Ben Ruta was a farmhand of the New York Yankees from 2016-2021. He was not much of a prospect during his time with the organization, but he made headlines during the 2023 season off the field. Ruta made statements questioning the Player Development tactics of the franchise, claiming “No baseball is being taught” and the focus is only on the use of analytics, mainly the emphasis on exit velocity, reliance on expected stats over on-field production, and many more new-age tactics. This left many questioning the Yankees’ Player Development abilities. Entering the 2024 season, those questions seem to be answered, not in the way Ruta implied.
The 2023 season was a tumultuous year for Aaron Boone, Brian Cashman, and all of the Yankees faithful, but behind the scenes, the farm system had a banner year. Top prospects Anthony Volpe, Jasson Domínguez, Austin Wells, and Everson Pereira all made their MLB debuts, while Chase Hampton and Drew Thorpe quietly established themselves as future impact arms. This puts the Yankees farm system in a great position entering the 2024 season. With Volpe being the only prospect to graduate, and Thorpe being included in the trade to acquire Juan Soto, they are stocked with high-end talent, ready to make an impact for the major league club, while also featuring several exciting young talents at the lower MiLB levels.
Head over to the Pitcher List dynasty page to check out the other prospect rankings already published.
Top Yankees Prospects
The Top Tier
1) Spencer Jones – OF, 22 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A+/AA): .267 AVG | .336 OBP | .444 SLG | 16 HR | 35 SBs | 28.9 K% | 9.1 BB%
The debate for number one in this farm system was one of the hardest decisions for me to make. It is a very close conversation, even an argument can be made for 1 and 1A, but Jones’s untapped potential pushed it over the edge for me. Spencer Jones spent time as a two-way talent at Vanderbilt before becoming a full-time starter in right field as a junior. The Yankees were impressed with what they saw in that one year and drafted Jones in the 1st round. The Yankees and Jones relationship seemed like a match made in heaven with Jones standing 6’6″, and the Yankees’ track record of success with bigger-bodied outfield players, namely Aaron Judge.
Jones’ potential is tied to his 70-grade power. There are question marks about his hit tool, and his ability to make contact enough to tap into his power, but he has made massive strides in that department. From April until July, Jones swung and missed at a 32.2% rate, and that rate fell to 25.0% in the 2nd half. His walk rate also increased in the 2nd half to over 10%. These are positive signs for a player who has only been a full-time hitter for 3 seasons. The power did not translate as much in game as many had hoped this season only hitting 16 home runs, but he also hit 29 doubles.
As I have mentioned before 2B power becomes HR power, as hitters mature and grow. It is easy to see the potential for Jones. There will always be swing and miss in his game, but the power/speed combo can make him an impact talent.
2) Jasson Domínguez – OF, 20 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (AA/AAA) : .265 AVG | .377 OBP | .425 SLG | 15 HR | 37 SB | 24.4 K% | 15.3 BB%
2023 MLB Stats: .258 AVG | .303 OBP | .677 SLG | 4 HR | 1 SB | 24.2 K% | 6.1 BB%
Will the real Jasson Domínguez please stand up? While the stat line at the end of his 2023 season looks very good, it was a tale of two stories. As of June 30th, Dominguez was hitting .197 with a .357 SLG. From that point on he went on a tear hitting .340, and being promoted to AAA where he only played nine games to the tune of a .419/.514/.581 slash line. Then he spent eight games at the MLB level where he looked the part of the everyday center fielder for the future of the Yankees. TJ surgery was the only thing that slowed down the hype train, and now entering the 2024 season the man who has possessed hype at every stop in his career, is now carrying the most hype since he signed with the Yankees.
Some players are just made for the limelight. Is that why Dominguez seemingly played his best baseball in pinstripes? Maybe. But his track record of success does not exactly shine the light on a prospect who can be trusted to contribute right now at the MLB level. There has not been any talk about adjustments he made that made everything click at the beginning of July, and that leaves me with a lot of concern.
We have always known the talent is there. I mean he was compared to Bo Jackson, Mickey Mantle, and Mike Trout before taking a professional at-bat, for crying out loud. But with a lot of players with great talent, there are moments where it clicks and they look like generational superstars, and then they fall back to earth. Just be cautious that Dominguez’s back of the baseball card across his MiLB career, does not line up with his short AAA and MLB stints.
3) Roderick Arias – SS, 19 YO
2023 Stats (Rk): .267 AVG | .423 OBP | .505 SLG | 6 HR | 17 SB | 22.3 K% | 20.8 BB%
A big-money signee in 2022 for the Yankees, his first impression was not all that great. He hit below .200 and struck out at a whopping 32.9% clip in the DSL. But progress is not always linear, especially for young hitters. Arias is a power-over-hit prospect, with high exit velocity numbers. The Yankees love hitters who can impact the baseball, and Arias definitely fits the mold. He clearly intends to do damage when he gets to the plate, taking aggressive hacks that lead to some swing-and-miss. This will impact his overall floor as a player, but his ceiling is tantalizing.
The positive signs for Arias coming out of the 2023 season, was the decrease in K%, while also walking above a 20% clip. The largest impediment to all-or-nothing hitting prospects is not their ability to hit for average, but their ability to get on base. Assuming as he progresses through the minors, pitchers will attack him in different ways that may expose his swing-and-miss tendencies, if he is able to lay off the pitches outside of the zone, that will determine his potential impact on the field. If we are going to die with a prospect, we are going to die on potential, and Arias has all the potential.
4) Chase Hampton – SP, 22 YO
2023 Stats (A+/AA): 106.2 IP | 3.63 ERA | 33.1 K% | 8.4 BB%
The Yankees pitching development is not talked about enough. What the organization has been able to do with arms like Chase Hampton, Will Warren, Drew Thorpe, and many more has been impressive. Hampton was taken in the sixth round as a draft-eligible sophomore, out of Texas Tech. After having an up-and-down college career, the Yankees shut him down for the 2022 season, before rolling him out in 2023. During the first half, he showcased improved velocity and struck out 40.5% of hitters at Hudson Valley. The breakout stalled a little after his move to AA, where his walks went up and strikeouts went down. Considering this was the largest workload of his career, that could be chalked up to 2nd half fatigue more than a larger issue.
Hampton features a plus fastball that has life up in the zone. It features the fastball shape that we have seen top-of-the-rotation starting pitchers dominate hitters with at the top of the zone. On top of a plus fastball, he also features a plus 12/6 breaking ball that tunnels off the fastball and a slider that has legit depth and movement. Those three pitches combined are enticing enough to make him a potential mid-rotation starter. There are legitimate questions about Hampton’s control. While the first half was a huge step in the right direction, it is the only time in his career that he threw consistent strikes, and the second-half dip in production was more of the same. If the first half was a sign of things to come, Hampton will have an argument to move into the Yankees rotation quickly.
5) Everson Pereira – OF, 22 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (AA/AAA): .300 AVG | .373 OBP | .548 SLG | 18 HR | 11 SB | 28.6 K% | 9.3 BB%
2023 MLB Stats: .151 AVG | .233 OBP | .194 SLG | 0 HR | 4 SB | 38.8 K% | 7.8 BB%
Will Everson Pereira hit enough to be an everyday big leaguer? The 2023 season was a huge step in the right direction in that department, but his MLB debut left a sour taste in a lot of Yankees fans mouths about his potential to be an MLB contributor. A truly polarizing prospect, Pereira has a ton of swing and miss to his game, but when he makes contact it is LOUD. Even as he struggled during his 103 PA, he featured a 54.7 Hard-Hit rate and a 39.6 sweet-spot rate, all with a 91.9 MPH average exit velocity. All of these would be in the top percentile across the MLB. But to consistently tap into hard contact, you have to in fact make consistent contact, which Pereira struggled with.
My opinion on Pereira falls somewhere in the middle. Am I bullish on him becoming an everyday MLB contributor? Not necessarily. Does that mean I think he can’t hit his way out of a wet paper bag against the top pitching? Definitely not. Pereira will have a role. Power bats are hard to come by, and the Yankees collectively value players that can impact the baseball. Whether that will be as a platoon option, or as the everyday left fielder, will be determined by his ability to not chase pitches, and draw walks, not his ability to hit for a high average. Those traits are most definitely present for Pereira, but there will be high, highs and low, lows during his time in pinstripes. Thankfully, Yankee fans are patient about those types of players, right?
6) Henry Lalane – SP, 19 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (Rk): 21.2 IP | 4.57 ERA | 38.6 K% | 4.5 BB%
Stuff, stuff, and more stuff. That is what Lalane features from his left arm. In a small sample size this season, Lalane put up an absurd 34 strikeouts and four walks in 21.2 IP. His best pitch is a fastball coming out of his 6’7″ frame that hits 97 MPH with life up in the zone. The fastball gets on hitters quickly with the combination of his length, and the movement profile of the pitch. He also features a slider and a changeup that are both above-average offerings. All of this combined with repeatable mechanics from such a large frame, makes it easy to see a potential top of the rotation arm.
The questions surrounding Lalane pertain more to the fact that he has three years of service time, all in rookie ball. He has not been pushed fast at all, and the Yankees will have two years to add him to the 40-man roster before he is Rule 5 eligible. Lalane will need to continue to be challenged as he progresses up the levels to prove he is ready for a roster spot at 21 years old. He can continue to add mass to his present frame which could translate to more velocity, making his FB play up even more. It is easy to see the potential in Lalane with the swing-and-miss stuff and feel for the strike zone, but it has to translate to the higher levels of the minors.
Prospects Dynasty Managers Should Know
7) George Lombard Jr. – SS, 18 YO
2023 Stats (Rk/A): .311 AVG| .466 OBP | .356 SLG | 0 HR | 4 SB | 20.7 K% | 22.4 BB%
I am a sucker for bloodlines. George Lombard Jr. grew up around the game of baseball with his dad spending six seasons in the MLB before getting into coaching where he is the Tigers’ Bench Coach. There is just something about having a support system of knowing what it takes to be successful as a pro that allows players to thrive. Lombard as a player showcases above-average raw power on a projectable frame. He showed really good plate discipline, walking more than he struck out, and hitting for a high average. Lombard has a safe floor featuring above-average tools across the board with a high baseball IQ, but if he adds strength to his 6’3″ frame? He will move fast up rankings lists.
8) Will Warren – SP, 24 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (AA/AAA): 129.0 IP | 3.35 ERA | 27.0 K% | 10.7 BB%
Another player development success story for the Yankees. Warren reached AA during his debut 2022 season, after being selected in the eighth round of the 2021 draft. 2023 was another step forward where Warren struck out 24 more batters in the same number of innings. He is more sinker/slider, but the slider is a serious weapon spinning at 3,000 RPM. The fastball sits more low 90s but is a reliable ground ball pitch at a 67% rate. He also features an average curveball and changeup. If Warren continues his developmental track, there is no reason he could not be a solid mid-rotation starter.
9) John Cruz – OF, 18 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (Rk): .294 AVG | .376 OBP | .531 SLG | 10 HR | 9 SB | 21.8 K% | 10.9 BB%
When I try to identify prospects worth adding in my leagues, I try to find prospects that have top prospect in a system potential. Cruz has that potential. Playing much of 2023 at 17 years old, he showed the ability to both hit for average and power with good plate discipline. He still has a projectable frame listed at 6’3″, 170 lbs, which could translate to even more power than he has already shown. Imagining the 18-year-old Cruz as a high school senior right now entering the 2024 draft, he would be at the top of many teams’ wish lists, and getting a lot of Day 1 buzz.
10) Brando Mayea – OF, 18 YO
2023 Stats (Rk): .276 AVG | .382 OBP | .400 SLG | 3 HR | 22 SB | 15.9 K% | 12.9 BB%
Mayea features some of the best tools in all of the Yankees system, grading out above average in both hit and raw power, while also clocking some 80-grade run times. All of this combined with an almost 1:1 K/BB ratio makes him an intriguing prospect for the future of the Yankees. The power production was almost non-existent during the 2023 season, but for a 5’11”, 175 lb 18-year-old, we can assume that as strength gains progress, the power will develop. Some of the best pure hitters in the game developed contact abilities first and then added power, and Mayea has a chance to do that.
11) Ben Rice – C/1B, 24 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A/A+/AA): .324 AVG | .434 OBP | .615 | 20 HR | 11 SB | 18.7 K% | 13.3 BB%
A true draft diamond in the rough for the Yankees. Rice only played 30 games at Dartmouth due to the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season, and the cancelled 2021 season. But the Yankees took a flyer on Rice in the 12th Round of the 2021 draft, and it has paid off. He has improved every year in professional baseball, peaking with an extremely productive 2023 season, making him a name to know across baseball. He is more hit over power, but the power has developed progressively with 38 extra-base hits during this past season. If he can continue what he accomplished in 2023, he might be in pinstripes during the 2024 season.
12) Kyle Carr– SP, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats: Did not pitch during the 2023 Season
Kyle Carr is an easy prospect to dream on. Standing at an undersized 6 foot 1, 175-pound frame, there is still projectability to his left arm that has already been up to 97. He also does not have a ton of mileage on him, only pitching full time during the 2023 college season at Palomar Junior College, where he struck 111 batters and only walked 19 in 78 innings. If the Yankees pitching development can do what they have done recently with later-round arms, Carr’s combination of stuff and feel for the strike zone could make this the next fast-rising Yankees Pitching prospect.
13) Austin Wells – C, 19 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A/AA/AAA): .240 AVG | .333 OBP | .442 SLG | 17 HR | 7 SB | 22.6 K% | 11.2 BB%
2023 MLB Stats: .229 AVG | .257 OBP | .486 SLG | 4 HR | 0 SB | 18.7 K% | 4.0 BB%
It is extremely difficult to be a high-level offensive player as a catcher at the MLB level, and Wells’ calling card is his offensive abilities. He has shown good OBP abilities and bat-to-ball skills with legit above-average power. Those traits give him one of the safer floors from the catching position. But how much does his value change if he moves to first base, where his bat can play but won’t be elite? The defensive question marks, and historical trends of top catching prospects, make me lower on Wells than most.
14) Brock Selvidge – SP, 21 YO
2023 MiLB Stats (A/A+): 127.2 IP | 3.45 ERA | 25.5 K% | 6.5 BB%
Selvidge features four average to above-average offerings with above-average command making him an intriguing potential back end of the rotation arm. The swing-and-miss numbers were solid in 2023 striking out 25.5% of the batters he faced. If there is an uptick in stuff, which the Yankees have a track record of developing, this could be a very intriguing name to follow.
15) Clayton Beeter – SP, 25 YO
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 131.2 IP | 3.62 ERA | 28.8 K% | 13.1 BB%
Maybe the Joey Gallo trade wasn’t all that bad? The Dodgers shipped Beeter in return for Gallo at the deadline in 2022, and Beeter has been fantastic since joining the Yankees system. There is some reliever risk from his lack of control, but he has legit swing-and-miss stuff featuring three above-average offerings. He will continue to have every opportunity to make an impact as a starter, and if the control develops, he could be a solid mid-rotation arm.
The Next Five
Although these prospects do not crack the Top 15, dynasty managers should keep their eye on these five players.
Tyler Hardman – 24 YO- All-or-nothing power bat who hit 26 HR with a .321 ISO in 2023.
Roc Riggio – 21 YO- High performing bat through college, but size and plate discipline create questions.
Keiner Delgado – 20 YO- Has shown High AVG & OBP abilities with doubles power, stealing 70 bases through two seasons.
Carlos Lagrange – 20 YO- Present 70 grade fastball on a projectable frame.
Zach Messinger – 24 YO- College Reliever turned Pro Starter with three above-average offerings but lacking command.
Feature image by Michael Packard (@CollectingPack on X)