The New York Yankees would host the Toronto Blue Jays for their inaugural Spring Breakout Game, and with a larger audience than most of these young players are used to, it would be an exciting contest. The goal of this event was to get more eyes on some of the stars of tomorrow, and the goal was certainly accomplished as many were tuned in to watch some of the most interesting prospects in both systems. Getting the ball for the Yankees would be Brock Selvidge, who we ranked as the 14th-best prospect in the organization, and he would go up against fellow southpaw Adam Macko.
With a brilliant start from Selvidge and a dominant performance from the young bats, the Yankees would crush the Blue Jays 9-1 in their Spring Breakout debut.
Spencer Jones’ Two-HR Day, Brock Selvidge Dominates in Yankees’ Win
The Yankees handed the ball to Brock Selvidge in the first-ever Spring Breakout Game in franchise history, and the 21-year-old would certainly live up to the honor. He wasn’t just good, he dominated in his four innings of scoreless work as he commanded his fastball, cutter, slider, and sweeper extremely well as he navigated through the Blue Jays’ lineup. The most impressive part of his outing was when he allowed a leadoff triple to Leo Jimenez in the fourth inning, and instead of buckling and allowing the run, he’d strike out the next three batters to end the frame and escape the jam.
He was drafted in the third round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Hamilton High School, and the southpaw was flashing a 91-95 MPH with solid life on it. The ability to manipulate the shape of his slider to get more sweep or more drop makes it deadly, and he was commanding everything extremely well. Selvidge allowed just one hit and one walk across those four frames, picking up eight strikeouts and showing some emotion as well on the bump.
Following Selvidge would be southpaw Henry Lalane, who is just 19-years-old and hasn’t pitched above the Florida Complex League. The southpaw is 6’7 and possesses a funky release point due that hides the ball well and helps the arsenal play up well, and he was strong in his two innings of work. Sporting a mid-90s fastball that touched 97 MPH on the radar gun, he averaged roughly 16 inches of Induced Vertical Break while striking out three batters and walking just one in the scoreless appearance.
Jack Neely, who reached Double-A last season and is arguably their best reliever prospect, would allow one run in the seventh before recording the final out of the game. Overall, the Yankees struck out 13 Blue Jays and walked just trhee, allowing one run in the entire contest, which is certainly an impressive line for any pitching staff, but the offense was just as impressive.
The star of the show on offense was Spencer Jones, who opened the scoring with a two-run blast to right-center field, but his day would be far from over. He’d leg out an infield single as well, but in his final at-bat of the game, he crushed a home run to centerfield that came off of his bat at 108.5 MPH, capping off what was a marvelous day for the exciting outfield prospect. The Yankees have one of the most talented players in all of Minor League Baseball with Jones, as he flashes great speed and great power, drawing comparisons to the likes of Aaron Judge due to his height and power.
His potential is enormous, and there’s plenty of excitement regarding what he can bring to the table. He wouldn’t be the only prospect to clear the fence today, as T.J. Rumfield would tag a two-run blast in the third inning, and the tall first baseman has some exciting tools as well. His strong feel for the strike zone and natural raw power make him an interesting name to watch as he enters his age-24 season, as injuries seemed to bog down his season totals, although he did set a career-high in home runs.
Caleb Durbin (1) and Jorbit Vivas (2) would also collect RBIs on the day, and the Yankees scored a total of nine runs on 12 hits and four walks in the contest. It was certainly a lopsided game, and it’s a great showcase of talent for a farm system that’s gained some popularity and praise over the winter. Most of these players won’t factor into their Major League plans, but it’s a glimpse into what could be an exciting future to come for the New York Yankees.