A midseason update on the Yankees’ 20 best prospects

The MLB Draft has come and gone, just about all of the international signing money has been spent, the short-season rookie leagues are down to their last couple of weeks, and the four full-season affiliates are entering the home stretch of their schedules. It’s a good time to take stock of the top prospects in the Yankees’ organization.

For this exercise, players who’ve made appearances in the major leagues this year are excluded, although they should still be considered prospects. That means Jhony Brito, Oswald Peraza, Randy Vásquez, and Estevan Florial won’t be part of the list. This is not the industry standard, but it allows us to discuss some more minor leaguers who might not have crossed the average fan’s radar.

We also won’t consider players who’ve been in the organization but haven’t played at all in 2023, so catcher Engelth Urena and pitchers Luis Gil, Angel Benitez, Carson Coleman, and Trystan Vrieling will be left out (Gil would merit mention, but as he is only rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, there’s not much to discuss anyway). There is a solid group of 20 names that were in consideration somewhere for this list but won’t be mentioned at all, and that speaks to the potential depth of the system.

This list was assembled with an attempt to weigh a player’s ceiling with the likelihood that he will progress through the minor leagues and become a Yankee. In a bit of a cheat, it’s also not a numbered ranking. Rather, the players are listed alphabetically to prevent haggling over who is ranked 14 instead of 15, for example. Another hedge is including the next five players who have a strong case for consideration among the 20 best prospects the Yankees have.

Roderick Arias, SS (FCL)

Arias already had made a name for himself by signing for a big bonus last year, but his play in the complex league has created the buzz around him now. Unfortunately, it looks like a hand injury will keep him out the rest of the way, but his .928 OPS, 6 homers, and 17 steals in 27 games should have him in line to start 2024 in full-season ball with the Tampa Tarpons at age 19.

Clayton Beeter, RHP (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

Beeter had a case to start the year where he is now, where he is creeping closer to a big league appearance. Like Will Warren, Beeter may switch roles in the majors, but his pitch combination should play as a starter or reliever, as it did when he participated in this year’s Futures Game.

Jasson Domínguez, OF (Double-A Somerset)

Some argued for The Martian to make the Yankees out of spring training, and, heck, maybe it would have made for a more entertaining season, but he’s clearly needed the development time and it’s paying off. After struggling in June, the 20-year-old has been really good with the bat recently while also taking walks and stealing bases. In 22 games since the start of the second half, Domínguez is hitting .358/.425/.526 with a 162 wRC+.

Richard Fitts, RHP (Double-A Somerset)

The 23-year-old Fitts built off the progress he made last year to start the season in Double-A, and he hasn’t looked back. He’s been one of the more consistent starters in the organization, and that’s while striking out 123 hitters in 113.2 innings.

Anthony Hall, OF (High-A Hudson Valley)

Injuries have slowed him down since he was drafted in the fourth round last year, but Hall has shown strike zone judgment, hitting ability, and power from the left side in 2023.

Chase Hampton, RHP (Double-A Somerset)

Hampton has found Double-A a little bumpier than his time at Hudson Valley, where he dominated for half a season. He’s only in his first full season after being drafted in the sixth round last year, and the increase in his stuff has evaluators excited about his potential. Some outlets have already listed Hampton as the best pitching prospect in the organization, outpacing Will Warren.

Spencer Jones (High-A Hudson Valley)

Jones’ size and athleticism give him potential unmatched by most players in the minor leagues, and there is nothing to complain about in his first-year performance. The 2022 first-round pick’s latest accomplishment is significantly cutting his strikeout rate from the first half of the season. An end-of-year promotion to Somerset is not out of the question.

Henry Lalane, LHP (FCL)

Pitching only 14 innings in the complex league wouldn’t seem like enough of a resume to put him among the better prospects in the system, but his big stuff comes along with his 6-foot-7 frame. The 19-year-old has a high ceiling.

George Lombard Jr., SS (FCL)

There’s a chance we don’t see him play before the complex league season ends, but his pedigree as a brand new first-round pick with no discernible holes in his game pushes him far up the prospect list. He’ll be 18 at the beginning of next season, so he may return to the FCL in 2024.

Brando Mayea, OF (DSL)

The Yankees’ big international signing of 2023 is not dominating in the Dominican during his first professional season, but a .727 OPS that leans heavily toward his on-base percentage is a good sign. He’s keeping the strikeouts down and showing the speed (19 steals) that factors greatly into his prospect status.

Everson Pereira, OF (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

A .926 OPS between Double-A and Triple-A has put Pereira in line to make his major league debut before the year is out. (The Yankees have already floated this possibility to the press.) It doesn’t hurt that the reviews on his defense have also been positive, and the Yankees just so happen to have a hole in left field. Pereira’s 30:4 strikeout-to-walk ratio at Triple-A could use some improvement though; otherwise, we’ll just have another free-swinging player in the midst.

Agustin Ramirez, C (Double-A Somerset)

Ramirez is quickly becoming a dude. He wasn’t drawing the most attention while he was a Tampa Tarpon, but he earned a promotion and destroyed his High-A assignment to the tune of a 1.144 OPS in 27 games. The 21-year-old is now taking on the challenge of his third minor league level this season, having been bumped up to Somerset earlier this week.

T.J. Rumfield, 1B (Double-A Somerset)

Coming into 2023 with four career home runs, Rumfield broke out with 17 before landing on the injured list. Left-handed power from first base is a tradition the Yankees would love to see continue.

Brock Selvidge, LHP (High-A Hudson Valley)

Good size, left-handed, solid stuff, 20 years old, and rock steady performance at two levels. What else can you ask for from a pitching prospect?

Jared Serna, 2B (High-A Hudson Valley)

The diminutive Serna led the Florida State League in home runs and runs batted in before his promotion, and the power he packs in his swing is complemented by speed on the bases and the ability to play up the middle in the dirt.

Trey Sweeney, SS (Double-A Somerset)

It’s easy to forget he’s only in his second full professional season, which would perhaps cause you to ignore his continued improvement. The 2021 first-rounder’s numbers are a notch better than they were last year, but they’ve come at Double-A, and this big lefty with power has displayed all the tools that made him a first-round pick.

Enmanuel Tejeda, IF (FCL)

Tejeda is perhaps a bit under the radar at the moment, but that will change very soon. He’s only 18, and he’s not huge at 5-foot-11, but this right-handed hitter has followed up a strong 2022 with a .917 OPS and 20 steals in the complex league while playing third and second.

Drew Thorpe, RHP (Double-A Somerset)

Not much more could be asked of Thorpe in his first full season. He was recently promoted to Double-A after a resoundingly successful turn at Hudson Valley, where he struck out 138 in 109 innings.

Will Warren, RHP (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

After six starts with Somerset, the 24-year-old Warren got the bump to Triple-A, where he has adjusted to the level after a rough start. Whether as a starter or reliever, he has the potential to be an impact big leaguer.

Austin Wells, C (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

Many fans wanted Wells in Triple-A at the beginning of the season, but he’s there now, and his left-handed power has him steaming toward the big leagues. A catcher who could hit would be a welcome addition to the big league clubhouse, and even if his long-term home isn’t behind the plate, a young lefty bat is always welcome in the Bronx.

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The next five

Edgar Barclay, LHP (Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre)

Barclay has only thrown 42 innings this year, but he has climbed from High-A to Triple-A and stretched out from a dominant reliever to now a starter at the highest minor league level. He seems to be answering the question of whether the Yankees will protect him from the Rule 5 draft this winter.

Brendan Beck, RHP (High-A Hudson Valley)

Beck might have the talent to rank higher on the prospect list, but he’ll enter next season at 25 years old after missing so much time due to injury. Any hiccup that further delays him will be an issue, but if he stays healthy the Yankees may really have something here.

Yoendrys Gómez, RHP (Double-A Somerset)

Like Beck, Gómez has been down quite a bit in his time with the Yankees, with a career-high of 56.1 innings pitched coming in 2019. He’s still only 23, he’s on the 40-man roster, and when he’s on he shows the enticing power stuff that has made him regarded highly in the past.

Tyler Hardman, 3B (Double-A Somerset)

You can question the swing-and-miss in Hardman’s game, but you can’t question the 26 home runs at Double-A. He’s received high marks for his defense in the past, and if he continues to progress he’s a real big league prospect who can play third base.

Luis Serna, RHP (FCL)

Serna missed time at the beginning of the season due to a shoulder issue, and without that hiccup he may be squarely in the top group, but he has time to get there. He just turned 19, and he’s building up innings in the complex league. If his stuff is not diminished, he’s potentially in the handful of best pitching prospects in the organization.