The 2023 is a breakout year for the kids growing up at the New York Yankees farm. The latest MiLB list of the standout performers in the minors includes as many as 11 kids from their organization.
Ben Rice
Position: Catcher
Level: A/A+/AA
Record: .324/.434/.615, 73 G, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 62 R, 44 BB, 11 SB
Ben Rice delivered an outstanding offensive performance in the Minor Leagues and earned recognition as the New York Yankees’ Hitting Prospect of the Year during his inaugural full season. Among Minor League players with a minimum of 300 plate appearances, the 24-year-old secured the top spot with an impressive 183 wRC+. Rice began the season with a .341 batting average at the High-A level but faced a setback due to a two-month absence caused by a back injury. Following his rehabilitation, he joined the Somerset team and continued to excel, posting a .327 batting average while smacking 16 home runs in just 48 games in the Eastern League.
Andres Chaparro
Position: First base
Level: AAA
Record: .247/.331/.444, 137 G, 25 HR, 89 RBI, 82 R, 65 BB, 4 SB
Chaparro’s progression through the New York Yankees’ farm system has been gradual but marked by consistent success at nearly every level. The versatile 24-year-old, capable of playing both corner infield positions, achieved a career-high with 25 home runs, earning him his third consecutive recognition as an Organization All-Star. Eric Schmitt, the director of player development for the Yankees, highlighted Chaparro’s deliberate efforts to reduce his chase rate and concentrate on swinging at more favorable pitches within the strike zone.
Caleb Durbin
Position: Second base
Level: A+/AA
Record: .304/.395/.427, 69 G, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 46 R, 26 BB, 36 SB
A peculiar ankle injury kept Durbin on the sidelines for a duration of two months, but he swiftly regained his top form upon his return in August. The 23-year-old displayed his prowess by hitting .333 with an impressive .870 OPS and contributing seven stolen bases in his last 20 games with the Somerset team. Durbin, who had been acquired by the Yankees from the Braves during the previous offseason, exhibited exceptional plate discipline during the regular season, recording more walks (18) than strikeouts. Currently, he is making up for the time lost as the Yankees prospect actively participates with the Mesa team in the Arizona Fall League.
Jesus Rodriguez
Position: Third base
Level: A/A+
Record: .310/.399/.450, 109 G, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 66 R, 55 BB, 21 SB
Following his promotion to High-A, Rodriguez’s performance continued to improve. In the new setting, he boasted an impressive .356/.464/.533 batting line, complemented by eight extra-base hits and 20 RBIs in the span of 25 games. Notably, he showcased exceptional plate discipline with nearly an equal number of walks (17) and strikeouts (18). While Rodriguez primarily operates as a catcher, the 21-year-old demonstrated his versatility by playing in four different positions, including left field and third base for the first time. Behind the plate, the Yankees prospect managed to throw out 18 of 54 potential base stealers, although he did encounter nine errors while playing at the hot corner.
Jared Serna
Position: Shortstop
Level: A/A+
Record: .283/.350/.463, 122 G, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 90 R, 49 BB, 29 SB
The Yankees prospect, who topped the organization’s charts in total hits with 144, exhibited an unexpected power surge, defying his physical stature. He proved to be a significant contributor to his team’s runs in his inaugural full season. Having been signed for a mere $10,000 from Mexico back in 2019, Serna faced challenges in replicating his power at higher levels. Nevertheless, the Yankees prospect continued to showcase his exceptional ability to make contact with the ball during his time at Hudson Valley. On the defensive front, it’s anticipated that the 5-foot-6, 168-pound player will transition to a full-time role at second base as he advances through the ranks.
Spencer Jones: Yankees’ other Aaron Judge
Position: Outfielder
Level: A+/AA
Record: .267/.336/.444, 117 G, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 71 R, 49 BB, 43 SB
This season, Spencer Jones distinguished himself through his remarkable speed, emerging as the leader in stolen bases within the organization. The towering 6-foot-6 slugger did experience a dip in power due to a ground-ball rate that hovered close to 50 percent. However, the Yankees prospect demonstrated his capacity to connect with the ball resolutely. Jones notably topped the system with 29 doubles, and it’s anticipated that the Yankees prospect will transform some of this gap power into additional home runs as he elevates the ball more, particularly toward the pull side.
Jasson Dominguez: Yankees’ the Martian rookie
Position: Outfielder
Level: AA/AAA
Record: .265/.377/.425, 118 G, 15 HR, 76 RBI, 89 R, 83 BB, 40 SB
“The Martian” made his debut in The Show and delivered a memorable home run against Justin Verlander in his very first Major League at-bat. However, before receiving the coveted call-up, Jasson Dominguez had to navigate through a sluggish start with Somerset but eventually caught fire before the All-Star break. The 20-year-old sensation put on a show, boasting an impressive .419 batting average in a mere nine Triple-A games. Eric Schmitt expressed confidence that the Yankees rookie had indeed demonstrated his readiness for a Major League opportunity during that period. It’s worth noting that Domínguez recently underwent Tommy John surgery but has already embarked on the road to recovery through rehabilitation.
Everson Pereira
Position: Outfielder
Level: AA/AAA
Record: .300/.373/.548, 81 G, 18 HR, 64 RBI, 53 R, 32 BB, 11 SB
Everson Pereira’s performance reached new heights at the Triple-A level, where he posted an impressive .312/.386/.551 batting line and smashed eight home runs in just 35 games with SWB, which subsequently earned him his first promotion to New York. The 22-year-old has consistently demonstrated a knack for generating extra-base hits through hard, consistent contact. Among his 96 batted balls at Triple-A, an impressive 44 of them clocked in at speeds exceeding 95 mph. The Yankees rookie even reached the elite territory of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton with a maximum exit velocity of 114.5 mph.
Drew Thorpe: The Yankees’ next ace
Position: Pitcher
Level: A+/AA
Record: 14-2, 2.52 ERA, 139 ⅓ IP, 182 K, 38 BB, .200 BAA, 0.98 WHIP
At the first-ever MiLB Awards Show, the 23-year-old clinched the title of Pitching Prospect of the Year. He emerged as the strikeout leader among all Minor League pitchers and secured an impressive fourth place in ERA rankings, among those who met the qualifications. Eric Schmitt highlighted Drew Thorpe‘s exceptional baseball intelligence, especially given that it was his debut professional season. Standing tall at 6-foot-4, Thorpe skillfully controls a diverse arsenal of four pitches, with his changeup standing out as a weapon he can confidently employ in any count. As he continues to mature and adds velocity to his pitches, his overall repertoire shows continual improvement.
Brock Selvidge
Position: Pitcher
Level: A/A+
Record: 8-5, 3.45 ERA, 127 ⅔ IP, 137 K, 35 BB, .234 BAA, 1.18 WHIP
Making his first appearance outside the Complex League this season, the third-round Yankees pick from 2021 maintained his consistency as he earned a promotion out of the pitcher-friendly Florida State League. Selvidge did experience a slight decrease in his strikeout rate, but he excelled in limiting high-quality contact, with opponents managing just a .226 average and a .617 OPS against him at Hudson Valley, an improvement from his performance with Tampa. Eric Schmitt also took note of a significant uptick in velocity from the 6-foot-3 left-handed Yankees pitching prospect. In his sole playoff start, he showcased his skills by striking out seven batters over 6 ⅔ innings to secure the win.
Jack Neely
Position: Pitcher
Level: A+/AA
Record: 6-5, 7 SV, 2.17 ERA, 66 ⅓ IP, 100 K, 20 BB, .166 BAA, 0.89 WHIP
The imposing 6-foot-8 right-handed pitcher delivered dominant performances at two different levels, showcasing a relentless commitment to attacking the strike zone with his formidable fastball-slider duo. In the Minor Leagues, the Yankees prospect stood alone as no other pitcher managed to complete a minimum of 60 innings with a K/9 rate exceeding 13 while maintaining a walk rate below 8 percent. Notably, among all pitchers this season, only seven were able to accomplish the feat of recording over 100 strikeouts while completing fewer than 70 innings, a category in which the 2021 11th-round pick excelled.
Yankees MiLB affiliates in 2023
| Yankees MiLB affiliates | Record |
| Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre | 73-75 |
| Double-A Somerset | 84-53 |
| High-A Hudson Valley | 70-62 |
| Single-A Tampa | 61-69 |
| FCL Yankees | 33-22 |
| DSL NYY Yankees | 33-19 |
| DSL NYY Bombers | 27-26 |
| Overall record: 381-326 (5th among MLB organizations) | |
| Midseason Farm System Rankings: 21 | |
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