MLB Draft 2019: Yankees select Josh Smith 67th overall

With their second round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, the Yankees selected Josh Smith at 67th overall. Smith is a 5-foot-10, 178 pound infielder from Louisiana State University.

Baseball America ranked Smith at no. 68 on their 500 list, while MLB Pipeline listed him at no. 76 on their top 200 list. The 21-year-old hit .343/.433/.512 with eight home runs for the Tigers this season.

Smith is listed as shortstop, but the Yankees selected him as second baseman. Here’s a snippet from his MLB Pipeline scouting report:

Smith makes repeated contact from the left side of the plate, using the entire field and controlling the strike zone. He has solid raw power and drives the ball consistently enough to provide 15 or more homers per season. He has solid to plus speed and the savvy to use it well on the bases.

They give him a 50 hit tool with 45-grade power.

Smith is a high-floor player. He could move up the ladder quickly and he fills a position of need. The Yankees badly needed infield depth heading into the MLB Draft, and they used two of their selections on a shortstop and a second baseman. A pattern is certainly emerging here. We’ll see if the Yankees take any more infielders tomorrow.