New York Yankees top 10 prospect

Player	Pos	Lvl	Age on opening day	Acquired	FV
1. George Lombard Jr	SS	AA	20.8	2023 draft, round 1, 26th Ovr, Gulliver Prep HS (FL)	50
2. Elmer Rodriguez	RHP	AAA	22.6	Via trade (BOS), 2021 draft, round 4, 105th Ovr, Leadership Christian Academy HS (PR)	50
3. Dax Kilby	SS	A	19.3	2025 draft, round 1, 39th Ovr, Newnan HS (GA)	50
4. Carlos Lagrange	RHP	AA	22.8	2022 international signing class, Dominican Republic	50
5. Bryce Cunningham	RHP	A+	23.2	2024 draft, round 2, 53rd Ovr, Vanderbilt	45
6. Ben Hess	RHP	AA	23.5	2024 draft, round 1, 26th Ovr, Alabama	45
7. Spencer Jones	OF	AAA	24.8	2022 draft, round 1, 25th Ovr, Vanderbilt	40
8. Henry Lalane	LHP	A	21.8	2021 international signing class, Dominican Republic	40
9. Chase Hampton	RHP	AA	24.6	2022 draft, round 6, 190th Ovr, Texas Tech	40
10. Kaeden Kent	SS	A+	22.5	2025 draft, round 3, 103rd Ovr, Texas A&M	40

1. George Lombard Jr.

The Yankees first round pick in 2023, Lombard entered the pro ranks as one of the top prep shortstops to come from the 2023 draft class as only Toronto’s Arjun Nimmala and Seattle’s Colt Emerson were the only prep shortstops selected ahead of him. Lombard Jr burst on to the scene in a 58 plate appearance sample following the draft, posting a .466 OBP and a 139 wRC+ between the Complex League and Low-A Tampa. 2024 was a bit of a learning curve for the 6’2”, 190 pound shortstop as it was just a 105 wRC+ in 81 games at Low-A and an 87 wRC+ in 29 games at High-A Hudson Valley. The good news for both Lombard Jr and the Yankees is that they don’t have to rely on his bat alone for production. He was a minor league average bat in 2024 but still managed to steal 39 bags while providing premium defense at shortstop. In 2025, Lombard Jr seemingly figured out High-A pitching as it was a 194 wRC+ in 24 games before advancing to Double-A Somerset where he posted a 111 wRC+ in 108 games. The glove and the athleticism are likely going to be the carrying tool for Lomabrd Jr as he gains more experience in the upper levels of the minors, but there is still plenty of upside in the bat. He displays excellent bat speed and employs a solid approach at the plate. There are some contact concerns against fastballs, but nothing glaring enough to make evaluators believe he won’t be an effective hitter at the big league level.

2. Elmer Rodriguez

The return to the Yankees for Carlos Narvaez in the one-for-one swap with the Red Sox a year ago, Elmer Rodriguez is yet another Yankees pitching lab success. He never caught much steam as a Red Sox prospect but is making ground as a top-100 prospect across multiple outlets one year later after a breakout season. He turned just 22 years old midway through the season and was pushed as high as Triple-A Scranton. Between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, no Yankees Minor League pitcher threw more innings (150) or struck out more batters (176). In fact, no pitcher in all of Minor League baseball recorded more punch outs than Rodriguez in 2025. He has the obvious ability to handle a larger workload while remaining effective in the process, giving him a particularly higher floor as a pitching prospect. Rodriguez’s mid to upper-90s fastball is his bread and butter and is his best pitch, but possesses three more above-average offerings as well. It’s an upper-70s curveball with depth, a low to mid-80s two plane slider, and an upper-80s changeup with splitter traits as his offspeed pitch of choice. He compliments the arsenal with average to above-average command that saw improvements in 2025 as he lowered his walk rates and limited less damage. At 6’3” and 160 pounds, there’s perhaps some more physical projection to dream on as Rodriguez continues to add some polish to his game.

3. Dax Kilby

The 2025 draft was loaded with prep shortstops which resulted in Kilby falling to 39th overall. In a cup of coffee at Low-A, Kilby was already looking like a pick that teams selecting above the Yankees may regret passing on in a few years. At no point did Kilby look overmatched by Low-A pitching in an 81 plate appearance sample, posting a 159 wRC+ with a .353/.457/.441 slash line with 13 walks to just 11 strikeouts and 16 steals. It’s a very polished bat for his age as he blends an excellent swing, bat speed, and contact skills together along with an advanced plate approach. It’s a gap-to-gap, line drive bat path and approach, so there’s perhaps not a ton of game power to project upon, but he has flashed some impressive exit velocities. Defensively, Kilby is not likely to stick at shortstop long-term as he lacks the arm strength to get the job done. but could be an above-average defender at second base due to his advanced athleticism.

4. Carlos Lagrange

Lagrange is already one of the buzzier names in the early weeks of spring training, showing added velocity to an already over-powering fastball along with improved stuff. At 6’7” and 250 pounds, the right-hander fits the type of pitcher the Yankees have identified and developed in recent years. It was a slow start to Lagrange’s career as he really struggled with command early, but finally broke out in 2025. He threw 120 innings between High-A and Double-A, striking out 33.4% of the batters he faced while walking 12.3%. His teammate Elmer Rodriguez struck out more hitters than any pitcher in Minor League Baseball in 2025 while Lagrange ranked right behind him with the second most (168). The fastball routinely sits in the upper-90s and has reached as high as 102 mph with some outlier traits. It’s a bit of a steeper plane, but at 6’7”, it’s a more unique look for hitters considering the carry on the pitch created by Lagrange’s ability to spin the ball. He throws two breaking shapes - a mid-80s sweeping slider as well as a high-80s slider with cutter traits, both of which are pitches with the chance to be plus offerings when commanded well. He also adds a high-80s changeup with significant depth and improved feel. There is some reliever risk for Lagrange if the command struggles to translate at the big league level, but there’s considerable upside as a high-leverage reliever if that ends up being his long-term fit.

5. Bryce Cunninghamn

The Yankees second round pick in 2024, Bryce Cunningham got his first taste of pro ball in 2025. Unfortunately for Cunningham, his first full season was shortened a couple of months due to injury, but he turned in some solid results in his 12 appearances at High-A. In 54.1 innings, it was a 3.54 FIP and a 1.12 WHIP with a 25.0 K% to an 8.6 BB%. He throws a mid-90s fastball that plays up due its metrics and the extension Cunningham creates, and he commands it well. His mid to high-80s changeup is his go-to secondary offering with depth and a lot of arm-side run which plays perfectly off the fastball. His two breaking offerings are average, a high-70s to low-80s curveball with a slurvy shape as well as a low to mid-80s slider with a tighter gyro shape. Both pitches are rather dependent on location. The command along with the polished fastball and changeup gives Cunningham a solid floor and back end of the rotation upside, but he will likely need some improved stuff to raise his ceiling as an impact starter.

6. Ben Hess

The Yankees first round pick in the 2024 draft, Ben Hess fit what the Yankees have been developing well over the last couple of years - big bodied college pitchers. The 6’5”, 255 pound right-hander out of Alabama debuted in 2025, throwing 103.1 innings across 22 starts between High-A and Double-A. It was a 2.50 FIP and a 1.07 WHIP with a 33.0 K% and a 10.9 BB%. The command is average at best as he will walk guys, but it’s a well-rounded arsenal that limits damage as he only allowed two home runs in 2025. His low to mid-90s fastball is his best offering as he gets a lot of carry on the pitch and swing and miss at the top of the zone. His mid-70s curveball is his only breaking pitch but it plays well off of the fastball with late downward break, inducing chase below the zone. His low-80s changeup might be his best secondary offering as it produces a lot of arm-side run and depth, tunneling it well off of the fastball. The command with his secondaries is fringy so his dependence on the fastball could raise some problems in the upper levels of the minors and in the big leagues. The development of those two pitches is likely the difference in him being a back-end starter or a mid to high-leverage reliever.

7. Spencer Jones

There might not be a more controversial prospecct in baseball right now than Spencer Jones. On one hand, it’s plus-plus raw power, arguably the best in the minors, along with elite athleticism for his size at 6’7” and 240 pounds. On the other hand, it’s genuinely poor contact skills that are not at least given a floor by a good plate approach because he struggles big time with chasing pitches outside of the zone as well. His strikeout rates have only increased as he has advanced through the minors, posting a 36.8 K% in 2024 in a full-season at Double-A, and then a 35.4 K% in 2025 between Double-A and Triple-A. Despite the high strikeout rates, Jones has made it as high as Triple-A because he has been able to access his power. His 35 home runs ranked second in all of Minor League Baseball in 2025, while his .571 SLG ranked first in the Yankees system among qualified hitters under the age of 25. On top of the home runs, he added 29 steals after he stole 25 in 2024 and 43 in 2023. While he can get to his power in the minors, it will be tough for it to translate at the big league level if he continues to struggle to make contact. His most likely best outcome is a platoon bat that can play solid outfield defense while the athletic upside is what is keeping Jones worth checking in on.

8. Henry Lalane

One of two players on the Yankees top ten prospect list acquired via the international free agent market, Henry Lalane is yet another imposing figure on the mound, coming in at 6’7” and 220 pounds from the left side. Coming off of shoulder surgery that shortened his 2024 season and delayed a majority of his 2025 season, the injury history adds a lot of risk for Lalane. The Dominican product has been in the Yankees system since 2021 after he signed with the organization as a 16 year old, however, he has only thrown 22.1 innings in state side full-season ball because of the injuries and the fact that he spent two years at the Dominican complex before coming over. Regardless, he has earned some pretty solid reviews when he’s been healthy as he was up in the mid-90s with his fastball as a teenager and reached as high as 97 mph. His mid-80s changeup is his best pitch as he shows advanced feel for it and creates solid depth off the fastball. The development of his low-80s slider will be worth following as it hasn’t registered as a “feel” pitch yet, but he has shown an ability to spin it well. Lalane’s high walk rates in his first couple of seasons of pro ball raise some command concerns, but he’s given the benefit of the doubt due to his lack of long-term experience.

9. Chase Hampton

A 2022 sixth round pick out of Texas Tech, Hampton hasn’t seen the mound since August of 2024 due to an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. With that being said, he’s approaching 25 years old with limited Double-A experience, so there’s certainly a ceiling on what can be expected of him at this point. Regardless of the current outlook, he was putting together a solid minor League career prior to the injury. In 2023, his first and only full pro season to this point, he looked the part of a breakout prospect, striking out 33.1% of the batters he faced while walking 8.4% across 20 starts between High-A and Double-A. Hampton stands out for his polished delivery and pitchability. While it could look revamped upon his return from injury, his arsenal features a low to mid-90s fastball that plays up due to its metrics, along with an upper-80s cutter, a low to mid-80s slider, and a high-70s to low-80s curveball. He has no problem mixing and matching his secondaries, limiting how much he has to use his fastball. The outlook for Hampton is blurry coming off of a long layoff, but he had tools prior to the injury that leaves evaluators confident he can return to some semblance of what he was in 2023.

10. Kaden Kent

The Yankees third round pick and their second overall pick a year ago, Kaden is the son of recent Hall of Fame inductee Jeff Kent and was a big part of Texas A&M’s run to the College World Series final in 2024. The left-handed hitting infielder lacks upside tools but has a high floor bat and will likely be an above-average second base defender once he moves off of shortstop. He was sent to High-A for a cup of coffee following the draft last year where he struggled in 25 games, but there’s belief he’ll come around on High-A pitching as he gets a full season under his belt in 2026. This is a hitter that walked more than he struck out in his junior year in the SEC, and might be able to tap into at least average power once he’s lifting the ball to the pull side at a higher rate.