With Opening Day just around the corner, the Yankees are still fine-tuning the edges of their 2025 roster. While the focus remains on finalizing the big-league squad, general manager Brian Cashman hasn’t stopped searching for potential upside in the margins — and that continued on Tuesday with a sneaky minor-league addition.
The team signed 28-year-old right-handed first baseman Jake Gatewood to a minor-league contract, adding a bat that’s quietly mashed home runs across multiple leagues the last few years.
A Power Hitter With a Winding Road
Gatewood isn’t a name most fans will recognize, but he’s made plenty of noise at the plate in the minors and independent leagues. Since 2021, he’s slugged 98 homers over 465 games — an impressive total that speaks to his raw power.
Last season, Gatewood played in the Atlantic League, one of the top independent baseball circuits. Over 118 games, he posted a .295/.395/.607 slash line, racking up 33 home runs and 121 RBIs. Those aren’t just good numbers — they’re eye-popping.
He hasn’t played for a major-league affiliated team since 2022, when he spent the season with the Los Angeles Angels’ Triple-A club. That year, he hit .211 with 18 homers across 108 games, showing plenty of power but struggling with consistency and plate discipline.
An Intriguing Low-Risk Gamble
This is the kind of move that costs the Yankees almost nothing but could pay off down the road if Gatewood has truly turned a corner. It’s not uncommon for players to bounce between affiliated ball, independent leagues, and international stops — the path to the majors isn’t always linear.
For the Yankees, this is a classic upside swing. Gatewood clearly made some mechanical adjustments last year, given the leap in offensive output, and the team might see something in his bat worth exploring in the minors.
At the very least, they’re adding a legitimate power threat to the upper minors, and with injuries already stacking up for the big club, that depth could come in handy sooner than expected.
Final Roster Decisions Still on Deck
As for the major-league roster, the Yankees are still holding out on announcing a few final decisions. Manager Aaron Boone has played things close to the vest, waiting to see what shakes loose around the league as other teams trim down.
The front office is still actively scanning the waiver wire and exploring trade opportunities, particularly for a right-handed bat to support third base or fill in at DH while Giancarlo Stanton is on the mend.
But in the meantime, adding someone like Gatewood to the system is a smart play — a low-cost bet on big-time power that could at least support their minor league winning.