Here are the Yankees' 2024 Top 30 prospects
Jim Callis
@JimCallisMLBThe Yankees finished .500 or better for the 31st year in a row in 2023, but they missed the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons and failed to win the World Series for the 14th straight. That's their third-longest drought since Babe Ruth arrived in New York more than a century ago.
Despite criticism last summer that the Yankees are relying too heavily on analytics in player development, the farm system is doing its part to keep the big league club active in October. Anthony Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie shortstop last year, while Clarke Schmidt finally claimed a spot in the rotation and outfielder Jasson Dom¨ªnguez homered four times in eight games before blowing out his elbow. Austin Wells may be New York's primary catcher in 2024, with top pitching prospects Chase Hampton and Will Warren on the verge of bolstering the rotation.
The system keeps producing big leaguers and trade fodder -- the Yankees included four pitching prospects in offseason deals for Juan Soto and Alex Verdugo -- by bringing in talent via three main avenues. They acquired all of their 10 best prospects though the international market (Dom¨ªnguez, shortstop Roderick Arias, outfielder Everson Pereira, left-hander Henry Lalane, outfielder Brando Mayea), first-round picks spent on hitters (outfielder Spencer Jones, Wells, shortstop George Lombard Jr.) and mid-round pitching selections (Hampton, Warren).
Here's a look at the Yankees' top prospects:
1. Jasson Dom¨ªnguez, OF (MLB No. 41)
2. Spencer Jones, OF (MLB No. 84)
3. Roderick Arias, SS (MLB No. 86)
4. Chase Hampton, RHP (MLB No. 92)
5. Austin Wells, C
Complete Top 30 list ?
Biggest jump/fall
Here are the players whose ranks changed the most from the 2023 preseason list to the 2024 preseason list.
Jump: Chase Hampton, RHP (2023: 26 | 2024: 4); Henry Lalane, LHP (2023: NR | 2024: 9)
Hampton is yet another Yankees mid-round pitching find and owns four solid or better pitches. The 6-foot-7 Lalane is just 19 but already features one of the best combinations of stuff and polish in the system.
Fall: Luis Gil, RHP (2023: 16 | 2024: NR)
The fireballer had Tommy John surgery in May 2022 and worked just four innings in Single-A last year.
Best tools
Players are graded on a 20-80 scouting scale for future tools -- 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average. Players in parentheses have the same grade.
Hit: 55 -- Jorbit Vivas (Keiner Delgado, Brando Mayea, Ben Rice, Jared Serna)
Power: 60 -- Jasson Dom¨ªnguez (Spencer Jones)
Run: 70 -- Brando Mayea
Arm: 70 -- Roderick Arias (Francisco Vilorio)
Defense: 60 -- Roderick Arias (Brandon Mayea)
Fastball: 70 -- Carlos Lagrange
Curveball: 55 -- Chase Hampton (Clayton Beeter, Zach Messinger, Trystan Vrieling)
Slider: 70 -- Jack Neely
Changeup: 55 -- Henry Lalane
Control: 55 -- Brock Selvidge (Henry Lalane)
How they were built
Draft: 16 | International: 12 | Trade: 2
Breakdown by ETA
2024: 12 | 2025: 2 | 2026: 8 | 2027: 6 | 2028: 1 | 2029: 1
Breakdown by position
C: 3 | 2B: 4 | 3B: 1 | SS: 2 | OF: 7 | RHP: 10 | LHP: 3