Yankees reportedly sign 2019 second-round draft pick Josh Smith

As the 2019 draft signing period draws to a close, the Yankees still have some work to do. That said, they checked off a major piece of business on Wednesday afternoon. According to Jon Heyman, the team agreed to sign second-round pick Josh Smith for slot value.

The Yankees chose Smith, an infielder from LSU, with the 67th overall pick in last month’s draft. He ranked as the 68th best draft eligible prospect according to Baseball America’s top 500 list, and 76th on MLB Pipeline’s top 200 catalog.

The 21-year-old hit .341/.431/.507 with seven home runs (.403 wOBA) over 211 at-bats for the Tigers in 2019.

Here’s some of what the folks at MLB Pipeline had to say about Smith’s game:

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.

The slot value for the 67th overall pick comes out to $976,700.

Now that he’s signed, one can expect him to quickly join an affiliate. Anthony Volpe, the team’s first-round pick, landed with Rookie Pulaski. That’s a logical destination, but Smith’s high floor may have him ticketed for Short Season Staten Island.

For more on the Yankees and their draft signings, be sure to visit our live tracker. It features everything you need to know as the signings take place.