New York Yankees Top 50 Prospects (2026)

2026-Top-50-Prospects-NYY — Top 50 graphic design by Michael Packard, @CollectingPack on Twitter

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New York Yankees

AL East
2025 record: 94-68 (2nd)

MiLB affiliates
Triple-A: Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders
Double-A: Somerset Patriots
High-A: Hudson Valley Renegades
Single-A: Tampa Tarpons

2025 End-Of-Season farm system rank: #23
Jeremy Mahy’s organization take from our 2025 End-Of-Season Farm System Rankings:
The Yankees have had rather underwhelming results lately with their top prospects debuts. Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and Carlos Lagrange look to be the next group up and hope to reverse that trend.

Prospects1500 writers who contributed to this column and rankings: Greg Bracken (@gregbracken07), Scott Greene (@Scotty_Ballgame), J.W. Mulpas (@CLEBoxscoreBeat), and Jeremy Mahy (@JMahyfam). The writer’s Twitter handle follows each player write-up or paragraph.

Prospects1500 Tiers:
Tier 1: Players with high expectations of both making the majors and playing at an All-Star level for a number of years
Tier 2: Players with an above-average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 3: Players with an average expectation of making the majors and being a solid contributor
Tier 4: Players who have the potential to make the majors; possible sleeper candidates for sustained MLB success
Tier 5: Players of interest, worth keeping an eye on, who may make (or have made) the majors but provide minimal impact

Levels listed for each player are the highest levels player reached in 2025

Tier 1

None

Tier 2

1. George Lombard Jr., SS, 20, Double-A
Lombard is the best defensive infielder among Yankees prospects, but unfortunately that doesn’t matter much for dynasty owners. What does matter is that he is one of the system’s top base stealers. He pairs that speed with a refined eye at the plate, drawing walks at a near-elite rate and rarely chasing out of the zone. He got off to a hot start at High-A in 2025 but struggled after his promotion to Double-A, managing just a .215 average over 391 at bats. While his bat and power are still developing, his underlying data and all-around tools suggest more is coming. Lombard profiles as a future five-tool player and is projected by Baseball America to be the Yankees starting third baseman in the coming years. If his hit tool comes around, he has star potential. (@CLEBoxscoreBeat)

2. Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz, SS, RHP, 22, Triple-A
You don’t get a lot of Yankees-Red Sox trades. Which ones come to mind? The most recent one brought Boston’s 2021 4th round pick, Rodriguez-Cruz to New York, in exchange for Carlos Narvaez. So far it’s been a good deal for both teams. ERC had somewhat of a breakout in 2025, in 25 starts mostly across High-A/Double-A. The 6’3” 22-year-old threw 150 innings on the year, striking out 176, notching a solid 3.12 ERA, which would have been lower if you take out his one Triple-A appearance (5 IP, 8 H, 4 ER). Look for Rodriguez-Cruz to head up Scranton/Wilkes-Barre’s rotation to begin 2026 and could be one of the first big call-ups when New York needs an arm. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

3. Spencer Jones, OF, 24, Triple-A
Why has Jones not made his MLB debut yet? The 2022 first rounder could be MLB-ready and many would think, he’ll be part of the Yankees outfield in 2026. At 6’7”, 240, Jones is tremendously athletic and quick for his size. He’s coming off an excellent 2025 in which he basically split the year between Double and Triple-A. 35 home runs, 80 RBI, 29 SB, a .953 OPS and 250 total bases. The one glaring weakness is his K%, which is not good. He led all of baseball in 2024 with 200 strikeouts (36.8%), and last season whiffed 179 times (35.3%). If he can’t get that K-rate down under 30%, there’s your answer to the question that opened this write-up. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Tier 3

4. Carlos Lagrange, RHP, 22, Double-A
5. Dax Kilby, SS, 19, Single-A
6. Ben Hess, RHP, 23, Double-A
7. Bryce Cunningham, RHP, 23, High-A
8. Chase Hampton, RHP, 24, Double-A

Lagrange has definitely improved since debuting as a 19-year-old in the Dominican Summer League in 2022. He posted great numbers across High/Double-A in 2025 and he started and threw four innings, giving up only one run for the Yankees prospects in their Spring Breakout game. New York went high school shortstop with the first draft pick last summer, selecting Kilby out of Newman, GA. The 18-year-old impressed in an 18-game pro debut at Single-A Tampa, slashing .353/.457/.441/.898 with 16 stolen bases. Their 2024 first round pick, Hess, is on the track the organization had hoped he’d be on, reaching Somerset in 2025. Putting up a 3.22 ERA, 12.1 K/9 and 1.07 WHIP in 22 games started will play. Cunningham, selected after Hess in the 2024 MLB Draft, debuted at High-A last season and then got some additional time in the Arizona Fall League. He should spend some time in Double-A Somerset in 2026. Hampton, who was added to the Yankees’ 40-man roster to be protected from the Rule 5 Draft, didn’t pitch at all in 2025 (Tommy John), and could be a long shot to contribute in New York’s bullpen. (@Scotty_Ballgame)

Tier 4

9. Henry Lalane, LHP, 21, Single-A
10. Brock Selvidge, LHP, 23, Double-A
11. Kyle Carr, LHP, 23, Double-A
12. Brando Mayea, OF, 20, Rookie (FCL)
13. Thatcher Hurd, RHP, 23, College

This tier is chalked full of injury issues with four out of the five having dealt with setbacks last season. Lalane missed a good chunk of the season with a shoulder injury and when he returned his velocity was down significantly. I like the changeup but if the velocity doesn’t rebound his profile takes a big hit. Selvidge also started the year on the IL with biceps inflammation, and his return to the mound was just so so. The Yankees were moving him along quickly prior to injury with him even appearing in the Futures Game in 2024. Carr has above-average command and his arsenal has limited hard contact to this point in his career. He isn’t going to be a big strikeout guy, but he has been effective against both handed hitters and looks like a solid #4-5 pitcher. Injuries have limited Mayea to just 209 AB at the Complex level over the past two years. The tools that caused the Yankees to fork out a $4.35 million bonus on him back in 2023 are still there, he just needs to stay healthy. Hurd, who was the Yankees third round pick back in 2024, has yet to throw a pitch professionally after having TJ surgery. He is set to make his debut sometime this year. (@JMahyfam)

Tier 5

14. Brendan Beck, RHP, 27, Triple-A
15. Kaeden Kent, SS, 22, High-A
16. Mani Cedeno, SS, 17, Rookie (DSL)
17. Cade Smith, RHP, 23, High-A
18. Engelth Urena, C, 21, High-A
19. Pico Kohn, LHP, 23, College
20. Juan Torres, 2B/3B, 18, Rookie (DSL)
21. Ernesto Martinez Jr., 1B, 26, Triple-A
22. T.J. Rumfield, 1B, 25, Triple-A
23. Enmanuel Tejeda, 2B, 21, Single-A
24. Xavier Rivas, LHP, 23, High-A
25. Jace Avina, OF, 22, Double-A
26. Stiven Marinez, RHP, 18, Rookie (DSL)
27. Richard Matic, 3B, 18, Rookie (DSL)
28. Francisco Vilorio, OF, 19, Rookie (DSL)
29. Core Jackson, SS/2B, 22, High-A
30. Cade Winquest, RHP, 25, Double-A
31. Eric Reyzelman, RHP, 24, Triple-A
32. Leni Done, 3B, 18, Rookie (DSL)
33. Mac Heuer, RHP, 21, College
34. Chalniel Arias, RHP, 22, Rookie (FCL)
35. Trent Sellers, RHP, 26, Double-A
36. Roderick Arias, SS, 21, Single-A
37. Jorbit Vivas, 2B/3B, 24, MLB
38. Jose M. Rodriguez, RHP, 22, Single-A
39. Sabier Marte, RHP, 21, Rookie (FCL)
40. Allen Facundo, LHP, 23, Single-A
41. Wilson Rodriguez, OF, 21, Single-A
42. Ruben Castillo, OF, 18, Rookie (DSL)
43. Harrison Cohen, RHP, 26, Triple-A
44. Carson Coleman, RHP, 27, Double-A
45. Luis Serna, RHP, 21, Single-A
46. Jerson Alejandro, RHP, 19, Rookie (DSL)
47. Jack Cebert, RHP, 23, High-A
48. Andrew Landry, RHP, 23, High-A
49. Jackson Castillo, OF, 22, Double-A
50. Wilberson De Pena, OF, 19, Rookie (DSL)

Kent, son of former major leaguer Jeff Kent, was aggressively assigned to High-A in his draft year and predictably struggled with the bat. With Cedeno, you have to ignore the surface stats from last season. He was the Yankees big international signee last year and scouts rave about his athleticism and bat speed. Urena is showing good pop and developing defense behind the dish, how all that translates as he continues to progress through the minors remains to be seen. Kohn, their 4th round pick, is a very intriguing arm for me. The lefty possesses three good offerings and with some development, could really level up. Torres had one heck of a debut last season in the DSL. He is uber aggressive at the plate so that will be something to watch as he faces better pitching. Tejeda showed improvements in his swing decisions last season, he also reduced his groundball rate from 57% to 45%. Jackson, their 5th round pick, had some of the best exit velo at the Draft Combine. His swing can get long, which could pose problems against more consistent velocity. The speed, defense and power potential are all still present with Arias, but his swing decisions are going to have to improve to make good on those tools. (@JMahyfam)

Prospects1500

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Scott Greene

President of Prospects1500. Founder of Diamond Duos dynasty fantasy baseball leagues and the MLB Fantasy Playoffs Parlay. Participant and champion in several dynasty/fantasy baseball and football leagues. Sales Manager for Reminder Publishing by day. Huge Bruce Springsteen and pro wrestling fan. Along with his wife and two boys, lives in Longmeadow, MA. Follow on Twitter at @Scotty_Ballgame.

Jeremy Mahy

Jeremy covers the St Louis organization and contributes on Prospects of the Week for Prospects1500. Born and raised in the Midwest, he is a lifelong fan of the Birds on the Bat. You can follow him on Twitter @JMahyfam for more baseball content.

"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." -Yogi Berra

J.W. Mulpas

J.W. resides in Northeast Ohio and is a lifelong Cleveland sports fan. His favorite baseball player of all-time is 2018 Hall of Fame inductee, Jim Thome. He enjoys playing Fantasy Baseball, especially dynasty leagues. He has been a contributor to Prospects1500 since January 2025. You can follow J.W. on X at @CLEBoxscoreBeat.

Greg Bracken

Greg covers the Toronto Blue Jays organization for Prospects1500. Born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, a long-suffering fan of both the Blue Jays and the Toronto Maple Leafs. For more than 15 years now a participant/commish in many dynasty baseball leagues, all with extremely deep minor league rosters. Follow on X @gregbracken07.