After roughly two months of full-season Minor League action, the Yankees have had some incredible risers and some disappointing crashes in the farm system. Our top 10 update from May and our pre-season top 30 are outdated given how much has changed over the last two months in the farm system, requiring a full update for the farm system to better evaluate their prospect pool.
It’s a farm system that’s in better shape right now than it was at the end of last season, and with tons of exciting players to discuss, here are some honorable mentions that just missed the cut:
- Dillon Lewis – OF
- Brendan Beck – RHP
- Eric Reyzelman – RHP
- Brando Mayea – OF
- Bryce Warrecker – RHP
READ MORE: Yankees 7, Red Sox 11: Good news and bad news from another pitching disaster
No. 30-21
30. Jace Avina – OF
The Good: Jace Avina has improved his contact, walk, pull, and flyball rates from last season, resulting in a 155 wRC+ and .419 OBP in 40 games for the Hudson Valley Renegades. I loved what I saw from him in Spring Training at the team’s Minor League Complex, as the power he displayed is easy to fall in love with. Avina can play a solid corner outfield as he’s a pretty good athlete, and I think he should be in Double-A when he returns from the IL.
The Bad: Injuries have limited Avina’s output over the last two seasons, and they can halt a player’s growth in it’s tracks if those issues persist. There are also some real contact concerns despite his improvements from last season, as he’s making contact at a ~70% clip with a 13.9% Swinging Strike Rate, and those numbers only tend to get worse when a player faces better pitching at higher levels.
Summary: A power-hitting outfielder who could be a tweak away from ripping through the Yankees’ farm system, Jace Avina has some glaring flaws that create a volatile projection with tantalizing upside but a concerning floor.
29. Brendan Jones – OF
The Good: Brendan Jones is a hard-nosed outfielder who can run the bases well, play excellent defense in the outfield, and work tons of walks. He’s got a lot of Brett Gardner to his profile, and Jones idolized the long-time Yankee growing up despite watching more college baseball than he did Major League Baseball. This kind of player doesn’t project to become a superstar, but they can become a really valuable contributor on a contender for years due to their well-rounded profile.
The Bad: In college he ran some really low exit velocity numbers, and the limited ceiling will always hurt a prospect’s overall projection. If the odds of becoming a star are really low, it’s hard to rank that kind of player highly even if they can become a solid big league regular. The Yankees have seen some improvements with his batted ball quality this year, but he’ll need to slug more to reach the Major Leagues.
Summary: A gritty outfielder who rarely has a clean jersey after the game’s over, Brendan Jones profiles as a valuable fourth outfielder who can play all three outfield spots and start in a pinch.
28. Cade Smith – SP
The Good: With a 30.1% K% and 3.65 ERA across 21 appearances at the Single-A and High-A levels, Cade Smith was a swing-and-miss machine who displayed a strong three-pitch mix. He sports a solid fastball sitting at 92-93 MPH with good ride with two brilliant breaking balls in a gyro slider and curveball. With a lower release height he can be a tough pitcher for hitters to pick up, and he displayed a sweeper and changeup towards the end of the year with promise.
The Bad: Smith has yet to throw a pitch this season due to an injury, and we still don’t know when he’ll pitch. He also only threw 62% of his pitches last season for strikes, and I need to see those fourth and fifth pitches develop before I completely buy-in on the repertoire. His fastball did not generate many whiffs last season so if he doesn’t have a deep repertoire capable of masking the heater, he’ll likely end up in a reliever role.
Summary: A pitcher with good swing-and-miss rates and an abnormal armslot, Cade Smith looks to be a solid reliever who could become a backend starter with the right adjustments.
27. Everson Pereira – OF
The Good: Everson Pereira still absolutely crushes the baseball, a good sign considering how Tommy John Surgery affects your power in the first few months of play after returning from it. He almost made the team out of Spring Training, and might have over Pablo Reyes had he been healthy enough to play the outfield full-time, as his glove and swing decisions grade out positively.
The Bad: The hope when he struggled in 2023 and opened the season in Scranton in 2024 was that more time in the Minor Leagues would help his contact rates go from awful to tolerable. Instead, he’s made less contact than he did that season and has gone from a backend top-100 prospect to outside of my top-30. A sub-60% Contact% while having a high groundball rate simply doesn’t play in the big leagues, and he’s unlikely to play for the Yankees again if this keeps up.
Summary: Everson Pereira has so much power, plays such a good left field, and is still an effective baserunner, but he won’t get reps on the Yankees because of his hit tool and is going to end up in a different organization by 2026.
26. Parks Harber – 1B/3B
The Good: Parks Harber has rapidly progressed from non-prospect to another UDFA in the Yankees’ organization as he’s rocking an OPS north of .900 with solid contact rates and tons of raw power. He had an average exit velocity north of 95 MPH with the Tampa Tarpons, displaying double-plus raw power with solid launch angles. I’ve also seen him make some pretty good plays at third base and think he can stick at the position, so I don’t think he’s a bat only prospect.
The Bad: At 23 years old, there’s going to immediately be a shroud of doubt surrounding any success he has at either Single-A or High-A. This will be further questioned by the fact that he ended up going undrafted last season, which will leave evaluators to believe the other shoe will drop at the upper levels of the Minor Leagues. The low pull rates will also raise concern about whether his game power will ever match his raw power.
Summary: Parks Harber has a lot to prove to become a household name in the Yankees’ organization, but his power tools and rapidly improving hit tool are too good to completely ignore regardless of age.
25. Sabier Marte – RHP
The Good: Sabier Marte displayed advanced strike-throwing abilities despite being a tall lanky right-hander, and his feel for spinning the ball to the arm-side is impressive. The changeup is a great pitch and serves as the foundation for a strong arsenal that includes a fastball and slider, and he sported a 58.2% GB% with a 2.76 ERA in 49 innings at the Florida Complex League as a 20-year-old.
The Bad: Placed on the full-season IL, we won’t see Marte throw a single pitch for the Yankees this season and that’s a heart-breaker. His age-21 season was supposed to be one full of excitement as he could have cracked the Tampa Tarpons rotation, but we’ll have to wait until 2026 at the very least to see him throw again. He’s also incredibly thin and saw his strike rates decrease by nearly 10% from his DSL days, so he has some work to do when he’s finally healthy.
Summary: A tall projectable pitcher who could take off with a year to recover and bulk up, Sabier Marte is an arm worth keeping tabs on as he could take a sizable leap in 2026 if he returns to the mound 10-15 pounds heavier.
24. Clayton Beeter – RHP
The Good: After beginning the season on the IL, Clayton Beeter has returned with his stuff looking just as good as it did when he moved to the bullpen last summer. His fastball has tons of ride while sitting around 95-96 MPH and the slider is a true deathball with sharp movement that can befuddle righties and lefties. While being a starter didn’t work out for him, Beeter is now a traditional power pitcher out of the bullpen who could be a real high-leverage weapon in 2025.
The Bad: While adding velocity was a huge advantage of moving into a bullpen role, the improvement in strike-throwing ability was another reason Beeter’s stock rose. He has not been nearly as effective in that regard this season, and by being a reliever the ceiling is naturally pretty low. I also don’t love that he’s had two IL stints due to shoulder troubles.
Summary: If the walk rates this season are more of a fluke then Clayton Beeter will be a very good Major League reliever, and given the injury to Luke Weaver he probably shouldn’t be in Scranton still.
23. Ben Shields – LHP
The Good: Ben Shields delivered 106 innings last season with a 3.48 ERA and a 31.1% K% between the High-A and Double-A levels. He pitched in a rehab outing for the Tampa Tarpons yesterday, and the stuff looked crisp. Shields throws a 92-94 MPH fastball with good extension from a low armslot that makes the ride of the pitch deceptive, and he can mix in a two-seamer as well for soft contact. His slider and curveball are good whiff pitches as well.
The Bad: Ben Shields will likely never unlock more velocity due to his age, so his repertoire screams rotation depth for a real contender. Furthermore, his 63.8% Strike% at Double-A was a bit concerning, for someone who lacks the upper-echelon pitch grades to work around that. I like him more than the consensus, but other evaluators will be less forgiving of an older pitcher who doesn’t have elite-level finesse skills.
Summary: While he doesn’t pound the zone, Ben Shields has outlier release points and a good-enough fastball. He could pitch for the Yankees as soon as 2026 in a variety of roles.
22. Francisco Vilorio – OF
The Good: A power-hitting outfielder with a ton of projectable tools, he struggled last season as he played through injury and will get a mulligan for the season. The Yankees traditionally love acquiring prospects with tantalizing power, chasing upside and ceiling over a safe high-floor player. It’s a sensical bet considering they’re looking for above-average regulars, as those who aren’t often get replaced.
The Bad: I don’t know if Vilorio can make consistent contact, and while last season gets an asterisk because of the injuries, it did still happen. The contact rate were extremely concerning and had I not heard of the context surrounding his 2024 season, I may have left him off the list entirely. Francisco Vilorio has to prove himself in 2025 or else it’ll be hard to justify any top 30 placements going into 2026.
Summary: A young prospect who has a ton of upside, Francisco Vilorio’s youth and inexperience grant him more time to iron out the deficiencies in his game.
21. Roderick Arias – SS
The Good: Roderick Arias is tooled up, having power and speed that are just hard to find in one package at the shortstop position. He’s a gifted athlete who has continued to get better at laying off of pitches out of the zone and working walks. Arias has 29 walks in 32 games this season, and if he goes on another second-half tear he could do so with a profile that actually projects well for higher levels of Minor League Baseball.
The Bad: Oh man, where do I even begin? For all the tools and improvements in plate discipline, the hit tool has remained bad and the power has fallen off of a cliff. He has just 14 home runs in 156 games since moving up to Single-A, recording a sub-.400 SLG% and striking out 31% of the time. He has regressed offensively in a repeat season at Single-A, his prospect pedigree and upside are hanging on by a thread.
Summary: Perhaps my most negative report on the top 30, Roderick Arias is on the verge of crashing out of this list altogether. He has dropped 11 spots from my pre-season ranking and will fall further if he doesn’t go on a summer tear.
READ MORE: Yankees’ exciting pitching prospect shines in excellent Triple-A debut
No. 20-11
20. Jesus Rodriguez – C/3B
The Good: Jesus Rodriguez is super hitterish. All he has done at the professional level is rake, putting up high averages with enough juice in the bat to keep pitchers from going right after him. He makes aggressive swing decisions in-zone, sprays line drives across the field, and is elite at making contact as well. Rodriguez is someone who has over performed his prospect pedigree for years, and he’s hitting over .350 in Triple-A with almost as many walks as strikeouts.
The Bad: I am not sure if Jesus Rodriguez is going to stick at any position, and that’s a very real concern when projecting a player’s WAR outcome. I also think his game power could lag behind to the point that his swing won’t play that well at Yankee Stadium. Rodriguez doesn’t project as a high-ceiling bat, and most evaluators will bet against a slap hitter without much of a defensive profile to get excited over.
Summary: The weirdest prospect in the Yankees’ organization, Jesus Rodriguez poses the question of whether he’s another Quad-A player or an anomaly who just continues to hit when he reaches the big leagues.
19. Brock Selvidge – LHP
The Good: Brock Selvidge has an excellent pair of breaking balls that should garner tons of swings and misses, and I love the profile of a left-handed pitcher who can attack the zone and get soft contact. His fastball has cut-ride action and has seen an uptick in velocity from his first full pro season, and the pitchability is pretty good for a fairly inexperienced pro pitcher. When at 100%, Selvidge looks like a potential backend starter on a contender.
The Bad: Injuries and inconsistent command have tanked Brock Selvidge’s stock on this list. There was a point where he was a consensus top 10 prospect when this farm system was at it’s best, and yet in a weaker state he finds himself outside of the top 15 for a reason. Selvidge landed under 63% of his pitches for strikes last season and his whiff rates have declined, I hope to chalk it up to injury but he’ll have to prove himself to move back up this list.
Summary: One of many Yankee prospects who had a huge 2023 and fell off in 2024, Brock Selvidge could regain his top-10 prospect status with a strong summer in Somerset.
18. Josh Grosz – RHP
The Good: Josh Grosz is top 10 among qualified High-A pitchers in K-BB% while also limiting damage contact by getting groundballs. His fastball sits between 93-95 MPH with solid vertical movement from a lower arm angle, allowing it to get whiffs at the top of the zone. Grosz has also developed a brilliant changeup that can work against righties and lefties, and his gyro slider is a strong pitch as well. With a 28.9% K% and 3.22 FIP, Grosz has pitched at a high level for Hudson Valley.
The Bad: The lack of repertoire depth leads me to believe that Josh Grosz will end up being a reliever, although I don’t think that’s a forgone conclusion. Starters who only have three pitches don’t have a lot of success in today’s game, and so Grosz will need to develop more in order to become an arm the Yankees trust in the big leagues. He also hasn’t had a track record of consistent strike-throwing, which could hurt his projection as well.
Summary: An overlooked prospect with some interesting traits, Josh Grosz is an unfinished product who could end up in the top 10 of this list with the right adjustments in 2026.
17. Griffin Herring – LHP
The Good: Griffin Herring has found immediate success after a dominant run at LSU, posting a 1.27 ERA and 2.99 FIP across 10 starts between Single-A and High-A. His new kick changeup is gross, being a swing-and-miss weapon against right-handed batters that takes his arsenal to another level. The slider he had in college is still dominant at the pro level, and he gets a ton of extension on all of his pitches which make them harder to hit.
The Bad: A lack of fastball velocity (90-92 MPH) inherently limits his ceiling, hard throwers aren’t the only pitchers finding success but Herring would be one of the softest throwers in the big leagues. He also only has three pitches, although I consider all to be average or above-average. The transition to High-A has immediately challenged him as well, with a good ERA but low strikeout rates as he isn’t overpowering hitters the way he did in Tampa and will need to adjust.
Summary: One of the quickest risers on this list, Griffin Herring could add some more zip to his fastball and develop his repertoire with more time in the Yankees’ organization. His winning pedigree playing in the Bayou has made him a fierce competitor who could be an overperformer at the pro level.
16. Mani Cedeno – SS
The Good: Mani Cedeno is considered an extremely well-rounded prospect with tons of projectable skills, as he was one of the youngest players signed in his international FA class. The Yankees are getting a player who could stick at shortstop, hit for power, run the bases well, and make tons of contact. With how well the Yankees tend to develop power, there’s a real chance that Cedeno finds a way to tap into his pull-side power and become a legit bat.
The Bad: It is very hard to project 16 year olds. Cedeno is simply so far away from being a big leaguer that all we can go based on is potential and upside. There’s also a drawback with a well-rounded profile, and it’s the lack of a dominant trait that will make evaluators go crazy. It’s the classic battle between whether you should have a couple of glaring flaws and overwhelming strengths or be well-rounded and lack that true 60-70 grade tool.
Summary: The most hyped prospect of the Yankees’ most recent IFA class, Mani Cedeno needs time and patience due to his incredibly young age for a pro.
15. Jorbit Vivas – 2B
The Good: Jorbit Vivas makes remarkable swing decisions and generates a lot of loft in his swing, skills that could make him a solid contributor at the big league level if the power develops a bit more. The Yankees brought him up for his first taste of the big leagues, and while he struggled the loft and swing decisions translated. He’s not a lost cause, and if given more time in the Major Leagues he could make the adjustments needed to stick on a roster for years.
The Bad: Without much thump in the bat, Jorbit Vivas needs to be an elite contact hitter, and in the Major Leagues he ran a surprisingly high whiff rate. The low strikeout rates from Triple-A did not translate the way some hoped it would and he was unable to beat out Pablo Reyes or Oswald Peraza for a roster spot when Jazz Chisholm returned. With just one MiLB option remaining, the Yankees might have to trade him at this year’s deadline or in the offseason.
Summary: The improvements in quality of contact and quantity of contact this season at Triple-A didn’t translate in his brief big league showing, but with just 53 plate appearances, there’s still time for him to prove himself whether it’s with the Yankees or a different team. I also think he can play a solid second base which helps.
14. Gage Ziehl – RHP
The Good: Gage Ziehl has a very well-rounded arsenal with excellent pitch shapes, and I think with more time in the Minor Leagues he could really pop. The sweeper sits at 86, four-seamer at 93, cutter at 91, curveball at 83, and changeup at 88 MPH, with all of them having excellent shape. He’s throwing his slider and cutter more aggressively in May, resulting in a 2.67 ERA and 21.5% K-BB% at the Single-A level, and with how often Ziehl throws strikes and generates soft contact, he could move up to Hudson Valley before season’s end.
The Bad: Just like his final year at the University of Miami, Gage Ziehl hasn’t been able to generate a ton of whiffs this season. Those numbers have improved as he’s leaned on his nasty slider more, but you’d expect him to overwhelm Florida State League hitters more considering how many recent CPX or DSL hitters he’s facing. He also hasn’t pitched deep into games this season, which makes me wonder how the strikeout rates will get affected when his inning count increases.
Summary: A pitcher with abnormal release points, excellent pitch shapes, and elite strike-throwing abilities, I think Gage Ziehl will go down the road of a Cam Schlittler or Richard Fitts, needing multiple seasons in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues to establish himself as a top 10 prospect in the Yankees’ organization.
13. Edgleen Perez – C
The Good: Edgleen Perez is one of the best defensive catchers I’ve seen in the Yankees’ organization throughout my short time watching up close. He’s got a rocket arm, frames well, and has excellent mobility behind the plate. I think the upside of a catcher who is a great defender is always overlooked in prospect conversations, the pressure on the bat to perform is low because a catcher who can do it all behind the plate will always be valued in today’s game.
The Bad: The bat has continued to disappoint, sporting an 89 wRC+ and .023 ISO across 48 games as the poor game power from his days in the Dominican Summer League and Florida Complex League persist. You give him somewhat of a pass because he’s still a teenager and has displayed some more upside with his raw power, but I’ve moved him out of my top 10 for a reason and I don’t plan on moving him higher without some progress at the plate.
Summary: A young catcher who has a double plus tool on the defensive side, the Yankees have traditionally been extremely patient with developing catchers. Agustin Ramirez and Carlos Narvaez didn’t establish themselves as consistent offensive contributors until their third or fourth year in the organization.
12. Thatcher Hurd – RHP
The Good: With a four-seam fastball that had tons of ride and good velocity, Thatcher Hurd projected as a power pitcher who could dominate the top of the zone. His slider and curveball were high-spin pitches with tons of whiff potential, and the Yankees had a brilliant foundation to work with in order to make Hurd a top-end pitching prospect. His results at LSU weren’t great, but there were real conversations about him being a first-round pick before the 2024 season.
The Bad: Hurd will miss the entire 2025 season and a good chunk of the 2026 season with Tommy John Surgery, a massive blow for his development. Instead of going through a very important year of development, he’s on the shelf and has to wait to get the necessary reps to develop. His command issues at the college level gave him a clear reliever risk, and he would have to develop his repertoire more to be a starter as a pro.
Summary: I’m choosing to remain high on Thatcher Hurd because an injury like this is becoming increasingly easier to recover from. Almost everyone has undergone Tommy John Surgery at this point, and if he returns healthy, the Yankees would be getting back a high-upside arm that they could develop into a stud.
11. Henry Lalane – LHP
The Good: The Yankees are going to get him back on the mound soon according to Yankees Farm, and exciting development after he once again opened the season on the IL. His changeup is one of the best in the organization, the breaking ball has a ton of movement, and when healthy the fastball has both the velocity and shape to be an excellent pitch. A tall lefty who has been a strikeout machine in his career, he’s only 21 years old and can get a mulligan for 2025.
The Bad: As long as Henry Lalane continues to deal with injuries, it’ll be hard for me to rank him in the top 10 as it relies on a lot of things improving and going right. Not being healthy not only affected his velocity, which we can’t guarantee a return of in 2025, but also affected his command as he just hasn’t thrown enough to get comfortable with his tall lanky body. A Rule 5 eligible pitcher at the end of the 2025 season, he won’t get plucked by the clock is ticking for him to get the ball rolling.
Summary: Man I totally thought he’d be a top 100 prospect one day and I still want to believe that. He was so good in 2023, and if he can get back to 93-94 MPH on the fastball I think we’re looking at a future middle of the rotation arm with ace upside on a contender. The problem is we may never see that version of Henry Lalane ever again.
READ MORE: Yankees quietly add left-handed slugging infielder and stash him in Triple-A
No. 10-1
10. Roc Riggio – 2B
The Good: Roc Riggio is a patient hitter who works a lot of walks and makes enough contact to not worry about whether his strikeout rates will balloon against quality pitching. In his first five games at Double-A he’s hit four home runs, facing an excellent Binghamton staff in that dominant tear. His combination of power and patience creates a profile from the left-handed side that the Yankees covet, and if he keeps this up he could compete for a big-league job in Spring Training next year.
The Bad: The baserunning has regressed a lot from last year where he stole 27 games in 106 games, as he has three steals in seven attempts through 27 games. I might have to project him as negative baserunner moving forward, and it’s possible he bulked up to slug more with the tradeoff coming in the mobility department. I also think he can only play second base, so there isn’t versatility there, and the contact rates have taken a slight hit from last year.
Summary: I cannot overstate how enamored I am with Roc Riggio’s profile. I think the swing is perfect for Yankee Stadium and the development of his game power make him an eventual big-leaguer.
9. Rafael Flores – C
The Good: Rafael Flores has 70 grade raw power and maximizes his power potential by hitting the ball in the air a lot to the pull-side. The Yankees acquired him as an undrafted free agent and he’s become one of the best power hitters in the entire organization, with 26 home runs at the Double-A level across 121 games in 2024 and 2025. His framing has improved a lot with the organization as well, leaving some hope for him as a potential big-league catcher.
The Bad: The contact rates have looked bad for Rafael Flores this season, he had a 74% Contact% in Double-A last year and that has dropped to 68.2% this year. The strikeouts have come down a bit over the last month, but this has stunted his rise on this list and caused him to drop a spot. I also think his size affects his mobility behind the plate, and he could be a pretty poor thrower and blocker if things don’t get better. The Yankees have him working at first, but if he ends up there it seriously limits his WAR output.
Summary: Rafael Flores has tons of upside due to his power and the possibility of him being a reliable catcher, but he has glaring holes in his game as well. He could be a 20+ HR hitter who frames well behind the dish or he could strike out 35% of the time as a primary first baseman and neither outcome would surprise me.
8. Chase Hampton – RHP
The Good: Chase Hampton generates elite ride on his fastball from a lower arm angle, has three plus secondary pitches, and has an excellent feel for spinning the baseball. When he’s right the fastball sits around 93 MPH and can eat up hitters at the top of the zone, setting up his cutter, sweeper, and curveball for soft contact or strikeouts. The Yankees looked like they had a future frontline starter in Hampton, but injuries have robbed us of that.
The Bad: Injuries have limited Hampton to just a handful of starts in 2024 and zero in 2025, as the right-hander likely won’t return to the mound until mid-2026. It’s a crushing blow considering just how good the stuff is when healthy, and now I have to wonder if we’ll ever see the pitcher we saw back in 2023. I’m ranking him highly because the possibility that he returns with his 2023-level arsenal is high enough to warrant a top-10 placement.
Summary: Chase Hampton was a consensus top-100 prospect, and I’ll hold out hope that he ends up more like Clarke Schmidt, who was an older prospect due to injuries and eventually became a solid starter.
7. Spencer Jones – OF
The Good: Still an elite defensive centerfielder with top-end speed and athleticism, Spencer Jones has a high walk rate and elite power numbers this season. He has a 152 wRC+ in 34 games with Somerset, hitting 10 home runs and still ranking near the top of the HR leaderboards despite missing time with an injury. He is also on pace to steal 30-31 bases when prorating for 150 games, a number he won’t reach due to a shortened MiLB schedule and the aforementioned injury. He has more loft and patience at the plate and it’s helped him a ton early on.
The Bad: Spencer Jones is striking out and whiffing even more than he did last season. I have no idea if he can actually be a pro at this rate, and while he’s an anomaly he is much closer to a Rafael Flores than a top-100 prospect. Would I be surprised if he was a big-leaguer one day? No, but I also wouldn’t be shocked if the bottom fell out and he never played for the Yankees at the Major League level. There simply isn’t a precedent for someone that whiffs as much as Jones being an everyday big-leaguer.
Summary: It’s looking more like Spencer Jones will be Estevan Florial than Aaron Judge. The power and defense are tantalizing, but with a sub 60% contact rate in Somerset there’s too many question marks to have him in the top-five. I am rooting for him to break the mold.
6. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz – RHP
The Good: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz is one of four MiLB pitchers to record at least 50 innings pitched without allowing a home run in 2025, and he generates a ton of whiffs as well. The Yankees have had Cruz throw more sinkers, as his sweeper, curveball, splitter, and four-seamer have remained excellent secondary pitches. If he continues to put up elite called strike and whiff numbers while running a GB% above 50%, the ceiling might be higher than I initially perceived when he was traded to the Yankees.
The Bad: With a 62.8% Strike%, the command has improved from his numbers at High-A last year but there’s still some work to be done there. His 10.2% walk rate is just a bit too high for me to fully buy-in on him being a productive starter, and I do wonder if his wiry frame can hold up over a full season.
5. Ben Hess – RHP
The Good: Ben Hess generates elite backspin on his fastball, as he averages around 19-20 inches of Induced Vertical Break on his fastball. The Yankees have also made his changeup utterly elite, with tons of vertical separation and good lateral movement as well. His slider and curveball are good breaking balls for whiffs as well, with the aforementioned curveball being a signature weapon for him at Alabama. His 4.05 ERA is inflated, as the underlying metrics are awesome.
The Bad: My god does he walk too many people. A 13.8% walk rate has led to Ben Hess not necessarily falling on my list (this was an issue at college and he’s a first year pro), rather getting passed by some excellent performers. It’s not like his Strike% is bottom-of-the-barrel bad either, it’s 63.2% which is slightly higher than Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, who has a much better walk rate. He nibbles too much when ahead in the count which can be a tough watch at times.
Summary: Ben Hess has command issues, which is a completely normal thing for someone in their first few months as a pro to have. The stuff is really good and as long as he continues to miss bats and display that elite-level arsenal, he’ll at the very least have a high-leverage reliever profile.
4. Cam Schlittler – RHP
The Good: Cam Schlittler’s fastball is sizzling at 95-96 MPH with better vertical movement than we saw last season, and while it’s still more of an average pitch in my opinion, it’s come a long way from his days at Single-A back in 2023. His brand-new cutter is a double-plus pitch in my opinion, with more velocity, drop, and sweep than the average cutter, commanding it really well. The curveball is still great, and his sweeper is an abnormal pitch that generates a ton of ride and is devastating against right-handed hitters. He’s also very tall which helps his pitches appear faster than they are.
The Bad: Nibbling can be an issue for Schlittler, who tries to avoid damage contact but can sometimes try and be too perfect which results in some bad walks. He also has an extreme spin bias as he doesn’t have anything that moves away from lefties and into righties, which could present some issues if Major League hitters aren’t fooled by the secondaries.
Summary: Cam Schlittler been an awesome development story to follow. He sat at 90 MPH at the Single-A level just two years ago and now he seemingly hits 98-99 on the radar gun every start. That new cutter is a difference-maker, and he’s an elite damage preventer with high strikeout potential. Could be a number three on the Yankees in the near future.
3. Bryce Cunningham – RHP
The Good: Bryce Cunningham fills up the zone with a good fastball, excellent changeup, and sharp breaking ball, sporting a 1.93 ERA in eight appearances with the Hudson Valley Renegades. A 67% Strike% is really good, and while his strikeout rates are just good not great, the whiff rates suggest that he’s underperforming in that category. I think the hype from the pitcher ahead of him on this list has left Cunningham a bit overlooked in the farm system, he has displayed excellent stuff and sparkling command that should earn him a Double-A promotion soon.
The Bad: I think we’ll need to see Cunningham develop some more secondary pitches to avoid being just a three-pitch guy, since that won’t translate very well at the Major League level.
Summary: The Yankees overslotted for Cunningham and it’s easy to see why they went down that route. The stuff is awesome, he’s aggressive in the zone, and it just looks like he’s toying with hitters in the South Atlantic League right now. He fell a spot on this list, but you’ll soon see that it’s not for reasons he could control.
2. Carlos Lagrange – RHP
The Good: Carlos Lagrange sits at 98 MPH with a lower arm angle (~32-33 degrees) and averages between 16-17 inches of Induced Vertical Break. He has a sweeper and gyro slider alongside a changeup that generated an unfathomably high 22% Swinging Strike% in High-A. The stuff is truly gaudy and he looks like a potential top of the rotation arm with the strides he’s made as a strike-thrower. A 67.7% Strike% and high zone rates for his fastball are indications that the sub-8% walk rate is far from a fluke.
The Bad: Sometimes he’ll miss with a breaking ball in the zone and it’ll get hit a very long way. The walk rate has come down but he can still miss wildly, as he drilled Jett Williams in the head this past week on a fastball that got away from him.
Summary: This is an incredible development story. A guy who couldn’t throw strikes to save his life a year ago is one of the better zone-fillers in the Yankees’ organization. Oh yea he can also touch 102 MPH on the radar gun and strikes out 37% of the batters he faces. Good luck.
1. George Lombard Jr. – SS
The Good: A slick-fielding shortstop, George Lombard Jr. has a rocket arm and tons of range which will play at whatever infield position he ends up landing at in the big leagues. His on-base skills are awesome, boasting a .415 OBP across two levels this season with a 136 wRC+. He walks a lot, makes a decent amount of contact, and lifts the ball more than he did last season. Lombard has also swiped 19 bases in 23 attempts through 53 games and projects to be contribute WAR value with his glove and legs which provides a high floor and ceiling
The Bad: We haven’t seen much game power in his pro career. He has a .104 ISO this year which matches his ISO last season, and he only has six home runs in 163 games dating back to last season. There are not a lot of superstars in today’s game who don’t hit for power.
Summary: While the game power isn’t great, the raw power is and he’s hitting fewer groundballs than ever before. I think the aggressive promotion to Double-A has made it hard for the power to click as well. The Yankees have challenged this kid a lot in his career so far, and he’s held his own in Somerset. His maturity and poise are light years beyond athletes his age. He was born to be a Yankee.