The New York Yankees selected Roc Riggio in the 4th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft, and while last season he showed some encouraging signs with a high walk rate, low strikeout rate, and decent game power, it wasn’t a special season.
He would begin his 2025 campaign on the injured list. Still, after a quick rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, the left-handed hitting second baseman would spring right back into action in Hudson Valley.
Despite the missed time, Riggio has exploded onto the scene with the Renegades, crushing his seventh home run yesterday in 19 games after needing 106 to hit 11 last season.
With a 191 wRC+ and 19.5% walk rate in High-A this season, Roc Riggio is in the midst of his best stretch as a professional, and the Yankees should consider promoting him to Double-A in the near future.
Why the Yankees Should Keep a Close Eye on Roc Riggio
Last season wasn’t a bad one for Roc Riggio, who posted a 117 wRC+ with 11 home runs, 27 stolen bases, and 27 doubles for the Hudson Valley Renegades.
His 14.8% walk rate and 20.2% strikeout rate paired strong plate skills with projectable tools, but considering he hit 18 home runs with a .344 ISO in his final college season, there seemed to be more power for Riggio to unlock.
The power is at a different level right now, with Riggio smashing seven home runs in 19 games with four doubles and a triple, as he’s slugging .662.
Among hitters with at least 80 plate appearances in High-A, Riggio is first in SLG%, wRC+, and OPS, all while maintaining the same contact rate as last season.
This isn’t a hitter who relies solely on pulling flyballs to go yard, either; he’s already hit multiple opposite-field home runs in 2025.
He has more raw power in his bat than he had last season, the ball jumps off his bat when he makes contact more than last season, and if these gains stick, he could be one of the Yankees’ better position player prospects.
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Roc Riggio’s swing is perfect for Yankee Stadium, as he can sneak home runs over the short right field porch and continue being a flyball-heavy hitter.
With a watchful eye that results in plenty of walks, Riggio’s plate discipline and power fit the ideal mold of a hitter for the Yankees.
They want their hitters to post a high OBP and do tons of damage on contact, as any team should, and Roc Riggio has seemingly unlocked the power to give him that exact kind of profile.
Over his last 80 games with the Hudson Valley Renegades, Roc Riggio has 15 home runs, 23 doubles, and an .855 OPS, and the Yankees should begin facilitating a promotion to Double-A.
Jazz Chisholm’s activation from the IL would remove an infielder from Somerset’s roster, and with three of their active infielders not being ranked on the Yankees’ top 30 prospect list, there’s room for Riggio.
There’s a real argument to be made that a solid showing at the Double-A level could push Roc Riggio into the Yankees’ top 15, and with their lack of upper-level position player talent, they would love to see him continue his ascent.
Roc Riggio’s glove at second base still needs work and I would like a larger sample size of offensive success, but I fully expect to move him up my rankings when the mid-season top 30 is released.