Spring Training is well underway, and with the annual update made to the Yankees’ Top 30 prospects rankings, there’s plenty to dissect. Whether you’re a die-hard fan or curious about the future of the franchise, this breakdown will give you a closer, highest-to-lowest look at their best young names: who’s trending up, who’s slipping, and what it all means for the organization moving forward.
- Jasson DomĂnguez (MLB #21), OF, 22 Y/O, Projected Level: MLB
Starting at the top is one of the most intriguing and exciting names on this list. Jasson DomĂnguez has been a name of interest in the Yanks’ system for 6 years now, signing with the club in 2019 as a 16-year old; he also headlined this same top prospect list a year ago. DomĂnguez has already seen multiple stints with the big league club as a late-season call-up in both 2023 and 2024. The switch-hitter took the fanbase and the league by storm in his MLB debut, when he homered to left field against future Hall-of-Famer Justin Verlander in his first Major League at-bat. DomĂnguez is projected to be the Major League left fielder at the season’s start and brings all kinds of hype to the squad with his plus grades in power, speed and arm in the outfield. However, DomĂnguez still has only seen 100 plate appearances in MLB and has had his fair share of concerns in the outfield. All that being said, DomĂnguez is still a 22-year old prospect, the only Yankee to crack MLB’s Top-100 ranking, and brings a spark to the lineup that the Yankees were missing with the sub-par performance of Alex Verdugo.
- George Lombard Jr., SS/2B, 19 Y/O, Projected Level: High-A
George Lombard Jr. jumps up one spot in this year’s ranking, as the 19 year-old in 2024 saw his first full season of Minor League action, moving between A and High-A. Lombard was the 26th pick of the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft right out of high school and is an exciting, 5-tooled infielder who has already been mashing baseballs with the Spring Training squad, already sending 2 home runs out of George Steinbrenner Field in 15 at bats. Despite a mediocre .672 OPS in 2024, the Yankees are poised to see Lombard make his way up the Minor League ranks this season and see his future in the Big-League infield, where Lombard brings positional versatility.
- Spencer Jones, OF, 23 Y/O, Projected Level: AA
Spencer Jones loses the number two spot to Lombard Jr., but remains in the top three after 17 home runs, 25 stolen bases, and a .788 OPS with Double-A Somerset in 2024. Spencer Jones is already drawing comparisons to Aaron Judge, as he possesses an imposing frame at 6 ‘6’’, 235 lbs, and has been seen at Spring Training with a lefty-swing very similar to that of the Yankee captain. Jones was the Yanks’ first selection of the 2022 Draft and is a center fielder by trade. After some impressive at-bats so far this Spring and an early injury to Giancarlo Stanton, Jones is a big time name to watch.
- Ben Hess, RHP, 22 Y/O, Projected Level: Rookie Ball
Hess was the Yankees’ first-round pick in the 2024 Draft, and a lot of fans were left questioning the selection due to his curious college career at The University of Alabama. Hess posted gaudy stats as he posted a career 4.81 ERA, and a 5.80 in his final season. Despite that, Hess managed to strike out 205 batters in just 138 â…“ innings, which equates to an absurd 13.36 K/9. Hess is another prospect with a large frame at 6 ‘5’’, 255 lbs, that helps him throw a “massive intent” (Lance Brozowski, MLB Network) mid-90s fastball, which has reached 99 MPH. The Yankees are focused on the future with Hess; he did not play for the Florida Complex League Yankees in 2024 and will not appear in Spring Training.
- Will Warren, RHP, 25 Y/O, Projected Level: MLB
Will Warren the second name on this list to already see Major League action, answering the call multiple times in the 2024 season when the Yanks’ found a hole in their starting rotation. However, there were many bumps in the road for Warren. He pitched to some more than unsatisfactory numbers across the board, with a 10.32 ERA, -1.2 WAR and surrendering 5 home runs in 22 innings. Warren’s season caused many fans to rule him out of big league consideration going into Spring Training. However, Warren has impressed early on this Spring, seeming like a shadow of the pitcher that he was, and most notably sporting a new-and-improved changeup. With Luis Gil down with a High-grade lat strain, Warren could be the shocker of the Spring and crack the Yankees’ opening day roster.
- Bryce Cunningham, RHP, 22 Y/O, Projected Level: Rookie Ball
The Yankees boast another SEC arm from the 2024 Draft in their top 30 prospects with their second draft selection Bryce Cunningham. The right-hander shows a mid-high 90s fastball, with up-in-the-zone intent to miss barrels, and Cunningham also throws an exceptional changeup with an arm-side run to headline his arsenal. Similar to Ben Hess, Cunningham pitched to a relatively average ERA of 4.95 in his college career at Vanderbilt, but posted high strikeout numbers that the Yankees’ development can pick up on.
- Roderick Arias, SS/2B, 20 Y/O, Projected Level: Single-A
Another extremely talented multi-tooled infielder, Arias signed with the Yankees as MLB Pipeline’s No.1 International Prospect in 2022. After a short but impressive 48 games in rookie ball, the switch-hitting shortstop spent the 2024 season in Single-A. In 124 games Arias hit to a tune of an unremarkable .233 average, but made up for it with power and speed by clobbering 13 home runs and swiping 37 stolen bases in 50 attempts. Arias has done plenty to impress so far this spring, with 6 hits in just 8 at-bats. With Anthony Volpe locking down shortstop with the big league club for the foreseeable future, Arias’ sure-handed glove could end up leading him to either second base, or the hot corner in the future.
- Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, RHP, 21 Y/O, Projected Level: High-A
Rodriguez-Cruz pops up on the Yankees top prospect list after being acquired this off-season from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for international pool money and catcher Carlos Narváez. The Red Sox were fairly high but seemingly not high enough on Rodriguez-Cruz, as he made an appearance on the Sox’ 2023 top prospect ranking at No. 24. Rodriguez-Cruz was selected in the 2021 Draft out of Puerto Rico, and was reported as the lightest player (160 pounds) and the third-youngest pitcher (17 years, 11 months). The Red Sox took a gamble on Rodriguez-Cruz, and he has developed quite nicely. From 2023 to 2024, Rodriguez-Cruz gained over 3 MPH on his fastball and also developed his putaway slider, curveball and occasional splitter into competitive big league pitches. Splitting time between single-A and high-A in 2024, Rodriguez-Cruz pitched to a sub-3 ERA at 2.91, consistent across all 3 years of his career so far. I really think the Yankees are getting a steal in Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and if player development can fine-tune his arsenal, we may be hearing his name over the PA at Yankee Stadium in the coming years.
- Chase Hampton, RHP, 23 Y/O, Projected Level: AA*
Chase Hampton’s status has recently become a sore subject for the Yankees, as the team announced the right-hander would undergo Tommy John Surgery and miss the entire 2025 season. Despite this setback, you have to believe the Yankees will remain high on Hampton as he has flashed big-time potential in the Minors, jumping across 3 levels of the organization in 2023 and succeeding at AA as a 22-year old. The Yanks will remain concerned due to his injury history, but Hampton is not a name to give up on.
- Brock Selvidge, LHP, 22 Y/O, Projected Level: AA
Rounding out the 2025 top 10 prospects is Brock Selvidge. The only left-handed pitcher to crack the top 10 and one of four in the top 30, Selvidge has plenty of potential. Selvidge put his name on the map during the inaugural “Spring Breakout” in 2024, where he joined some of the fellow top prospects of the organization and played against the top minor league stars of the Blue Jays. Selvidge was dominant, going four innings in his start, allowing just one hit, one walk and striking out eight. Despite some brief injury setbacks, Selvidge carried this momentum into his season, where he put up solid but not jaw-dropping numbers. The Yankees would like to see him attack the zone and limit walks in 2025 to unlock more of the potential he flashed in his Spring Breakout start.
Other notable names:
14. Everson Pereira, OF, 23 Y/O, Projected Level: MLB
The young outfielder has already had a short, yet disappointing stint in the midst of what was a disappointing season for the club in 2023, managing just a .151 average and .427 OPS in 93 at-bats. After undergoing elbow surgery in July of 2024, Pereira has come to Spring Training looking like a new hitter, with a better finish to his swing, and after homering against Toronto last night has a .375/.474/.750 slash line in the Spring. While Spring Training can never tell the full story, this can definitely instill some confidence within a young player. With Giancarlo Stanton beginning the season on the IL, watch out for Pereira.
15. Mani Cedeno, SS, 16 Y/O, Projected Level: Rookie Ball
Yes, you read that right. The Yankees No.15 prospect is 16 years old. Cedeno will have all the time in the world to develop in the Yankees system after being signed out of the Dominican Republic for $2.5 Million as the 11th best international prospect in baseball.
22. Clayton Beeter, RHP, 26 Y/O, Projected Level: MLB
2025 will likely be Beeter’s last year as a “prospect”, as the 26-year old righty is projected for the big league bullpen. Beeter was acquired at the trade deadline in 2022 in a deal with LA for outfielder Joey Gallo. Beeter’s slider is a 60-grade by Baseball America (meaning the pitch is well above average), making it his best pitch. Beeter made his MLB debut and had a great year at AAA in 2024, so he carried plenty of momentum into the Spring trying to make an injury-depleted pitching staff. However, Beeter joined that injury plagued group as he is not exptected to be ready for Opening Day due to right shoulder injury.
25. Yoendrys Gomez, RHP, 25 Y/O, Projected Level: MLB
Here’s an arm that can take advantage of these injuries and crack the Major League team. Gomez had been on the Yanks’ top prospect list as far back as 2019, peaking at No.8 in 2020 and 2021. Gomez has been seen at Spring Training with a new-and-improved sweeper, with a stuff+ metric of 152 (100 being average) and an extra 6 inches of induced vertical break, after some big league innings in 2024.
With a mix of rising stars and question marks, the Yankees’ farm system offers promise, but plenty of uncertainty as the 2025 season approaches. Injuries to key players like Giancarlo Stanton and Luis Gil have already tested the organization’s depth, making contributions from young talent like Jasson DomĂnguez, Will Warren, and Everson Pereira all the more crucial. As the Yankees embark on another season filled with high expectations, the performances of these prospects could play a pivotal role in shaping the team’s immediate and long-term success.
The Yankee Office 
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