The Yankees squeezed about as much out of their farm system as they possibly could last season. Just about anyone with a chance to play in the big leagues played in the big leagues at some point, and many who weren’t MLB-ready were sent away in trades for MLB help. Jasson Domínguez and Will Warren, my No. 1 and 7 prospects last spring, respectively, were on the roster from Opening Day through Game 4 of the ALDS.
Neither Domínguez nor Warren was the farm system’s greatest success in 2025, however. Cam Schlittler rocketed from High-A to the Bronx, adding velocity at every stop. He was in the postseason rotation because he deserved to be in the postseason rotation, and, with the season on the line in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, he turned in one of the greatest postseason pitching performances in franchise history. Against the Red Sox, no less.
“There are different paths to greatness up here, but this guy has come up and delivered right away,” Gerrit Cole said after Schlittler struck out 12 in eight scoreless innings. “He’s got ‘it.’ I don’t know exactly what ‘it’ is. It’s hard to define it, but he’s got ‘it.’"
Had he not thrown a few too many innings and exhausted his rookie eligibility, Schlittler would have been this year’s No. 1 prospect. Don’t overthink it. We saw what it looks like fully actualized at the highest level and in the most important games, and it looks like a damn good starter who can pitch closer to the front of a big league rotation than the back. Schlittler was the story in the farm system last year.
The Yankees have traded 20 prospects since last Opening Day, including 14 at the trade deadline. Most of the 20 would have placed in this year's Top 30. The Yankees tend to keep their very best prospects and trade their second and third tier guys, but still, it takes a toll. The system is the thinnest it's been in a while right now. This would have been a good year for a top 25 rather than a Top 30. Maybe even a top 20.
The Top 30 is split fairly evenly: 17 pitchers and 13 position players. Despite that not-so-lopsided split, the system is pitcher heavy. The top half of this list is mostly pitchers and the bottom half is mostly position players. Young position players too. Kids in rookie ball and the Dominican Summer League. Those are the kinda prospects who might spend another 4-5 years on this list.
As I dug into things, I came to like the 2025 draft class more than I thought I would. I also ranked more rookie ball players than I would normally. Because of that, this year’s Top 30 has major “this could look very stupid in 8-12 months” potential. (More stupid than usual, I mean.) The top five is strong. The next four are interesting but boom-or-busty. After that, it gets dicey, and toward the bottom of the list are a lot of players who may never appear in another RAB post, nevermind another Top 30.
Here are my 2007-19 Top 30s and my 2020-25 Top 30s. I use the MLB rookie limits of 130 at-bats and 50 innings to determine prospect eligibility and don’t bother with the service time limit because tracking it is a pain (even if it is easier than ever). This post is probably best read on desktop, though I hope it comes across well on mobile. Let’s now get to this year’s Top 30 Prospects List.
No. 30: OF Brando Mayea
2025 Rank: No. 30Date of Birth: Sept. 12th, 2005 (age 20)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-11, 175 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2023 out of Cuba ($4.35M bonus)
Background: Mayea grew up in the Dominican Republic after he and his family left Cuba when he was a child. The September birthday meant he became eligible to sign late in the 2022 international signing period, though he waited until the bonus pools reset in 2023 to get the largest payday possible. Mayea has missed time with injuries every year of his career. Last year it was an ankle injury that ended his season on May 30th. He’s yet to play more than 38 games in a season, and has only 93 games and 408 plate appearances since signing.
The Good: Mayea has the defensive chops to play center field. He’s not the speediest center fielder, but he has good instincts and takes good routes, and he throws well and to the correct base (not always a given with rookie ballers). Mayea has shown some power in the past. Those three homers in 84 plate appearances last year match his total in 324 plate appearances from 2023-24. When he shortens up and focuses on contact, he has little trouble getting the bat on the ball.
The Bad: Beyond the injuries, Mayea has a janky swing with too much pre-pitch movement in his hands and feet. Too often he’s off-balance when he makes contact, hence his career 57 GB% (64% in 2025). Mayea’s pitch recognition, both in terms of knowing a ball from a strike and a fastball from a breaking ball, needs work. There has been little improvement with his offensive skills since signing. When the Yankees signed Mayea, he was an athlete learning to play baseball, and that is still the case.
2026 Outlook: A third straight year on the Extended Spring Training/Florida Complex League circuit is in the cards for Mayea, who could move across the street to Low-A Tampa at some point.
My Take: The best thing about Mayea is that he turned only 20 in September. In an average farm system, he would not be in a Top 30 Prospects list, but the Yankees have a thin system and you can at least squint your eyes and see some potential here. With the No. 30 spot, I’d rather go with a prospect like Mayea than a(nother) lower upside role player type who might have a better chance of playing in the big leagues.
No. 29: 2B/3B Enmanuel Tejeda
2025 Rank: No. 27Date of Birth: Dec. 25th, 2004 (age 21)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-9, 158 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2022 out of the Dominican Republic ($40,000 bonus)
Background: Tejeda is the last player standing from the block of Low-A infielders the Yankees had in Tampa two years ago. Keiner Delgado (JT Brubaker), Roc Riggio (Jake Bird), and Jared Serna (Jazz Chisholm Jr.) were all traded away. Tejeda made his 2025 debut on July 5th, one year to the day after he stumbled running through first base and blew out his right knee. 2025 was more or less a rehab year, one that included a promising enough stint in the Arizona Fall League (.254/.412/.358).
The Good: Despite the serious knee injury, Tejeda looked like himself last season. With Tampa, he ran a 20% chase rate and 19% whiff rate, and he maxed his exit velocity out at 110 mph. Those numbers all placed him in the 85th percentile. The story on offense is the same as always. Good plate discipline, good contact rates, sneaky pop. Tejeda is a steady defender with a good arm and good instincts, and he wasn’t apprehensive on the bases after the knee injury. Including the AzFL, he attempted 34 steals in 64 games last year (27 successful).
The Bad: Nothing about Tejeda stands out. He’s a classic good at everything, great at nothing infielder, and his days as a shortstop appear over. His last game at short was in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. It has been mostly second base and some third base since. I thought the lack of shortstop time had to do with being at the same level as Roderick Arias and George Lombard Jr. the last few years, but I guess not. It’s tough to carve out a career as a utility infielder if you’re not trusted to play short.
2026 Outlook: Tejeda should, finally, escape Tampa this season, and begin the year with High-A Hudson Valley. He will be Rule 5 Draft eligible in November and will need to stay healthy and have a really big year to get 40-man roster consideration.
My Take: Tejeda is a personal favorite because there are no glaring weaknesses. Even though he won’t dominate in any phase of the game, he can do a little of everything and contribute in multiple ways. It feels like Tejeda has been around forever, but he turned only 21 in December. I’m not saying he’ll be a star or an everyday guy. I just think there’s enough here for Tejeda to stay relevant for a while.
No. 28: OF Jace Avina
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: June 6th, 2003 (age 22)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-11, 180 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Jake Bauers trade with Brewers (Nov. 17th, 2023)
Background: The Yankees were prepared to non-tender Jake Bauers in 2023, but were able to turn him into Avina and fellow outfield prospect Brian Sanchez a few hours before the deadline. Avina reached Double-A last year and Sanchez went to the Pirates in the David Bednar trade. The Brewers paid Avina an overslot $255,900 bonus out of his Reno high school as their 14th round pick in 2021.
The Good: Slowly but surely, Avina has firmed up his plate discipline and done a better job getting the bat on the ball. He trimmed his strikeout rate from 27.2% in 2024 to 25.1% in 2025 while climbing two levels, and his swinging strike rate from 16% to 13%. His in-zone contact rate jumped a bit too. Despite last year’s just okay home run total, Avina has solid power and good spray angles (29 GB% and 54% pull rate in 2025). He’s a good runner with a strong arm who can handle all three outfield spots.
The Bad: Avina is a fastball masher who struggles to make contact against anything with a wrinkle. The raw power is good but not great, the defense is good but not great, and the speed is good but not great. Avina doesn’t have a carrying tool and looks like a potential extra outfielder on the short side of the platoon.
2026 Outlook: Avina finished last season with 46 games in Somerset and will return there to begin 2026. He could spend the entire season in Double-A. Avina was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft and needs to have a pretty big year to convince the Yankees to put him on the 40-man roster in November. More likely, the Yankees would try to use him as a trade chip if he has that big year.
My Take: There isn’t anything sexy here but extra outfielders who can put a mistake in the seats and play all three outfield spots typically find themselves on a 40-man roster long enough to burn their three option years. It does seem like Avina sacrificed some power for contact last season. If he finds a way to marry the two, there will be a role for him in the big leagues, even if it’s not with the Yankees.
No. 27: IF Juan Torres
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: Sept. 27th, 2007 (age 18)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-10, 162 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2025 out of the Dominican Republic ($50,000 bonus)
Background: The Yankees gave out at least nine six-figure signing bonuses during the 2025 international signing period. Torres outperformed everyone in the class last season, and also got strong reviews from my few inside baseball people (not with the Yankees). He played his first pro season in the Dominican Summer League.
The Good: Torres is an undersized hitter with positively elite bat-to-ball ability, and he knows it. He swings at everything because he can get to everything (up, down, in, out, fastballs, breaking balls, whatever), and he puts the ball in play at a very high rate. Only 15.3% of his plate appearances ended with a walk or strikeout last year. Could you imagine? There is some power in his bat, though he’s mostly a line drive guy who goes line to line. Defensively, Torres fits best at second base. He’s also played some third.
The Bad: For all intents and purposes, Torres is a one-trick pony. It’s a great trick, but it is one trick. He puts the ball in play so easily but is likely to be a singles guy without much speed or defensive value. An 18-year-old already being relegated to second base isn’t the best sign. They usually keep kids at short as long as possible. Unless Torres unlocks 15-homer power, the upside here looks like old pal Ronald Torreyes with less defensive value.
2026 Outlook: Even with that slash line, a return to the DSL may be in the cards because lots of international prospects spend two years in the DSL these days. Torres will rake wherever he goes. It’ll be the DSL or the Florida Complex League.
My Take: Torres has a very fun and unique skill set and will put up some goofy stat lines, especially in the lower minors. I hope he develops some kinda secondary skill, be it power or better defense. If he does that, Torres will have a real chance to make it as a utility guy, one who is a fan favorite.
No. 26: OF Wilson Rodriguez
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: Sept. 10th, 2004 (age 21)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-1, 186 lbs., left/leftAcquired: 2023 17th round, No. 522 overall ($150,000 bonus)
Background: Rodriguez wasn't on many radars when the Yankees drafted him out of his Puerto Rico high school in 2023. He spent two seasons in the Florida Complex League and returned there for a third season last year, but the tools are beginning to translate into performance, so Rodriguez played the last six weeks across the street with Low-A Tampa.
The Good: Rodriguez is one of the best athletes in the system and it shows in the fluidity of his swing and the way he glides to the ball in the outfield. During his admittedly limited time with Tampa last season, he combined a strong 9% swinging strike rate with a 103 mph 90th percentile exit velocity, which is a tick better than the average for 20-year-olds. Rodriguez chased only 16% of the time too. He has a plan at the plate and he gets the bat on the ball regularly and with some impact (Rodriguez swung and missed at four fastballs in his 30 games with the Tarpons). Defensively, the Yankees had Rodriguez play the corners last year, though he has the quickness and instincts to handle center. He’s a savvy basestealer too.
The Bad: The biggest thing is continuing to get away from the pull happy approach that gave Rodriguez trouble from 2023-24, and getting the ball in the air a little more often. His 67% pull rate from 2023-24 is just way too high. Pulling the ball is good, but a pull rate that high tells us Rodriguez was selling out for power, hence his .189/.333/.311 (77 wRC+) line and 31.1 K% those two years. Last season’s 46% pull rate was much better, though even that is pretty elevated. Something closer to 35% would be better given his skills. Rodriguez cut his ground ball rate from 56% from 2023-24 to 46% in 2025. So again, improvement, but still progress to be made. Basically, Rodriguez just needs to better optimize his spray chart for his skill set, which is line drives more than elevating and celebrating.
2026 Outlook: The 30-game cameo means Rodriguez will return to Tampa to begin 2026, and he could spend a full year there seeing how he’ll play just about the entire season at age 21. I suppose he could get a promotion to Hudson Valley at some point. I’ll put him down for a full year in Tampa though.
My Take: Granted, I have him as the No. 26 prospect in a not great system, but Rodriguez kept climbing my rankings. Going into this, I had him earmarked for next week’s Prospects to Know feature. Then I moved him into the Not Top 30 Prospects. Then I put him in the Top 30 itself and inched him up a few spots over the last few weeks. Rodriguez is probably too good to call a sleeper. We can put him on Breakout Watch though. He’s an interesting little player.
No. 25: RHP Brendan Beck
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: Oct. 6th, 1998 (age 27)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 218 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2021 2nd round, No. 55 overall ($1.05M bonus)
Background: The Yankees drafted Brendan’s older brother Tristan, an up/down guy with the Giants, back in 2017 (unsigned 29th rounder). Brendan was a four-year starter at Stanford and had the look of a rapid riser, but he missed 2022 with Tommy John surgery and 2024 with another elbow surgery that I do not believe was UCL-related. After throwing 31 innings total from 2022-24, Beck stayed healthy in 2025 and played most of the season in Triple-A.
The Good: Beck does not light up the radar gun but he does get results thanks to a high arm slot that creates outlier movement on his fastball and slider, and strong command. His four-seamer sat 91.9 mph and topped out at only 94.3 mph in Triple-A last year, but it averaged 18 inches of induced vertical break, which is excellent. His low-80s slider stands out more than his upper-70s curveball, but both get more downward break than expected given his release point and spin, and Beck tunnels the breakers with his fastball well. The fastball and slider go together like traffic and weather.
A low-90s sinker and low-80s splitter round out Beck’s arsenal, though he threw them less than 10% of the time combined in Triple-A. For all intents and purposes, Beck is a three-pitch fastball/slider/curveball guy with very good command. He’s also said to be a tough competitor who had a reputation for performing well in big games in college.
The Bad: There isn’t much ceiling here. Beck’s arm slot and movement profiles create an unusual look, but there’s not much power behind his arsenal and little margin of error. Only the slider missed bats at an above-average rate last year and Beck had some hard contact issues in Triple-A (lefties slugged .486 against him). Perhaps leaning further into the splitter would help? Even that might only do so much.
2026 Outlook: Beck was passed over in the Rule 5 Draft in December. He'll be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee (he'll also pitch for Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic next month) and is ticketed for Scranton’s rotation once the regular season begins. Beck will be an up/down option throughout the summer.
My Take: I tend to overrate these guys, the low upside No. 5 starter/swingman type. I think there’s enough there between the arm slot/movement/command for Beck to give the Yankees, I dunno, 40-50 good innings? Those innings might come as a middle reliever rather than as a multi-inning guy, but they can help get you to the finish line of 162 games. I'm curious to see what he looks like coming out of his first normal, non-rehab offseason in five years. Does focused offseason training give his fastball a little more teeth?
No. 24: LHP Xavier Rivas
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: July 11th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-4, 235 lbs., left/leftAcquired: 2024 16th round, No. 481 overall ($150,000 bonus)
Background: Rivas was a standout high school athlete in Indiana who lettered in baseball, football, and wrestling. He started his college career at Indianapolis, made his way to Mississippi, then missed 2024 (his draft year) with Tommy John surgery. The Yankees had longstanding interest and drafted him that summer anyway. Rivas got back on the mound early enough last year (May 2025 return from February 2024 elbow surgery) that he got in a pretty good workload in his pro debut.
The Good: A stats over scouting report prospect, Rivas is a three-pitch lefty with a low-90s fastball and two low-80s secondary pitches (slider and splitter). The splitter had close to a 60% whiff rate last year and the slider was over 40% as well. The fastball checks analytical boxes with good ride up in the zone. Rivas is said to be a very intense competitor. He was sensational during Hudson Valley’s postseason push late last year, allowing four runs in his final four starts with three double-digit strikeout performances.
The Bad: Rivas doesn’t have much margin of error and he seems to know it. That 13.9 BB% is at least partially explained by post-Tommy John surgery rust, though he had an 11.7 BB% in college, and tends to nibble on the edges. He did not throw a pitch over 92.8 mph last year and the slider and splitter are chase pitches, not in-zone out-getters. Rivas dominated Single-A hitters, but more disciplined hitters in the upper minors will be a much greater challenge. A slider/splitter heavy reliever may be the long-term role.
2026 Outlook: After making five starts with Hudson Valley last year, Rivas will return there to begin 2026. He figures to make his way to Double-A Somerset at some point during the summer unless things go off the rails.
My Take: Rivas gives me Wandy Peralta vibes. Magic Wandy has more fastball, but he spams that changeup and is gutsy as hell. Rivas has a knockout splitter and is a tough competitor. It’s worth keeping him in the rotation for the time being and hey, maybe a normal offseason will make the fastball jump. If not, Rivas has a path to the big leagues as a splitter after splitter short reliever.
No. 23: LHP Allen Facundo
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: Sept. 3rd, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-0, 171 lbs., left/leftAcquired: Signed May 2021 out of Venezuela ($20,000 bonus)
Background: Injuries, including an unknown injury that wiped out his entire 2022 season and Tommy John surgery in May 2024, have limited Facundo to 148 innings in five pro seasons and never as many as 50 in a single year. When he returned with his new UCL last June, Facundo showed the same high octane stuff that made him a sleeper early in his career.
The Good: According to Geoff Pontes (subs. req’d), Facundo was one of only nine lefties to hit 100 mph in the minors last year. His four-seamer sat 95.3 mph and topped out at 100.1 mph in the Low-A Florida State League (a Statcast league), and his sinker was a tick below that. Facundo’s best and most used pitch is a mid-80s slider that flirted with 3,000 rpm of spin and had a 40% whiff rate with Tampa. He also has a changeup and a lower arm slot that figures to give lefties fits.
The Bad: The injuries are an obvious negative and all the time missed means Facundo is still pretty raw, especially for a 23-year-old. The movement traits on the four-seamer aren’t good, so it plays below its velocity, and as good as the slider it is, the break is inconsistent. The changeup is pretty much a nonfactor too. Facundo probably won’t ever throw a ton of strikes because he’s not a great on-mound athlete. He has arm talent aplenty, but it’s unrefined. This is a bullpen profile all the way.
2026 Outlook: After 16 effective games in Low-A the last two years (eight each season), it might be time to bump Facundo up to Hudson Valley. Even if he’s destined for the bullpen long-term, I bet the Yankees keep starting him for now just to get him innings. Facundo was not picked in December’s Rule 5 Draft, but if he manages to stay healthy this year and is still slinging 100 mph with a 3,000-ish rpm slider in a few months, the Yankees will put him on the 40-man roster this November (assuming they don’t trade him first).
My Take: I’m guessing the Yankees will iron out Facundo’s slider and either turn it into a sweeper or keep it as a traditional slider, and more or less scrap the four-seamer. Go with a sinker/slider relief look, and if they make him a reliever now, Facundo could climb the ladder quickly. I can only get so excited about bullpen prospects, but lefties who throw 100 are rare and deserve attention.
No. 22: SS Stiven Marinez
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: Aug. 20th, 2007 (age 18)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-10, 175 lbs., left/rightAcquired: Signed Dec. 2024 out of the Dominican Republic ($1.65M bonus)
Background: Elmer Rodríguez was the main piece the Yankees received in the Carlos Narváez trade with the Red Sox at the 2024 Winter Meetings, though they also received $250,000 in international bonus pool money in that deal. That allowed them to meet Marinez’s $1.65M asking price on the final day of the 2024 signing period. They were expected to sign him as part of the 2025 signing period, but getting that last $250,000 allowed the Yankees to complete the signing during the 2024 signing period, freeing up money for 2025. Marinez then had a strong pro debut in the Dominican Summer League.
The Good: Marinez is the prototypical raw yet toolsy and projectable DSL prospect. He stands out most defensively at shortstop, where he’s rangy and has quick twitch athleticism and a strong arm. Marinez also runs well and seems to know what he’s doing on the bases as opposed to just running recklessly. At the plate, he’s a lefty swinger who doesn’t chase and ran above-average contact rates for his age group last summer. It is an interesting package of tools that must be developed into usable baseball skills.
The Bad: There wasn’t much power behind Marinez’s swing last summer. He had below-average exit velocities and mostly poked the ball to the left side of the field and used his legs. Maturing and adding strength should improve that a bit, though there are some swing refinements in the works. Also, it’s too early to know if the disciplined approach Marinez showed last year is actually discipline, or passivity. Like many players this age, Marinez can be erratic and error prone in the field. The upside seems to be a 7-8-9 hitter with speed and a good glove at short, and there is a long way to go to get there.
2026 Outlook: It is not uncommon for top international signings to spend two years in the DSL. Marinez could return to the DSL this summer or he could come stateside and play in the Florida Complex League. It’ll be one or the other.
My Take: Well, a lefty hitting shortstop with good defense and contact skills, plus some semblance of an approach, is a good prospect to me. (This is what Didi Gregorius looked like at 18.) Marinez is just so far away. Normally I would rather be a year late than a year early with DSL prospects, but given the state of the system (i.e. thin), Marinez belongs in the Top 30.
No. 21: 3B Richard Matic
2025 Rank: UnrankedDate of Birth: July 26th, 2007 (age 18)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-0, 200 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2024 out of the Dominican Republic ($850,000 bonus)
Background: Matic’s $850,000 bonus was the second largest the Yankees gave out during the 2024 international signing period behind Francisco Vilorio’s $1.75M. He had a tough pro debut in the Dominican Summer League that year (.196/.333/.248 and 71 wRC+), but repeated the level last season and performed much better, and showed skill improvements to support it.
The Good: After a growth spurt that saw him add a few inches and few pounds of muscle, Matic’s 90th percentile exit velocity jumped from 98 mph in 2024 to 104 mph in 2025. That was the sixth largest year-to-year increase in the minors, per Geoff Pontes (subs. req’d), and 104 mph is comfortably above the 100 mph average for 18-year-olds. With the added thump came a ground ball rate decline from 51% to 42%, so it was more hard contact in the air. Matic is aggressive but disciplined. He didn’t chase much last year, but, when he swings, he swings ferociously. Defensively, he’s sound at third base, with the arm and quick reactions needed for the position.
The Bad: The big thing right now is learning how much of Matic’s improvement is legit improvement, and how much was a function of repeating the DSL. You can’t fake adding that much exit velocity, but we have to see how much the improved contact skills (25% swinging strikes in 2024 to 11% in 2025) is real and not just because he was going through the league again. Even if it is real, Matic has a long way to go to reach the big leagues. The bad is mostly typical 18-year-old still learning pro baseball stuff.
2026 Outlook: Matic will come stateside this summer and play in the Florida Complex League after Extended Spring Training. I could see him getting into some games with Low-A Tampa, though it would be a major surprise if he begins the season there.
My Take: Matic is one of the more exciting prospects in the lower rungs of the minors. There’s a chance at a middle-of-the-order bat who stays at the hot corner, and you don’t have to squint too much to see it. We’re just gonna have to wait a long time for it to become a reality. Matic is high on the list of prospects I’m excited to track in 2026.
No. 20: SS Mani Cedeno
2025 Rank: Unranked (Not Top 30 Prospect)Date of Birth: Aug. 14th, 2008 (age 17)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 5-foot-10, 180 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2025 out of the Dominican Republic ($2.5M bonus)
Background: The Yankees made Cedeno the headliner of their 2025 international signing class. His $2.5M bonus was one of the five largest given out last year, and he was one of the youngest players available. Cedeno played just about the entire Dominican Summer League season at 16 and had a hard time getting the bat on the ball.
The Good: Cedeno looks the part in a uniform. He’s very strong for his age, and although it didn’t show in the DSL last summer, he’s considered a polished hitter relative to his peers. Cedeno has a quick bat and sprays line drives to all fields, and there’s enough juice to go deep the other way. His DSL swing and chase rates were where you want them. Cedeno’s defensive tools point to a future at shortstop. He’s quick and agile, and he has a strong arm. He’s a stolen base threat too. They are seven-figure tools.
The Bad: Last summer’s DSL issues were largely approach-related. Cedeno became too pull happy and tried to show off his power rather than just sticking to what got him paid. He may outgrow shortstop down the line, in which case third base would make better use of his arm than second. The bad really just boils down to “he’s a 17-year-old kid who has a lot to learn.” The stat line is ugly, but the further away you are from the big leagues, the less it matters, and Cedeno was as far away as you can get.
2026 Outlook: Given his age and last year’s approach issues, Cedeno’s a good bet to return to the DSL this summer. It’s become common for even big money international players to spend two years there.
My Take: Cedeno’s issues last year being approach related make me hopeful he’ll iron them out and get on track soon. He’s a 17-year-old kid with lots of tools. We can’t do much more than wait. For what it’s worth, the few inside baseball people I talk to (not with the Yankees) say they have a higher evaluation of Cedeno now than they did the Yankees’ other recent big money international signings (Brando Mayea, Francisco Vilorio, etc.) one year into their careers. Yay?
No. 19: LHP Henry Lalane
2025 Rank: No. 10Date of Birth: May 18th, 2004 (age 21)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-7, 211 lbs., left/leftAcquired: Signed May 2021 out of the Dominican Republic ($350,000 bonus)
Background: Lalane (pronounced la-lon-ay) was born in the Bronx and split his time between New York and the Dominican Republic growing up. He has dual citizenship, so he was able to skip the draft and pick his team as an international free agent. His father, Henry Sr., played basketball professionally in Europe and was a member of the Dominican National Team. Once one of the brightest pitching prospects in the system, Lalane has been limited by shoulder trouble the last two years. He had surgery last offseason that delayed his 2025 debut until late July.
The Good: Before the shoulder trouble, Lalane worked with four pitches, including a mid-90s fastball that touched 99 mph. A mid-80s changeup was his best secondary pitch and he used it to toy with rookie ball hitters. Lalane had two distinct breaking balls, with a low-80s sweeper showing more potential than an upper-70s curveball. He tunneled his pitches very well (everything stayed in the same “tunnel" for a while out of his hand) and he’s a difficult look for hitters as a tall pitcher with a lower arm slot. Lalane also threw plenty of strikes and knew what he was doing on the mound. It was a top 100 prospect skill set.
The Bad: We haven’t seen the good version of Lalane in two years. His fastball sat 92.0 mph with Low-A Tampa last season and he had just about as many heaters below 90 mph as at 94 mph. The changeup was down around 80 mph, and the two breaking balls blended together into one ineffective slurve that he barely threw. Lalane’s mechanics were also in rough shape, hence all those walks. Simply put, the guy we saw after shoulder surgery last year was completely ordinary and not much of a prospect. No choice but to hope Lalane's stuff and mechanics bounce back as he gets further away from the injury.
2026 Outlook: Lalane just had his first normal, non-rehab offseason in two years. I guess the Yankees could send him to High-A Hudson Valley to begin 2026, but I think it’s more likely he returns to Tampa and stays near the home base. Lalane was not picked in December’s Rule 5 Draft. If he looks like the pitcher he was before surgery this summer, a 40-man roster spot will be there for the taking in November.
My Take: As discouraging as the (brief) post-surgery look was last year, Lalane is still only 21, and you can’t give up on pitchers this young and who showed that much promise previously. Fingers crossed surgery took care of the shoulder for good and he’ll get better as he builds up.
No. 18: SS Kaeden Kent
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 draft pick)Date of Birth: Aug. 29th, 2003 (age 22)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 200 lbs., left/rightAcquired: 2025 3rd round, No. 103 overall ($741,900 bonus)
Background: The son of new Hall of Famer Jeff Kent, Kaeden spent his first two years at Texas A&M as a utility guy who played the four infield spots and left field. He was a full-time shortstop last spring, during which he hit .279/.398/.544 (107 wRC+) with 13 homers and more walks (14.7%) than strikeouts (13.9 K%) in 56 games. The Yankees sent Kent to High-A Hudson Valley after the draft because Low-A Tampa’s infield was full, and he was overmatched.
The Good: Kent isn’t much like his father. He’s a left-handed hitter who takes big, aggressive swings, but is still able to run above-average contact rates. His most productive balls in play are line drives in left and left-center, and he has just enough juice to hit the ball out to right field when he gets something to turn on. Jeff Kent hit 377 homers and had 12 seasons with 20 or more. Kaeden Kent is a hit-over-power guy who might have a 20-homer at his peak. Defensively, he plays an average-ish shortstop and can move around the infield thanks to the strong Baseball IQ you expect from the son of a Hall of Famer.
The Bad: There is more to life than exit velocity, but Kent did not hit a ball over 108 mph with metal bats in college. He has a golfy, uppercut swing, and can only get to his limited power on pitches down. Anywhere else in the zone and the damage won’t be nearly as bad.
The Yankees have an improving bat speed/exit velocity program and Kent needs it. You can only do so much offensively with limited hard-hit ability. Kent’s Hudson Valley showing was as bad as the numbers suggest too. His approach collapsed and he chased about 40% of the time, and his swing became disjointed enough that he and the Yankees spent time rebuilding it in the fall practices formerly known as Instructional League. Kent’s a below-average runner with an okay arm who relies on instincts more than natural athletic ability defensively.
2026 Outlook: Kent probably needs to start this season in Low-A, though Tampa's infield will be crowded, which may push him back to Hudson Valley. Despite the Cooperstown pedigree and three years at a major college program, Kent’s a bit of a project and might only advance one level a year through the minors.
My Take: The contact skills and versatility give Kent a chance to put together a career as a role player, though I don’t think calling him a high floor player is appropriate. There’s a chance Kent just never hits more advanced pitching and washes out in Double-A. There’s also a chance the Yankees help him add that extra thump, and Kent suddenly adds extra-base ability to his contact skills. We’re gonna learn a lot about Kent in a short period of time this season, methinks.
No. 17: LHP Brock Selvidge
2025 Rank: No. 14Date of Birth: Aug. 28th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-3, 205 lbs., right/leftAcquired: 2021 3rd round, No. 92 overall ($1.5M bonus)
Background: Five years ago now, Selvidge was a borderline first round candidate out of his Arizona high school, but a down senior year pushed him down draft boards. A great showing at the Draft Combine put him in better position heading into the draft and the Yankees paid him more than double slot as their third round pick (slot for the No. 92 pick was $637,600). Selvidge was selected to represent the Yankees at the 2024 Futures Game, but he went down with a season-ending biceps issue that required surgery about a week before the event. Rehab carried over into 2025 and delayed his season debut until mid May.
The Good: The Yankees used Selvidge’s rehab time to make several additions to his arsenal. A low-to-mid-80s slider remains his go-to pitch (he throws it about half the time) and he’s really mastered it. He can sweep it off the plate, shorten it up to land it for a strike, and bury it below the zone. The new additions are an upper-80s cutter and an upper-70s curveball. The curveball added a north/south element to his game. Selvidge also has a low-90s fastball and a decent enough changeup. After years of extreme slider usage with a show-me fastball, Selvidge now has a legit five-pitch mix. He’s a fierce competitor who, for what it’s worth, has a history of pitching well in anything that can be considered a pressure-packed environment (Draft Combine, Spring Breakout in 2024, minor league postseason, etc.).
The Bad: The good news is Selvidge added to his arsenal last year. The bad news is the biceps injury took away from a fastball that wasn’t great to start with it. After sitting 92-94 mph before the injury in 2024, it was mostly 89-91 mph in 2025, and poor movement traits make it hittable. Selvidge throws so many sliders because he has to. The fastball isn’t good enough to get outs on its own, and last year’s jump in walk rate was at least in part the result of Selvidge reaching back for velocity. He also fell in love with the cutter last year. Enough that scaling back on it is on the to-do list this season. Selvidge has a standout pitch in the slider. The rest of the package is just okay, if not south of okay.
2026 Outlook: Selvidge has made 31 starts at Double-A around the biceps injury the last two years, and that’s usually enough to get a move up to Triple-A. The numbers crunch might push him back to Somerset to begin 2026, but a) Spring Training injuries will likely open up rotation spots in Scranton, and b) I would expect Selvidge to pitch in Triple-A at some point this year no matter where he lands on Opening Day.
My Take: This feels like a make or break year for Selvidge, who was not added to the 40-man roster in November and was not taken in the Rule 5 Draft. Players get passed over in the Rule 5 Draft one year and added to the 40-man the next all the time, but for Selvidge to make himself MLB relevant, he has to get the fastball back to where it was before the injury, and throw more strikes. I’d like to see what he looks like as a slider-heavy short reliever. He may only be a second lefty in the bullpen, but those guys can have long careers too.
No. 16: LHP Kyle Carr
2025 Rank: No. 22Date of Birth: May 6th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-1, 175 lbs., left/leftAcquired: 2023 3rd round, No. 97 overall ($692,000 bonus)
Background: Carr was the first junior college player drafted in 2023 and he was the Yankees’ second selection that year after they forfeited their second and fifth round picks to sign Carlos Rodón. The Yankees brought Carr over from minor league camp to throw live batting practice to the big leaguers in Spring Training on several occasions two years ago, and you only get to do that if the organization trusts you not to do something like hit Aaron Judge with a pitch. Carr pitched well enough last year to earn the High-A South Athletic League’s Pitcher of the Year award.
The Good: Carr was one of several Yankees’ pitching prospects to add a cutter last year. The mid-80s cutter works well with his sinkers and four-seamers, which reside anywhere from 90-97 mph. Carr has no trouble holding his velocity deep into games or deep into the season. The Yankees turned his slider into a sweeper two years ago and he made more progress with the pitch in 2025. He also had a good changeup that is his best bat-misser and ground-ball-getter. The Yankees had Carr lean into a crossbody delivery (his foot lands on the first base side rather than in line with the plate) and the added deception helped him eat up lefties (.161/.261/.226 in 2025). Three fastballs, a breaking ball, a changeup, and enough strike-throwing ability. You can work with that.
The Bad: When the Yankees took Carr in the third round, the hope was his stuff would jump in pro ball the same way it jumped for so many others over the years. It hasn’t happened. Other than the new cutter and the slider-turned-sweeper, Carr is pretty much the same guy he was going into the draft. The level up has not yet happened, and after two years in pro ball, it is increasingly less likely it will happen. That said, the third year in pro ball is when Cam Schlittler had his big velocity spike. If it arrives this year for Carr, he gets much more interesting in a hurry.
2026 Outlook: Carr made three Double-A starts late last year and is ticketed for Somerset’s rotation to begin 2026. He’ll spend just about the entire season there, I imagine. Carr will be Rule 5 Draft eligible after this coming season and doesn’t look like a must-add to the 40-man roster. That puts him in trade bait territory.
My Take: There are enough secondary weapons here that with just a little more velocity, meaning 93-94 mph most days rather than 91-92 mph, Carr would have a clear path to a big league role with staying power. Being left-handed certainly helps. Lefties who get lefties out will always have a place in the game.
No. 15: OF Francisco Vilorio
2025 Rank: No. 29Date of Birth: Oct. 31st, 2006 (age 19)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-4, 212 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Jan. 2024 out of the Dominican Republic ($1.75M bonus)
Background: After forfeiting $1M in bonus pool money to sign Carlos Rodón, the Yankees gave Vilorio the largest bonus of their 2024 international signing class. He had a nagging shoulder injury and didn’t perform in his pro debut two years ago, but he stayed healthy last year and made gains.
The Good: Vilorio fits the right field profile to a T. He puts up big exit velocities (supposedly he had the hardest hit ball by a Yankees’ minor leaguer in 2025) and he cut his whiff rate in half last season, and his chase rate by about a third. The Yankees helped him calm down at the plate and gain consistency with his swing and stride. Vilorio runs well and takes good routes to the ball in the center field, which he’s very likely to outgrow. His top of the line arm will fit nicely in right field when the time comes. The upside is a power-over-hit right fielder who also helps his team defensively and maybe on the bases.
The Bad: Those big exit velocities translated to zero home runs last season because Vilorio has launch angle issues. He ran a 48 GB% last year and a lot of his non-grounders were low line drives, the kind that go for singles and not extra bases. Despite the improvement, Vilorio’s contact and chase rates were still below the DSL average last year, even while repeating the level. The approach needs work and the swing plane needs cleaning up. Exit velocity is only so good if you don’t elevate.
2026 Outlook: Vilorio will leave the island this summer. He’ll start in Extended Spring Training and then play in the Florida Complex League. I wouldn’t expect to see him in Low-A Tampa. Rookie ball this year with an eye on full season ball next year is the play.
My Take: Vilorio made real improvements with his swing mechanics and, not coincidentally, his contact rates last year. The tools (arm, power, speed) are worth the $1.75M bonus. Now it’s just a matter of turning the tools into baseball skills, especially at the plate. Vilorio’s a recently turned 19-year-old with a lot of potential, and also the risk that comes with being that young and having some contact questions. It may not happen in 2026, but Vilorio is the kinda prospect who could just explode into a top 100 guy one year.
No. 14: RHP Cade Winquest
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 Rule 5 Draft pick)Date of Birth: April 20th, 2000 (age 25)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 205 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Dec. 2025 Rule 5 Draft pick from Cardinals
Background: Although he was a senior with limited leverage after playing four years at Texas-Arlington, the Cardinals paid Winquest a straight slot $174,600 bonus as their eighth round pick in 2021. He’s had injuries each of the last three years (lat in 2023, back in 2024, lat again in 2025) but did reach Double-A last season. The Cardinals declined to add Winquest to the 40-man roster in November and the Yankees made him their first Rule 5 Draft pick since Cesar Cabral and Brad Meyers in 2011. AGM Mike Fishman told Bryan Hoch the Yankees had Winquest right behind Cam Schlittler on their 2022 draft board and planned to take him in the eighth round (Schlittler was their seventh rounder), but St. Louis took him three picks earlier.
The Good: Winquest was the rare Rule 5 Draft pick who spent the previous season as a starter (most Rule 5 pitchers are relievers). He has a starter’s arsenal too, starting with a mid-90s fastball that reached 98 mph in 2025. An upper-70s curveball is his best secondary pitch. The Cardinals tweaked his curveball grip in the middle of last season and it led to more whiffs (20.3 K% in his first 11 starts and 27.0 K% in his last 12 starts) and better command of the pitch. Winquest also has a low-90s cutter, a mid-80s slider, and a low-80s changeup. He’s around the zone plenty, and like many pitchers the Yankees took in the 2024 draft, he gets big extension down the mound. (Extension seems to be an organization priority now.)
The Bad: Winquest is a five-pitch pitcher who’s more like a two-pitch pitcher because the fastball and curveball are a grade above everything else. The cutter gets hit hard, the slider doesn’t elicit many whiffs, and Winquest trusts the changeup about as much as he throws it (not much). If the Yankees don’t level Winquest up, he’s a No. 5 starter/swingman type, or maybe a middle reliever. There’s also the injury history, which is just part of being a pitcher these days, but is still a bad thing.
2026 Outlook: As a Rule 5 Draft pick, Winquest must remain on the MLB 26-man roster all season, or go through waivers and be offered back to the Cardinals. I think the Yankees want to take Winquest into the regular season and give him more than a Spring Training look-see, but he’ll have to perform to keep his roster spot. It can be hard for a contender to carry a Rule 5 pick all season. Roster spots have to go to guys who can help you win. If Winquest does make the team, New York will be familiar territory. His girlfriend is from the area and he’s visited the city plenty.
My Take: You can take a Rule 5 pick ranking this high as a good thing or a bad thing. It could be bad because Rule 5 picks rarely amount to much, but also, there may be some untapped potential. People smarter than me say Winquest aligns perfectly with what the Yankees develop well, specifically low release point guys with room to add a sinker and/or sweeper, so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. Chances are Winquest will have a different arsenal than what’s described above when we see him in the Grapefruit League in a few weeks.
No. 13: RHP Jack Cebert
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 draft pick)Date of Birth: April 1st, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-3, 209 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2025 15th round, No. 464 overall ($150,000)
Background: After three years at South Florida, Cebert transferred to Texas Tech for his senior season, where he was teammates with fellow Yankees’ 2025 draft pick Mac Heuer. He pitched to a 3.45 ERA (3.95 FIP) with 20.1 K% and 7.5 BB% in 60 innings spread across two starts and 17 relief appearances for the Red Raiders last spring. The Yankees typically shut pitchers down after the draft and send them to Tampa for pitching lab work, but Cebert took to it quickly and got some innings with Hudson Valley late in the year. He was the first Yankees’ pitcher to appear in games the same year he was drafted since 2022.
The Good: Cebert was a much different guy with Hudson Valley than he was at Texas Tech. After working with a low-90s sinker and a breaking ball that was closer to a curveball than a slider in college, his primary fastball became a 95-96 mph four-seamer that registered a few 98s. The breaking ball is now a full blown sweeper in the low-80s. Cebert also added a low-90s cutter and a mid-80s changeup. He’s kept the sinker too, though it’s not a feature pitch. Remove intentional walks and Cebert ran a 6.6 BB% in college, and he continued to pound the zone in his brief (five relief appearances) stint in High-A. In a matter of weeks, the Yankees turned a two-pitch college reliever into a five-pitch pitcher (four-seamer, sinker, cutter, sweeper, changeup) with an east/west attack. Pitching development, man.
The Bad: Cebert has been this five-pitch guy for a very short period of time and we still don’t really know how this will all work over the long haul. Five pitches is nice, but if two get blasted consistently, what good are they? That kinda thing. Cebert has a glove tap in his delivery …
… and he’s had issues tipping with it (bigger tap on fastballs than breaking balls, etc.). He has had hard contact and home run trouble at times as a result. There isn’t much bad here. Cebert is an older prospect (24 on minor league Opening Day) and can get caught tipping at times, and we’re still in the early stages of figuring out how this new arsenal plays. That's about it.
2026 Outlook: Low-A Tampa was still playing when the Yankees sent Cebert to Hudson Valley. It wasn’t that High-A was the only place they could send him that late in the season. They were comfortable skipping him over Low-A and sending him right to High-A after the draft. It stands to reason then that Cebert will return to the Renegades to begin 2026. Does he start or continue to work out of the bullpen? Hmmm.
My Take: The difference between Cebert and other recent late round pitcher success stories is we saw the new him before the season let out. Usually we have to wait until Spring Training or the start of the minor league season to learn about a guy’s changes. With Cebert, we know they happened already. Anyway, that’s a reliever’s delivery up there, but don’t the Yankees have to try him as a starter? Five pitches and good control is a starting pitcher. As a reliever, Cebert could rocket up the system. I kinda think you have to see what it looks like in the rotation though. Either way, Cebert is an arrow up prospect who looks poised to obliterate the usual expectations for a 15th round pick (nothing, basically).
No. 12: LHP Pico Kohn
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 draft pick)Date of Birth: Oct., 2nd, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-4, 200 lbs., left/leftAcquired: 2025 4th round, No. 134 overall ($547,800 bonus)
Background: Although he was named Alabama High School Player of the Year in 2020, the consensus was Kohn would be better off playing college ball than turning pro, so he went undrafted. He pitched out of the bullpen as a freshman at Mississippi State in 2022, missed 2023 with Tommy John surgery, returned to start eight games in 2024, then was the team’s ace and Friday night starter in 2025. Kohn had a 4.73 ERA (3.89 FIP) with 32.6 K% and 8.3 BB% in 80 innings last spring. His 114 strikeouts were 18th most in Division I. The Yankees sent Kohn to Tampa for pitching lab work after the draft, so he’s yet to make his pro debut. Pico is a childhood nickname, by the way. His real name is William.
The Good: A funky lefty with a low arm slot, Kohn is a build-a-pitcher prospect with arm strength, feel for spin, and strike-throwing ability. Last spring his fastball sat low-90s with a few 95s, and his arm angle gives it the movement traits that cause hitters to swing under it consistently. His low-80s slider has what they call “deathball” traits, meaning a slider that has close to zero horizontal break, and instead snaps down (Jordan Montgomery throws a deathball). A mid-80s changeup and upper-70s curve he likes to flip in for a surprise first pitch called strike round out the four-pitch mix. Kohn has good command and it came all the way back after elbow reconstruction. He’s also been praised for his poise on the mound.
The Bad: You have to project a fair amount with Kohn. The fastball, even with the analytically friendly shape, is below Major League average right now. Big leaguers won’t chase the secondaries as much as college kids, especially if they don’t have to respect the fastball. The Yankees are pretty good at developing pitchers and improving their stuff, but until it happens, we just don’t know, you know?
2026 Outlook: Kohn seems High-A ready. Maybe the numbers crunch pushes him down to Low-A Tampa to begin the season, but I think he’ll play most of 2026 in Hudson Valley. We might not learn much about Kohn until he gets to Double-A. His stuff and SEC experience could overwhelm Single-A kids.
My Take: It seems like there’s enough here for Kohn to fall back on a fastball/slider/funky delivery reliever path if starting doesn’t work out, but the guy has four pitches and throws strikes. You can build on that foundation, and the Yankees have a track record of leveling pitchers up. At this point, I’m willing to give them some benefit of doubt with mid-round college arms.
No. 11: RHP Mac Heuer
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 draft pick)Date of Birth: July 7th, 2004 (age 21)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-5, 265 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2025 8th round, No. 254 overall ($400,000 bonus)
Background: Heuer, a Georgia native, didn’t play high school ball because he was homeschooled. He stood out enough in showcase events to get picked by the Guardians in the 16th round in 2023, but he turned them down, and landed at Texas Tech. Despite poor surface numbers last spring (6.28 ERA and 4.33 FIP with 19.8 K% and 9.5 BB% in 53 innings), the Yankees liked Heuer enough to pay him almost double the $212,500 slot value for the No. 254 pick as a draft-eligible sophomore. He was sent to Tampa for pitching lab work after signing and has yet to appear in a pro game. In their spare time, Heuer and his brother are livestock farmers. Their breeding ewe, Oakley, won a state championship in 2022.
The Good: Heuer parks his fastball in the mid-90s and has touched 98 mph with natural cut that should chew up wood bats. He has an unusually hard mid-80s sweeper that zooms away from righties and a mid-80s changeup that fades away from lefties. The changeup was his best pitch with the Red Raiders. Heuer also shows a curveball with good spin. It’s a big fastball, a secondary pitch for hitters on each side of the plate, plus a fourth pitch. That’s a pretty good starter kit. Heuer is said to have really taken to the Yankees' training/conditioning program after signing, and shed a good deal of weight before breaking for the offseason. The arrow is firmly pointed up.
The Bad: Heuer’s delivery is pretty rough, which is not surprising for someone with relatively few innings under his belt. He has a quick, stabbing arm action and steps across his body, which hurts his command. His release point gives hitters a good look at the ball too, so the fastball plays down a bit. You can chalk some of Heuer’s deficiencies up to inexperience, though they are things that must be improved nonetheless.
2026 Outlook: Given the inexperience, I think there’s a chance the Yankees keep Heuer in Extended Spring Training for a few weeks so he can work through things in a more controlled environment. His stuff is probably High-A ready though. Regardless of where Heuer begins the season, I’m guessing he’ll make his way to Hudson Valley at some point in 2026.
My Take: Heuer was on the radar for the Top 30 coming into things, and the more I dug into him and the more people I talked to, the more it was clear he belongs in the top half of the list. A deep arsenal with power behind it and a big, physical frame points to a future as an innings-eating starter or an imposing reliever.
No. 10: RHP Cade Smith
2025 Rank: No. 23Date of Birth: April 9th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-1, 190 lbs., left/rightAcquired: 2023 6th round, No. 192 overall ($282,900 bonus)
Background: This Cade Smith is not related to Guardians reliever Cade Smith. This Cade Smith was a key reliever for Mississippi State’s 2021 College World Series winning team before sliding into the rotation his sophomore and junior years. He was in the middle of a solid pro debut in 2024 when shoulder trouble ended his season in mid August. The rehab carried over into 2025 and delayed Smith’s season debut until July. He stayed healthy the rest of the season and pitched well in the Arizona Fall League (12.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 14 K), where the league average was a 6.04 ERA last fall.
The Good: Smith is a spin rate guy. He has three breaking balls and he uses them heavily. The mid-80s slider with break down and away from righties is his best pitch – he had a few outings last year with a 100% whiff rate on the slider (i.e. every swing missed) – though an 80-ish mph curveball gives the slider a run for its money on its best days. A new low-80s sweeper is gaining traction and gives Smith three distinct breaking ball shapes and velocity ranges. Setting those up is a low-90s fastball that he located better in his brief 2025 look than in 2024.
The Bad: It’s a mediocre fastball. Smith is 92-93 mph most days and he’ll occasionally show you a 96, but it’s arrow straight. He hasn’t added any velocity since being drafted even though the Yankees have a very good arm strength program. Smith doesn’t have a reliable changeup either. The breaking balls are most effective as chase pitches, not land-in-the-zone pitches, which leads to walks. Injuries have thrown a wrench in Smith’s last two seasons, so perhaps with good health and a normal offseason, the fastball will gain a few ticks. Right now though, the fastball is something to be avoided, not a weapon.
2026 Outlook: Smith made only eight starts in High-A last year, so he could return to Hudson Valley to begin 2026. The breaking balls have overwhelmed Single-A hitters though. Sending him to Double-A to challenge him against more advanced hitters would make sense. I’m sure Smith will pitch in Somerset at some point this season either way.
My Take: It’s hard to succeed in the big leagues with a middling fastball, but it is doable. Griffin Jax spams secondaries (less than 30% fastballs in 2025), for example. Jax also got blasted as a starter earlier in his career, and had to move to the bullpen to carve out a role. Unless the fastball ticks up or he proves to be an outlier in terms of pitch usage as a starter, Smith looks bullpen bound, and the breakers give him a chance to be a good, high strikeout reliever.
No. 9: RHP Chase Hampton
2025 Rank: No. 8Date of Birth: Aug. 8th, 2001 (age 24)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 220 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2022 6th round, No. 190 overall ($497,500 bonus)
Background: The Yankees gave Hampton an almost double slot bonus out of Texas Tech (slot for the No. 190 pick was $264,000) and within a year he was in the conversation for top 100 prospect lists. The last two years have been lost seasons though. Hampton was limited to 18.2 innings by flexor and groin strains in 2024, then he blew out last spring and had Tommy John surgery. The Yankees added Hampton to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection purposes in November, which indicates his rehab is going well.
The Good: Until Hampton gets back on a mound and we see what’s what, I will assume the scouting report is the same. His four-seamer resides in the 93-97 mph range with explosive life up the zone. Both breaking balls – mid-80s sweeper and upper-70s curveball – are bat-missers, with the curveball tunneling well off the fastball. Hampton also has an upper-80s cutter that is his go-to weapon against lefties. He throws strikes and is very competitive. That was the report before his UCL gave out last spring, anyway.
The Bad: Hampton’s stuff was diminished when he returned from the flexor strain in July 2024 (he didn’t throw a single fastball over 94.0 mph) and we just don’t know if that was rust or a sign his stuff has been more seriously compromised by the injury. The changeup was a work in progress before the injuries and his biggest developmental need. Arm injuries, especially a series of arm injuries, are never good, and they’ve cost Hampton crucial development time.
2026 Outlook: Hampton had his Tommy John surgery about two weeks into Spring Training. It was pretty early in the year, so figure May or June is when he’ll pop back up in minor league box scores. If you’re on the 40-man roster, you’re a big league option, though I imagine the Yankees view 2026 as a rehab year and plan to fully re-unleash Hampton in 2027.
My Take: Not much of a take to have right now. Hampton hasn’t pitched in a meaningful way in over two years. We just have to wait and see what he looks like when he returns this summer. That the Yankees added him to the 40-man roster is good news. I’m not sure that happens if Hampton’s rehab had hit a significant snag last summer.
No. 8: RHP Thatcher Hurd
2025 Rank: No. 11Date of Birth: Dec. 9th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-4, 230 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2024 3rd round, No. 89 overall ($836,400 bonus)
Background: Hurd has been on the radar since he was a catcher early in his high school days in Southern California. He converted to pitching and was a second or third round talent going into the 2021 draft, but a strong commitment to UCLA caused him to go undrafted. Hurd spent one year with the Bruins, then transferred to LSU. He started and won the 2023 College World Series clincher: 6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K against a Florida lineup that included Jac Caglianone and Wyatt Langford. A year later, the Yankees paid him a slot bonus as their third round pick. Hurd blew out his elbow last spring and had Tommy John surgery. He’s yet to pitch in a professional game.
The Good: The healthy version of Hurd has knockout stuff. He was 95-97 mph and regularly touched 99 mph as a starter at LSU, and the pitch had run in on the hands of righties. Both the mid-80s slider and upper-70s/low-80s curveball have high spin rates, the latter of which is a hammer that gets whiffs in the zone and chases below the zone.
I thought the Yankees might turn the slider into a sweeper, though people smarter than me said Hurd doesn’t have the arm slot for a sweeper, so a traditional slider it is. Hurd also throws a changeup and a cutter, which are distant fourth and fifth pitches. Until he gets healthy and shows otherwise, Hurd is a big fastball guy with two quality breaking balls, plus two other pitches that may or may not work long-term.
The Bad: Throwing strikes has never been Hurd’s calling card (12.7 BB% at LSU) and it’s not because he has a violent delivery or wonky mechanics. Throwing strikes is hard and he hasn’t figured out how to do it consistently yet. The lack of control and lack of a cutter/changeup to keep lefties quiet creates reliever risk. Plus there’s the Tommy John surgery.
2026 Outlook: Like Chase Hampton, Hurd had his Tommy John surgery at the end of February. Figure May or June for his return to game action and thus his pro debut. 2026 will be a rehab year with the coming out party scheduled for 2027.
My Take: I was excited for Hurd going into 2025. He was high on my list of prospects I was looking forward to tracking. Not much more to say right now. Hopefully Hurd’s stuff returns fully intact after surgery, if not improves (it happens!), and he can vault up the prospect rankings in short order.
No. 7: RHP Bryce Cunningham
2025 Rank: No. 6Date of Birth: Dec. 20th, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-5, 230 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2024 2nd round, No. 53 overall ($2.2975M bonus)
Background: A two-time All-Star and two-time champion in the Cape Cod League, Cunningham had a good junior year as a starter at Vanderbilt after spending most of his freshman and sophomore years in the bullpen. The Yankees paid him an overslot bonus (slot for the No. 53 pick was $1.7212M) as the second of the seven straight picks they used on pitchers to open the 2024 draft. Cunningham missed two weeks with a shoulder issue last May, returned to make two starts, then missed two months with the same shoulder issue. He did get healthy in time to make five starts (on a pitch limit) in the Arizona Fall League.
The Good: The AzFL stint was ugly (13 IP, 20 H, 19 R, 9 BB, 8 K) but Cunningham has the goods. His four-seamer sits mid-90s and got up to 98 mph before the injury, and the pitch has good rise up at the letters. His best pitch is a mid-80s changeup with unusually high spin that plays nicely off the fastball. The Yankees gave Cunningham an upper-80s cutter that quickly became a nasty little pitch he’s comfortable throwing to batters on both sides of the plate. The cutter bridges his fastball and a sweeper he’s working to pick up. The healthy version of Cunningham is a fastball/cutter/changeup pitcher who locates well and has a work in progress sweeper. He also stands out for his extension down the mound.
The Bad: Cunningham never looked right after the shoulder injury. There was less life on the heater (Statcast had him with four whiffs on 127 fastballs in the AzFL, which, yikes), less bite on the cutter and changeup, the sweeper was out of whack and more like a curveball, and he didn’t control anything. The makings of a quality three or four-pitch starter are there. We just didn’t see it after Cunningham went on the shelf last May.
2026 Outlook: The Yankees have enough arms to cover Somerset’s rotation to begin 2026, so I would expect Cunningham to return to High-A to start the season. He made only 11 starts with Hudson Valley around the shoulder injury anyway. A midseason (or sooner) promotion to Double-A is in the cards.
My Take: That Cunningham looked diminished after the shoulder surgery is worrisome, though it was his first arm injury, and let’s see what he looks like once he’s fully healthy. The changeup was a knockout pitch in college and could be in pro ball, and the cutter becoming a feature pitch right away is a positive to take away from 2026. Cunningham could jump up these rankings in a hurry this summer.
No. 6: OF Spencer Jones
2025 Rank: No. 2Date of Birth: May 14th, 2001 (age 24)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-7, 240 lbs., left/leftAcquired: 2022 1st round, No. 25 overall ($2.8808M bonus)
Background: A broken elbow as a high school senior in San Diego ended Jones’ career as a two-way player. He turned the Angels down as their 31st round pick in 2019 and instead headed to Vanderbilt, where Tommy John surgery and the pandemic limited him to 109 games in three years. A big junior year (.370/.460/.643) landed him in the first round in 2022. Jones missed four weeks with an intercostal strain last summer yet still finished second in the minors, finishing one homer behind Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward while taking 148 fewer plate appearances. He was added to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection reasons in November.
The Good: It starts with the athleticism and power. Jones is an excellent athlete not just for his size, but in general. His power is on par with anyone in the minors. He ran a 108 mph 90th percentile exit velocity in Triple-A, comfortably above the 103 mph Triple-A average and 104 mph average for 24-year-olds. Jones can hit the ball out of any part of any park, though his natural stroke is the other way to left and left-center. Here are his Triple-A homers:
Thanks to that raw power, Jones’ on-contact production is outrageous. Performance in plate appearances that do not end in a strikeout is a good quick and dirty measure of how well you hit the ball, and Jones hit .463/.560/.965 when he didn’t strike out last year. The Triple-A average was .342/.441/.559 (Aaron Judge hit .470/.597/.974 when he didn’t strike out, for reference). When he gets hot, Jones can look like the best hitter in baseball (he hit 19 homers in 33 games at one point last year). He’s speedy and a threat on the bases too. Jones is a good defender in center and, for the first time as a professional, he played some left and right fields last year as well.
The Bad: There is only one question will Jones. Will he make enough contact for the power and really any of this to matter? He doesn’t even need good contact rates. Below average is plenty. But the numbers are ghastly. Jones missed with 43% of his swings last year, the highest whiff rate in the minors. Against breaking balls, he ran a 45% chase rate and 54% whiff rate. His in-zone contact rate in Triple-A was 72%. That would have been the lowest among qualified MLB hitters, and Jones did it in Triple-A.
The lack of contact is not for a lack of effort. Jones is a hard worker who has changed his setup at the plate multiple times, including during the season (this is all 2025) …
… in an effort to find something comfortable and something that works. He has been able to level his swing out some, but the bottom line is Jones has a long and complicated swing that just doesn’t find the ball consistently. There are also swing decision issues, particularly on fastballs up and breaking balls that dip below the zone. Maybe Jones proves to be an outlier and this works and none of it ever makes sense, but there isn’t a hitter in the big leagues who makes this little contact and contributes offensively. Also, Jones has slowed down a bit in the field and on the bases. He may already be past his defensive/baserunning peak.
2026 Outlook: Before Cody Bellinger re-signed, there was chatter the Yankees would give Jones a chance to win a job in Spring Training. There’s no harm in dangling the carrot, but I never really bought it. Jones will start the season back in Scranton and figures to make his MLB debut at some point in 2026, even if only as the token September call up.
My Take: There are very few players with a chance to hit 40 home runs while playing center field, and Jones is one of them. That’s why I can’t quit him and why he’ll get a good long leash to figure things out. If it doesn’t click until he’s 27, who cares? I'd take it. The contact issues are firmly in fatal flaw territory though, and there hasn’t been much improvement over the years. I don’t think it’ll work – sometimes it really is as simple as “this guy strikes out too much” – but I don’t think you can close the door right now either. The upside is just too immense.
No. 5: RHP Ben Hess
2025 Rank: No. 5Date of Birth: Sept. 3rd, 2002 (age 23)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-5, 255 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2024 1st round, No. 26 overall ($2.7475M bonus)
Background: Two years ago the Yankees made Hess, who went undrafted out of his Illinois high school in 2021, their first first round pick pitcher since Clarke Schmidt in 2017. Like Schmidt, Hess signed a below slot bonus (slot for the No. 26 pick was $3.3329M) because he had injuries in college, including a flexor strain in 2023. Hess threw 138.1 innings in three years at Alabama. He missed about a month last summer with some kinda non-arm injury. I’ve been unable to track down what, exactly.
The Good: The Yankees used their first seven picks on pitchers in 2024 and specifically targeted power stuff with big extension down the mound, and that’s Hess. He has a wide velocity range with his four-seamer. It’ll register anywhere from 91-98 mph within a start, and the movement traits make it awfully tough to square up. The Yankees gave Hess a sweeper during their post-draft pitching lab work and also firmed up his changeup, specifically deadening it to subtract velocity and add tumble (pretty much exactly what they did with Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, and Luke Weaver). In terms of non-fastballs, Hess now has a mid-80s traditional slider, a low-80s changeup, an upper-70s sweeper, and a mid-70s curveball. The curveball is probably his best pitch, though it all works. Hess is big and strong with a workhorse build, and he pitches with a bit of an attitude.
The Bad: There are still inconsistencies with the breaking balls, which can blend together when Hess doesn’t execute properly. Also, those breaking balls come in a few ticks slower than average. Breaking balls are like fastballs, the more velocity the better, and Hess could use a bit more on his benders. He needs to firm the slider and curveball up for both velocity and shape reasons. Hess has an injury history, including a stress fracture in his back and the flexor strain, plus whatever sidelined him last year. Walks are an issue at times as well.
2026 Outlook: Hess made seven starts with Somerset late last year and I expect him to return to Double-A to begin this season. He could be up in Scranton as early as May. That wouldn’t surprise me. There is a chance Hess, who won’t be Rule 5 Draft eligible until after 2027, will make his big league debut this summer, though I would characterize it as a small chance, and probably not something we want to happen (it would take a pitching crisis in the Bronx).
My Take: The prospect pitch data people who are much smarter than me love Hess and believe he’s on the verge of a significant breakout in 2026. I can see it. The fastball misses bats and barrels, and there are enough secondary pitches to neutralize righties and lefties. The arrow is pointing up.
No. 4: SS George Lombard Jr.
2025 Rank: No. 8Date of Birth: June 2nd, 2005 (age 20)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 190 lbs., right/rightAcquired: 2023 1st round, No. 26 overall ($3.3M bonus)
Background: One of the youngest players in the 2023 draft class, Lombard reached Double-A about a month before his 20th birthday last year. He struggled initially before settling in and finishing well, which has been the pattern every time he’s been promoted. Lombard’s father, George Sr., played six seasons in the big leagues and is a longtime coach who’s had stops with the Red Sox, Braves, Dodgers, and Tigers. He has been A.J. Hinch’s bench coach with the Tigers since 2021. Lombard’s younger brother, Jacob, is a top 2026 draft prospect with a chance to go in the top five picks.
The Good: It starts on the defensive side of the ball with Lombard. He’s a natural at short and he makes it look easy thanks to polished footwork, reliable hands, a strong and accurate arm, and the instincts you expect from the son of a former player/current coach. The Yankees helped Lombard clean up some bad habits (mostly footwork stuff) soon after he signed in 2023 and he’s been a steady gloveman since. At the plate, Lombard stays in the zone (17% chase rate in 2025) and he added 2 mph to his average exit velocity last year, and he cut his ground ball rate from 47% to 40%. The foundation is there for a disciplined hitter with okay contact rates and surprising pop. Lombard is a popular teammate and folks love his makeup and smarts.
The Bad: There are definitely some things that have to be ironed out with Lombard’s swing. His hardest contact is into the ground (his hardest non-grounder was 108 mph in 2025), so that decrease in ground ball rate showed up as more cans of corn. Lombard’s swing is grooved for middle-down (he missed with 45% of his swings at pitches in the upper third of the zone last season), so the attack plan is pretty simple. Feed him velocity up, and you’ll be okay. Lombard still has issues drifting at the plate and letting his stride get too big, leading to timing issues. The offseason homework was leveling out the bat path and that’s something that can click instantly (see: Ben Rice in 2023), but isn’t easy.
2026 Outlook: The Yankees love Lombard and his rapid climb through the minors is evidence of that. They’re comfortable pushing him. Given how the Yankees have handled him, we can’t rule out Lombard starting 2026 in Scranton after playing 108 games in Double-A last season, but I think he’ll start the year back in Somerset. There’s a chance, maybe even a good one, Lombard will reach Triple-A before turning 21 in June.
My Take: The defense gives Lombard a reasonably high floor but there are real issues with his bat path that have to be corrected to max out his offensive potential. Issues that can require a longer timeline to resolve than what the Yankees seem willing to give him. For the current version of Lombard, the upside is a 7-8-9 hitter who does more offensively through plate discipline than impacting the baseball, and still puts up +3 WAR (maybe even +4 WAR) via the glove. Successful swing adjustments would boost his offensive outlook quite a bit.
No. 3: RHP Elmer Rodríguez
2025 Rank: No. 9Date of Birth: Aug. 18th, 2003 (age 22)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-3, 160 lbs., left/rightAcquired: Carlos Narváez trade with Red Sox (Dec. 11th, 2024)
Background: The Yankees and Red Sox have made four trades in the last five years and the most recent brought the prospect formerly known as Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and international bonus money (used to sign Stiven Marinez) to the organization. Rodríguez dropped the Cruz this offseason. He told Randy Miller there’s not much to the name change. He’s always gone by Rodríguez, but his mother filled out the paperwork for an amateur tournament as Rodriguez-Cruz, and it stuck through the draft process. The Red Sox drafted Rodríguez out of his Puerto Rico high school with their fourth round pick in 2021 and paid him a slightly below slot $497,500 bonus. The Yankees added him to the 40-man roster for Rule 5 Draft protection purposes in November.
The Good: Rodríguez, aka Big Glue, fits the mold of so many pitching prospects who’ve come out of the system the last few years as a low arm slot guy with an east/west attack and movement that borders on cartoonish. Think Mike King, Clarke Schmidt, Will Warren, etc. He’s a six-pitch pitcher who feeds righties mid-90s sinkers (98 mph max) and low-80s sweepers. Lefties get the kitchen sink. Mid-90s four-seamers, low-90s cutters, a mid-80s split-change, and loopy mid-70s curveballs. By design, Rodríguez dropped his arm angle roughly 10 degrees last year (that’s A LOT) and the horizontal movement on everything jumped. Thanks to the depth of his arsenal, Rodríguez has been better against lefties than righties throughout his career, avoiding the platoon issues that Schmidt, Warren, and others have run into. He’s a very good athlete who repeats his delivery and is around the zone plenty. His pitching know-how and competitiveness are pluses too.
The Bad: Not much, really. Rodríguez lacks a standout pitch and works with several good pitches more than one or two great pitches, which can be a bit of a ceiling-limiter. Also, it’s control more than command, especially with fastballs. Rodríguez is in the zone more than on the edges and big league hitters will make him pay for fastballs that leak middle-middle (he has this issue with sinkers more than four-seamers) far more than Double-A hitters. That’s about it. Rodríguez is a pretty complete pitching prospect with some nitpicky deficiencies.
2026 Outlook: After a late-season bump to Triple-A last year, Rodríguez will return to Scranton to begin 2026, and might be at the front of the line for a call up when a need arises. If he doesn’t make his MLB debut this season, it will mean the Yankees had a ridiculous healthy season in the big leagues, or that something very bad has happened with Rodríguez.
My Take: As good as he was in 2025 (three homers in 150 innings!), Rodríguez to me falls somewhere between King and Warren in terms of the quality of his stuff and execution, which isn’t bad by any means. It just puts him closer to the middle of a rotation than the front, and hey, teams need No. 3 starters too. That said, Rodríguez has shown the ability to make adjustments (the sinker and cutter really came on in 2025), and putting a ceiling on a pitching prospect these days is kinda silly with the things teams can do.
No. 2: RHP Carlos Lagrange
2025 Rank: No. 17Date of Birth: May 23rd, 2003 (age 22)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-7, 248 lbs., right/rightAcquired: Signed Feb. 2022 out of the Dominican Republic ($10,000 bonus)
Background: Signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count against the international bonus pools and the Yankees have found a few quality prospects at that price, with Lagrange emerging as the keeper from a group that includes trade chips Ezequiel Duran (Joey Gallo), Jared Serna (Jazz Chisholm Jr.), and Randy Vásquez (Trent Grisham/Juan Soto). After being limited to 30 innings by a back issue in 2024, Lagrange fully broke out in 2025, and spent most of the season with Double-A Somerset after making only five career starts above rookie ball prior to last year. He got the Spring Breakout start last year and allowed two runs in four innings against the Orioles.
The Good: MLB finally updated Lagrange’s official weight. He was listed at 195 lbs. prior to last season. Anyway, Lagrange is a massive human with massive stuff, ranking second in the minors in Stuff+ last year according to Baseball America’s model (subs. req’d). The four-seamer averaged 98 mph and Lagrange held that velocity both deep into starts and deep into the season (he hit 103.1 mph in his third-to-last start). The vertical break and run in on righties makes it a bully ball bat-misser in the zone, particularly up.
The fastball’s always been there. The breakout came thanks to improved secondary pitches, particularly a power mid-80s changeup that keeps running away from lefties. It had a 55% whiff rate last year. Lagrange throws both an upper-80s slider that dives below the zone and a low-80s sweeper. The traditional (“gyro”) slider has been more effective to date.
Despite his arm strength, Lagrange gets about 4 mph more velocity separation than average between his fastball and both sliders. He can really speed you up with the heater and then slow you down with the breaking balls. (The changeup has about average velocity separation. Nothing special there.) Lagrange has a top of the line fastball, a suddenly great changeup, and two breaking balls. That plays.
The Bad: Lagrange is a tall pitcher and not the best athlete, leading to mechanical inconsistencies and poor strike-throwing. That will probably always be the case. There was a time last year when it appeared he figured things out (6.8 BB% first nine starts), but that didn’t last (15.8 BB% last 14 starts). There is some thought that the huge velocity separation between fastball and sliders is a bad thing because it can be easier to distinguish between the two pitches, though that hasn’t played out for Lagrange yet. It could against more advanced hitters. The sweeper was surprisingly ineffective against righties, enough that it could get scrapped in the future and the traditional slider becomes the feature breaking ball (sweepers are going out of style anyway). Mostly though, the bad is the poor control and the reliever risk that comes with it.
2026 Outlook: I’ve mentally had Lagrange penciled into the Double-A rotation to begin 2026, but he made 15 starts and threw 78.1 innings there last season. Given how aggressively the Yankees move their top prospects, I think Lagrange might start the year with Scranton? If not, he should get there in short order. Lagrange will be Rule 5 Draft eligible after the season and there’s a real chance he gets added to the 40-man roster before then and makes his big league debut sometime this year.
My Take: I went back and forth with Lagrange and Elmer Rodríguez for the No. 2 spot as I put this list together, and ultimately decided to go with the greater upside even if it comes with greater risk. Luis Gil won Rookie of the Year with a 12.1 BB%. Dylan Cease and his career 10.0 BB% just signed for $210M. As long as the stuff is electric, you can be effective with a high walk rate. I hope Lagrange can rein in his control a bit, but the stuff is so good that I feel pretty good about his chances of carving out a big league role, and being impactful within that role.
No. 1: SS Dax Kilby
2025 Rank: N/A (2025 draft pick)Date of Birth: Nov. 17th, 2006 (age 19)Height, Weight, Bats/Throws: 6-foot-2, 190 lbs., left/rightAcquired: 2025 1st round, No. 39 overall ($2.7975M bonus)
Background: Technically, the pick fell within Competitive Balance Round A, though that No. 39 selection was the Yankees’ first round pick last summer after luxury tax penalties bumped what was originally the No. 29 pick back 10 spots. The Yankees used that pick on Kilby, who was a late riser out of his Georgia high school last spring. Rob Manfred incorrectly called him “Dax Kirby” as he announced the pick. The Yankees went a bit over the $2.5095M slot value for the No. 39 pick to sign don’t-call-me-Kirby.
The Good: Kilby is his draft’s “everyone was too low on this guy” prospect. The evaluations withing the game are every bit as good as that small sample size slash line. He’s an outlier athlete (Kilby has a 41-inch vertical to his name) with natural gifts that are already baseball skills. Kilby ran an 11% chase rate during his pro debut with average (91 mph) and 90th percentile (104 mph) exit velocities far better than average for his age group. (The average 90th percentile exit velocity for 18-year-olds was 100 mph in 2025.)
There’s little chase and also little swing and miss in Kilby’s game (4% swinging strikes) thanks to very little pre-pitch movement and a short, slashy swing that covers the entire strike zone. He’s just as adept at pulling an inside pitch as he is poking an outside pitch the other way.
Kilby is one of the fastest straight line runners in the system. It’s contact, it’s raw power, it’s plate discipline, and it’s speed. The total package points to an impactful hitter who gets the “pesky” label. He’s also a rangy shortstop with a good idea of how to play the position.
The Bad: Kilby ran a 54% ground ball rate in his brief pro debut and ideally he would add a little more loft to his swing to turn those exit velocities into not necessarily more home runs, but more extra-base hits in general. His approach borders on passive – Kilby swung at only one-third of the pitches he saw in those 81 plate appearances last season. Can the Yankees get him to be more aggressive in the zone and add more loft without sacrificing too much (any?) contact ability and chase rate?
Defensively, Kilby is an awkward thrower with a hurried release and a low arm slot that leads to erratic throws across the diamond. His arm strength is below average. Even with his range and mobility, Kilby doesn’t look particularly natural at shortstop, and the arm’s not there for third. Second base could work, but with that speed and athleticism, it might be worth seeing what Kilby looks like in center field. For sure though, Kilby’s a bat-first prospect, and there’s some pressure on the bat given some defensive limitations.
2026 Outlook: The Yankees promote their best prospects very aggressively these days but I just can’t imagine they’ll start Kilby with High-A Hudson Valley this season. Yeah, he was great in Low-A, but it was 18 games, and he’s 19. I expect Kilby to start the season back with Tampa. A midseason promotion to Hudson Valley could be in the cards, and even that would be aggressive for a player this age (but also something the Yankees seem very comfortable doing given how they've handled George Lombard Jr.).
My Take: I did not come into this exercise expecting to rank Kilby No. 1, but the reviews are so good and the underlying data is so strong. Other than an “it clicked” version of Spencer Jones, Kilby has the highest offensive upside in the system, and there’s not much collapse risk given the contact/discipline. It's a very stable offensive foundation. He’s also likely to play an up-the-middle position long-term. Maybe I’m a year early having Kilby at No. 1. I’m okay with that. I’m an offense-first guy and Kilby’s skill set is the one I like most in the system.
* * *
The Yankees have never been shy about trading inventory. They keep their big ticket prospects and clear out the shelves of everyone else. Never was that more evident than at last summer’s trade deadline. Third base, the bench, and the bullpen were glaring needs and the Yankees moved a small army of prospects to address those needs. (Third base and the bench were predictable issues. The bullpen problem annoyingly popped up in-season.)
With the caveat that I do not spend a ton of time following prospects after the Yankees trade them, here’s where the notable still prospect-eligible players the Yankees have traded away the last few months/years would slot into this year’s Top 30 (traded players in bold to make them easier to find):
1. SS Dax Kilby2. RHP Carlos Lagrange3. RHP Elmer Rodríguez4. SS George Lombard Jr.5. RHP Ben Hess6. OF Kevin Alcántara (Anthony Rizzo trade)7. OF Spencer Jones8. RHP Christian Zazueta (Caleb Ferguson trade)9. OF Dillon Lewis (Ryan Weathers trade)10. RHP Bryce Cunningham11. RHP Thatcher Hurd12. RHP Chase Hampton13. C/1B Rafael Flores (David Bednar trade)14. RHP Drew Thorpe (Trent Grisham/Juan Soto trade)15. RHP Cade Smith16. RHP Mac Heuer17. LHP Pico Kohn18. RHP Jack Cebert19. LHP Griffin Herring (Ryan McMahon trade)20. OF Brendan Jones (Ryan Weathers trade)21. RHP Cade Winquest22. OF Francisco Vilorio23. C Jesus Rodriguez (Camilo Doval trade)24. 2B Roc Riggio (Jake Bird trade)25. IF Juan Matheus (Ryan Weathers trade)26. LHP Kyle Carr27. 1B/3B/OF Parks Harber (Camilo Doval trade)28. LHP Brock Selvidge29. RHP Josh Grosz (Ryan McMahon trade)30. IF Dylan Jasso (Ryan Weathers trade)31. SS Kaeden Kent32. LHP Henry Lalane33. SS Mani Cedeno34. 3B Richard Matic35. SS Stiven Marinez36. RHP Clayton Beeter (Amed Rosario trade)37. C Edgleen Perez (David Bednar trade)38. LHP Allen Facundo39. LHP Carlos De La Rosa (Camilo Doval trade)40. LHP Xavier Rivas41. RHP Brendan Beck42. LHP Ben Shields (Jake Bird trade)43. OF Wilson Rodriguez44. IF Juan Torres45. OF Jace Avina46. 2B/3B Enmanuel Tejeda47. RHP Gage Ziehl (Austin Slater trade)48. OF Brando Mayea49. 1B T.J. Rumfield (Angel Chivilli trade)50. RHP Trystan Vrieling (Camilo Doval trade)51. OF Brian Sanchez (David Bednar trade)52. OF Marshall Toole (José Caballero trade)
Alcántara made Keith Law’s top 100 list this spring (No. 41), but not any others. He’s had some injury trouble and strikeout issues in Triple-A, but he’s still only 23 with serious power and good defensive chops in center field. Alcántara was given a fourth minor league option for 2026, which stinks for him but is good for the Cubs, who can let him marinate another year in Iowa. He would be a fourth outfielder candidate with the Yankees this spring.
I wrote about Lewis a few times leading up to the trade and he’s Temu Alcántara as a righty exit velocity guy with good defense and contact concerns. Flores made his MLB debut with the Pirates after the trade and went 3-for-15 (.200) with two doubles and seven strikeouts. He’d fit nicely right now as a righty hitting option at first base and catcher. The Yankees needed a reliever though, so to Pittsburgh Flores went.
The Padres flipped Thorpe to the White Sox in the Dylan Cease trade and he had a 5.48 ERA (5.87 FIP) in 44.1 big league innings in 2024, 5.2 innings short of losing prospect eligibility. The changeup remains elite but the low-90s fastball got hit very hard (.640 xSLG in 2024), which was the big worry. Thorpe had Tommy John surgery last March and should resurface in the big leagues sometime in the second half.
I answered mailbag questions about Zazueta and (Brendan) Jones recently. Grosz, Herring, Shields, and Ziehl are the kinda depth arms/trade chips the Yankees churn out every year. Their order above reflects the quality of their stuff. Jasso, Matheus, Riggio, and Rodriguez are platoon/bench guys. Rodriguez is a high contact/low power/chase happy hitter prone to defensive lapses. I wouldn’t have considered him a righty hitting backup catcher option going into 2026. At least not a serious one.
Harber, an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina in July 2024, has done nothing but mash as a pro. He’s a career .312/.413/.528 (166 wRC+) hitter who has put up towering exit velocities. Harber doesn’t have a position though, he’s had trouble turning on velocity, and he’s been old (sometimes very old) for his level every step of the way. We have to see what happens when he gets to Double-A this year.
Perez was my No. 15 prospect last year and I called him an exciting prospect. Then he slugged .232 in close to a full season in Low-A, and the Yankees moved him for Bednar. De La Rosa is on One Who Got Away watch. The 18-year-old had a 4.73 ERA (2.30 FIP) with 34.7 K% and 6.8 BB% in the DSL last year, and is a lefty who sits mid-90s with analytics-approved traits, and has two secondaries.
There are a few other traded prospect-eligible players still hanging around who aren’t really prospects at this point, including John Cruz (Jon Berti), Jack Neely (Mark Leiter Jr.), and Jared Serna (Jazz Chisholm Jr.). Other than Alcántara, Zazueta, and maybe Lewis and Thorpe, the Yankees have traded a lot of guys but not many capital-G Guys, if you catch my drift.
As for players currently in the system, Rodríguez and Jones strike me as the only prospects with a chance to reach the big leagues this year and make an impact. Lagrange could do it (maybe Hess too), though I’m tempering expectations in terms of MLB-readiness. Beck could see up/down duty. Kilby and Lombard are the most likely candidates to be next year’s No. 1 prospect, with Vilorio a very deep sleeper.
The typical Yankees’ farm system these days is a few super athletic position players near the top, about a dozen pitchers who will pitch in the big leagues with varying levels of impact, and lottery tickets in the very low minors. That is the state of things right now, albeit with less depth than in the past. If nothing else, the 2025 draft class already looks awfully interesting. Cebert, Heuer, Kohl, et al have a chance to really pop this summer.