With the Minor League season over, we can finally sit back and digest how the Yankees‘ season went across its affiliates in 2026.
There was a lot to love on the farm this year; multiple breakouts occurred that gave the organization more top-100 prospects than they had at the end of 2024.
We’ll be giving out six awards for the 2025 season; best hitter, best pitcher, best first-year hitter, best first-year pitcher, biggest prospect, and best MiLB graduate.
There were no qualifications for innings or plate appearances, but volume was definitely considered for these awards since they’re about year-long production.
‘Freshman’ players are those who were drafted in either 2024 or 2025, not just first-year players with the organization (such as ERC).
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Minor League Hitter of the Year: Spencer Jones
Players Considered: Brendan Jones, Dillon Lewis, & T.J. Rumfield
Spencer Jones launched 35 home runs in 116 games for the Yankees’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, finally showing off the game power that everyone knew he was capable of.
The Yankees are aware that his strikeouts are an issue and are continuing to have Jones work on it, but the progress made with his overall production makes him an easy winner of this award.
His 153 wRC+ and .571 SLG% are marks that you hope can somewhat translate to the big leagues, he has the raw physical tools to put up gaudy home run numbers and make a real impact in a lineup.
What also stood out about his profile is the excellent speed, swiping 29 bases while being caught just six times, if he can keep being a power-speed threat he will have a good shot of debuting in 2026.
Just a year ago, Jones set the record for MiLB strikeouts in the Yankees’ organization and only hit 17 home runs in 122 games, but he doubled that total in 2025 and put himself back on the map.
Minor League Pitcher of the Year: Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz
Players Considered: Cam Schlittler, Ben Hess, & Carlos Lagrange
Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz made two level jumps in 2025, going from High-A to Triple-A and finishing the season with a 2.58 ERA across 150 innings with 176 strikeouts.
He had a 54.5% GB% and a 19.6% K-BB%, showing off an excellent sinker to go with a deep repertoire that only got better as the season got on.
Cruz threw harder and harder as he logged more innings, an exciting development for the right-hander who never pitched this deep into a season before.
The combination of aggressive strike-throwing and a six-pitch mix makes ERC a pitcher who has an extremely high floor, with questions about his ceiling limiting him from ranking higher on top-100 lists.
If the Yankees can keep seeing improvements in command and the velocity continues to tick upwards, they could have a pitcher with the craftiness of a veteran but the velocity of a pitcher in their prime in one package.
Yankees’ Top Freshman Pitcher: Ben Hess
Players Considered: Bryce Cunningham & Xavier Rivas
Ben Hess’ first few months of the season came with incredible highs and scary lows, but the right-hander finally put it together in the summer to have an incredible 2025 campaign.
He pitched in High-A before coming up to Double-A, where he posted a better walk rate and a lower ERA, totaling 139 strikeouts in 103.1 IP with a 2.50 FIP.
The stuff ticked up after a month-long absence in the middle of the year, hitting 96 and 97 MPH on the radar gun more frequently while also adding a sweeper.
It’s not a refined repertoire yet, but Hess is a couple of tweaks away from becoming a top-100 prospect in 2026 due to the excellent fastball, weird release point, and excellent feel for spin.
Yankees’ Top Freshman Hitter: Dillon Lewis
Players Considered: Dax Kilby & Brendan Jones
Dillon Lewis launched 22 home runs in 122 games with 26 steals between Single-A and High-A, seeng an improvement in SwStr% and K% when he made the level jump to Hudson Valley.
His power is incredible, hitting baseballs above 113 MPH while pulling a lot of his contact in the air, and if he can continue making rapid improvments he could climb inside the organization’s top five.
Lewis’ athleticsm and rapid ability to adapt makes him a player worth keeping eyes on, and while it was close between him and Brendan Jones, I ultimately valued the power that Lewis provided a little more.
Both players are on track to become big leaguers one day, and we could see them threaten for big-league playing time in the next two years.
Biggest Breakout Prospect of the Year: Carlos Lagrange
Players Considered: Richard Matic, Dylan Jasso, Cam Schlittler & Brendan Beck
Carlos Lagrange had an ERA north of 6.00 in Single-A last year, but in High-A and Double-A this past season he recorded a 3.53 ERA witha 3.14 FIP.
With a 33.4% K% and a fastball that got up to 103 MPH, Lagrange showed off elite shapes and overwhelming power from his massive frame which has allowed him to punch out so many MiLB hitters.
Command is still a massive issue, but the walk rate coming down from 20% the year prior in two low MiLB levels to 12.3% is a huge step forward for the right-hander.
Lagrange was viewed as a middle of the pack prospect in the organization, but he’s become our top-ranked pitching prospect entering 2026.
Best Graduate Of the Year: Cam Schlittler
Players Considered: Will Warren & Jasson Dominguez
Cam Schlittler was the obvious pick for this award after his meteoric rise from fun prospect to the team’s best starter over the final two months of the season.
He has a 2.96 ERA with a 3.74 FIP across 14 starts, and in October he delivered two excellent performances where he looked like the future ace of this staff.
I try to be conservative with prospect projections because I think people have too high of an expectation, declaring good players failures because they weren’t great.
With that being said, I’m not sure if there are 30 starters I would comfortably take over Cam Schlittler. His stuff is that good. This is one of the most exciting young players the Yankees have rostered since Gleyber Torres.
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