The New York Yankees are quite the storied franchise. Having 27 World Series titles best the second-place Cardinals by 16 championships. The Yankees last won in 2009, but with the MLB talent plus the upcoming players in the farm, New York could find themselves in the World Series sooner than later. But enough about past trophies, let’s discuss the talented New York Yankees‘ top prospects for fantasy baseball.
*For consistency purposes throughout the team prospect articles, new international signees are not being ranked. For reference, I have Brandon Mayea ranked sixth.
New York Yankees Top Fantasy Baseball Prospects
1. Anthony Volpe, SS
Age: 21/2022 Stats (AA/AAA): 511 AB/.249/.342/.460/21 HR/50 SB/86 R/65 RBI
Surprisingly, as a Yankee, Anthony Volpe does not get more love. Even if you consider his season disappointing, the former first-rounder still hit 21 home runs and stole 50 bases. His .249 batting average was a bit underwhelming, but it came with an 82.7 percent zone-contact rate and a 22.9 percent chase rate. Per his solid contact and plate discipline, Volpe profiles as a plus hitter. In his breakout 2021 season, he slashed .294/.423/.604 with 27 home runs and 33 stolen bases. It is also important to remember that Volpe began the 2022 season as a 20-year-old in Double-A and later made a jump to Triple-A. He is an extremely talented hitter who will likely make it to the Bronx in 2023.
2. Jasson Dominguez, OF
Age: 20/2022 Stats (A/A+/AA): 451 AB/.273/.376/.461/16 HR/37 SB/92 R/59 RBI
The Jasson Dominguez hype has been quite the rollercoaster ride. After being deemed the second coming of Mike Trout, Micky Mantle, and Bo Jackson combined into one player, the expectations were too high. No player could ever step in those shoes and impress. The pandemic set his pro debut back a year, and his 2021 season was a bit underwhelming. Dominguez spent time in Low and High-A before getting a short stint in Double-A to end the year. He finished the year with a slash line of .273/.376/.461. He added 16 home runs and 37 stolen bases. Eleven of his 16 home runs came after June 1.
Dominguez posted an impressive 106 mph 90th percentile EV and showed good contact skills. He had a 41.6 percent hard-hit rate, which jumped to 53 percent to the pull side. A 79 percent zone-contact rate was respectable for a player in his first full pro season. You should buy low on Dominguez in dynasty if you can.
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3. Oswald Peraza, SS
Age: 22/2022 Stats (AAA): 386 AB/.259/.329/.448/19 HR/33 SB/57 R/50 RBI
MLB Stats: 49 AB/.306/.404/.429/1 HR/2 SB/8 R/2 RBI
Oswald Peraza is another Yankees prospect who is undervalued and not getting the Yankee tax. Peraza had a strong season in Triple-A, where he spent over two months as a 21-year-old. He also was solid in his late-season debut with the Yankees. He began the 2022 season in a bit of a slump, slashing just .208/.272/.349 through the first two months of the season. From June onward, Peraza slashed .291/.365/.511 with 14 home runs and 22 stolen bases in just 267 plate appearances before his promotion. He posted a solid 82.2 percent zone-contact rate with a near 105 mph 90th percentile exit velocity. There is a strong chance he could play every day in New York this year, only increasing his dynasty stock.
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4. Austin Wells, C
Age: 23/2022 Stats (A/A+/AA): 336 AB/.277/.385/.512/20 HR/16 SB/60 R/65 RBI
If you are looking for a bat that is tailor-made for Yankee Stadium, it is Austin Wells. Wells’ bat carries his profile as he carries a strong power and a good feel to hit. He does not chase often and has strong strike zone recognition. Much of this came from a changed bat path leading into 2022 that helped him make zone contact. Wells handles fastballs well, which is a good indicator of future success. Wells not only brings big-time power and high line drive rates, but also has some sneaky speed for a catcher. He has 32 stolen bases in his two MiLB seasons and has not been caught once. Wells could be an OBP monster but is also a solid play for batting average leagues.
5. Spencer Jones, OF
Age: 21/2022 Stats(Rk/A): 93 AB/.344/.425/.528/4 HR/12 SB/21 R/12 RBI
Spencer Jones will naturally draw comps as a left-handed Aaron Judge, considering he stands at 6’7″ with massive raw power. He had a tremendous junior year at Vanderbilt and posted insane batted ball numbers, topping at a 119 mph exit velocity. Jones started off the season hot in Low-A as well, posting a .344/.425/.538 slash with four home runs and 12 stolen bases. The stolen base number may catch you off guard, but Jones is extremely athletic and moves well for his size. The concern with Jones is his swing-and-miss due to his longer levers. As he moved up throughout the minors, better arms may be able to exploit that more. Despite that, he is an impressive physical specimen with monster power, making him a great buy in FYPDs.
6. Everson Pereira, OF
Age: 21/2022 Stats (A+/AA): .277/.350/.469/14 HR/21 SB/76 R/56 RBI
Everson Pereira was one of the more impressive players I saw live this year in High-A. His numbers do not jump off the page at you, but I saw a consistent hitter who could spray the ball to all fields well. He is physically stronger than his home run total suggests, and the exit velocities back it up. A 106.3 mph 90th percentile exit velocity with a 90.3 mph average is impressive for a 21-year-old. There are contact issues to do lead to some concerns as he made contact on pitches in the zone just 73 percent of the time last season. He likely tops out an average hitter, but there is plus power and above-average speed in Pereira’s profile. A 2023 breakout seems highly possible.
7. Trey Sweeney, SS
Age: 22/2022 Stats (A+/AA): 433 AB/.240/.349/.413/16 HR/31 SB/76 R/56 RBI
From a statistical standpoint, Trey Sweeney’s first full season with the Yankees was a bit of a disappointing one. The Eastern Illinois product was drafted in the first round of the 2021 draft by the Yankees but has been a bit uninspiring since. The organization did try to adjust Sweneey’s swing path a bit which could be the root of some of the issues, and Sweeney went through stretches where he looked like a complete hitter. His college data is impressive, but some point to the fact he never saw high-end pitching or velocity while at Eastern Illinois. The jury is still out on Sweeney, but I do still like the potential in the bat, and I’m buying low on him in dynasty for 2023.
8. Roderick Arias, SS
Age: 18/2022 Stats (DSL): 108 AB/.194/.379/.370/3 HR/10 SB/25 R/11 RBI
It is funny how fast fantasy players jump off prospects after a bad performance. We saw it with Jasson Dominguez, and now we have seen it with Roderick Arias. Maybe I am guilty too, since I ranked him eighth in the system. Arias was the top international prospect in last year’s J15 signing class and made his Dominican Summer League debut as a 17-year-old. Despite the batting average, Arias has an advanced feel for the strike zone and, as a switch hitter, makes an impact from both sides of the plate. While there is very little film from the Dominican Summer League, data suggests that Arias did not see many strikes, as indicated by his 35 percent overall swing rate and 71 percent in zone swing rate. Arias has work to do, but his profile still has plenty of upside.
9. Keiner Delgado, SS
Age: 19/2022 Stats (DSL): 168 AB/.310/.504/.506/3 HR/34 SB/50 R/28 RBI
Keiner Delgado signed in May of 2021 and quickly burst onto the scene in this summer’s Dominican Summer League. Delgado may be undersized at 5’8″/145 lbs, but he packs a punch for a smaller frame. His plate skills seem highly impressive, given that he walked 58 times and struck out just 28 times. Delgado has wheels and stole 34 times in just 52 games. His contact skills are solid, and his profile seems to have plenty of room for growth. This offseason could be the last chance to buy in Delgado in dynasty before his price tag takes off.
10. Will Warren, RHP
Age: 23/2022 Stats(A+/AA): 129 IP/3.91 ERA/1.25 WHIP/125 K
I was fortunate to be at Will Warren’s first professional start when Hudson Valley was in Greenville to open the 2022 season. Warren impressed me with his fastball and slider. His fastball took a significant step forward and averaged over 93 mph this year. Warren mixed in a curve and cutter as well this year. His arsenal keeps the ball on the ground, but he also gets his fair share of strikeouts. He struck out 23 percent of hitters and posted a 53 percent ground ball rate. His command can come and go from time to time, but overall, Warren has a chance to continue his upward ascension toward being a starting pitcher.
11. Randy Vasquez, RHP
Age: 24/2022 Stats (AA): 115.1 IP/3.90 ERA/1.27 WHIP/120 K
Randy Vasquez was originally going to be traded to Texas in the Joey Gallo deal, but the Yankees pulled back and made a few changes, which kept him in New York. Vasquez burst onto the scene in 2021 as he made his way from Low-A all the way to Double-A, posting a 2.52 ERA in 107.1 innings. He did take a step back in 2022 with a 3.90 ERA, but the skills are still there. His arsenal features a mix of four-seam and sinkers, a curve, and a changeup. His curve is currently his best pitch and a go-to for strikeouts. If you take out two bad starts in July in which he allowed 14 earned runs across six innings, his ERA would have dropped to just 2.96. Vasquez is a buy for me in dynasty.
12. Richard Fitts, RHP
Age: 23/2022 Stats (A/A+): 112 IP/3.70 ERA/0.98 WHIP/131 K
Richard Fitts was never dominant as a college arm at Auburn, but the Yankees felt they got good value in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He was a reliever for his first two collegiate seasons before taking the step to be a starter in 2021. Fitts came on strong in 2022, posting a 3.70 ERA and a sub-one WHIP in 112 innings. Fitts features a fastball that has continually improved and he pumps at the top of the zone with good IVB. His slider and changeup both flash above-average to plus at times. He finished the year in High-A with an impressive 0.55 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 33 innings pitched. Fitts could fly up the rankings if he can continue to locate his pitches better.
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13. Drew Thorpe, RHP
Age: 22/2022 Stats: Did Not Pitch
The Yankees selected Drew Thorpe in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Cal Poly where he was teammates with Brooks Lee. Thorpe brings an impressive collegiate track record, plus in the Cape Cod League. While Thorpe’s fastball is a bit unimpressive and sits around 90 mph, the Yankees feel like they can help develop it further. What Thorpe does bring to the table is an impressive changeup and slider. The changeup is his best pitch and after impressing in fall instructs, Thorpe is on track to spend a full season on the mound in 2023.
14. Clayton Beeter, RHP
Age: 24/2022 Stats (AA): 77 IP/4.56 ERA/1.43 WHIP/129 K
Clayton Beeter was once a high-profile pitching prospect and was selected in the Dodgers’ second round of the 2020 draft. He had a solid debut in 2021 but got lost in the fold while other Dodgers arms took off in 2022 while Beeter posted a 5.75 ERA across 51.2 innings. He was traded to the Yankees as part of the Joey Gallo trade and flourished. In 25.1 innings with Somerset (AA), Beeter posted a 2.13 ERA in 25.1 innings. It was a small sample, but his arsenal had tangible improvements. Beeter has a plus slider and curve but needs to show improved control to stick as a starting pitcher.
15. Andres Chaparro, 3B
Age: 23/2022 Stats(Rk/A/AA): 260 AB/.296/.370/.592/20 HR/4 SB/40 R/55 RBI
Andres Chaparro had an impressive 2022 season, despite missing time with injuries and playing in just 71 games. Chaparro was surprisingly left unprotected during the Rule 5 draft but somehow stayed with the Yankees. His batted ball data was impressive, with a 104.7 mph 90th percentile exit velocity and a solid 83.4 percent zone contact rate. If Chaparro can play a full season in 2023, don’t be surprised to see him improve his stock significantly.
Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire | Adapted by Matt Fletcher (@little.gnt on Instagram)