firmly and consistently into the average range, though in a system deep in pitching, he might continue to go fairly unnoticed even with a strong run through Class A in 2020.
- Keep an eye on: Garrett Whitlock, Jio Orozco, Nolan Martinez, Osiel Rodriguez

Relief Pitching
- Albert Abreu (2020 Age: 24): Abreu, acquired from the Astros in the Brian McCann trade after the 2016 season, continues to show power stuff but might not be cut out for starting at the major league level. In 2019, he had a 4.28 ERA, a 1.61 WHIP, and a 91/53 strikeout to walk ratio over 96.2 innings at AA Trenton, showing a power fastball in the mid to upper 90's, a power curveball, and a fading changeup that can all miss bats. However, his command has stayed consistently below average throughout his career, and that's kept him from making the final leap into the major league rotation. He also topped out at 101.2 innings in 2016 as he's struggled with nagging injuries throughout his career, and I think he's best off in the bullpen at this point. There, his command might matter less and he can just focus on a few batters at a time, and his power stuff fits really well in that short-spurt kind of role. If I'm the Yankees, I'm shifting him over for 2020 and seeing if I can get him into the big league bullpen.
- Trevor Stephan (2020 Age: 24): Stephen, like Abreu, has been a starter up to this point, and he posted a 4.73 ERA, a 1.44 WHIP, and a 91/29 strikeout to walk ratio over 80 innings at High A Tampa and AA Trenton while being bothered by back problems in 2019. The former third round pick out of Arkansas in 2017 still has a chance to remain a starter if he returns fully healthy and more effective in 2020, but in a system so deep in starting pitching depth, his best path to the majors may be in the bullpen. The 6'5" righty has a crossfire delivery that delivers low to mid 90's fastballs from a deceptive angle, and he adds an improving slider and changeup. His command is average even with the lower arm angle, though I think his stuff could take a step forward if he switches to the bullpen and stops having to pace himself.
- Luis Medina (2020 Age: 20-21): Among the most uncomfortable at bats in the minors would probably be Luis Medina, a 6'1" right hander with electric stuff and no command. In 2019, he posted a 5.47 ERA, a 1.57 WHIP, and a 127/70 strikeout to walk ratio over 103.2 innings at Class A Charleston and High A Tampa, throwing as a starter for now. He sits comfortably in the upper 90's with his fastball and has hit as high as 102, and he drops in a tight, diving curveball that is nearly impossible to square up. Medina also comes in with a diving changeup that sits in the low 90's and is harder than a lot of fastballs, so hitters are really guessing whenever he throws. The problem is that he has no idea where most of his stuff is going, and at 19-20 years old in 2019, he still walked 14.9% of his opponents. The Yankees are working hard to get him at least close to the zone, because even with below average command he could be a useful major league starter, and if he can drop that walk rate below 10% he could be a #3 or #4 guy. For now, though, his most likely projection is as an electric reliever. Fortunately, he only turns 21 in May.
- Keep an eye on: Frank German, Glenn Otto, Aaron McGarity, Matt Sauer