The Yankees spent Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft swinging for upside, and their first move set the tone.
At No. 35 overall, they landed Arkansas left-hander Hunter Dietz, a player the source material describes as a borderline Top 10 overall prospect with a Clayton Kershaw-style wipeout breaker. It was the kind of gamble that can pay off in a big way if the Yankees can keep him from returning to Fayetteville for a fourth year and the NIL money that comes with it.
Dietz barely pitched across his first two college seasons, then rode his third into a much lower-than-expected draft slot. Still, for an organization that knows how to work with projects like this, it was the kind of swing that makes sense.
If he signs, it’s an A+ pick. If he doesn’t, it still holds up as an A- because the upside was worth the risk.
The Yankees then kept leaning into the same theme with their second-round selection, taking left-hander Sean Duncan at No. 63 overall. Duncan is a Canadian pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery, which he underwent in June, and he’s only just getting started in rehab.
Even so, he comes with the kind of traits that kept him in the conversation: MLB’s 66th-ranked prospect and a plus changeup. He also happens to be a Vanderbilt commit.
The grade here lands at an A-, with the injury recovery and lack of offensive value keeping it just a notch below the top mark.
By the third round, New York turned to catcher Brendan Brock at No. 99 overall, and that pick comes with a different kind of question. Brock’s bat is his calling card, but there’s some belief in the scouting report that his offense could slow if he stays behind the plate, which could push him into the outfield to preserve his legs.
For now, though, the Yankees added the catcher who outfoxed Daniel Jackson in the College World Series and helped lead Oklahoma to the title. MLB Pipeline sees second-round tools if everything clicks, and that’s now on the Yankees to unlock.
That one earns a B+.
Their fourth pick of the night came later and fit another familiar Yankees mold: a young, physical college bat with room to grow. They selected a junior outfielder from Cal State Fullerton who won Big West Co-Player of the Year last season as a right-handed masher in a 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame.
He’s only 20, which gives him more development runway, and the source material compares him to Jace Avina. It’s the sort of player the Yankees often find in the eighth or 10th round, so getting him earlier than expected made this one stand out.
In Other News...
Michael Kay And Joe Girardi Just Sparked A Yankees Broadcast Storm
A Yankees broadcast detour turned into a small storm when Michael Kay floated a July what-if about Cam Schlittler, the clubs steadiest arm in the Bronx this season. The idea was simple enough on its face, but it quickly pushed the conversation beyond ordinary rotation talk and into the kind of October-minded planning that can sound a little far-fetched when the calendar still has months to go.
Joe Girardi was not having it, pushing back on the notion that the Yankees should be thinking that far ahead and making clear any change to Schlittlers usage would have to come down to workload, not gamesmanship. Fans mostly met the whole premise with eye rolls online, treating it as another example of overthinking from a team that still has plenty to sort out before anyone should be mapping out a World Series opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Ben Rices Home Run Derby Choice Carries A Powerful Yankees Twist
Ben Rices Home Run Derby plan comes with a family connection that fits the moment as well as anything in the Yankees recent run of feel-good storylines. The rookie has leaned on his father, Dan, for years as a batting-practice arm, long before the spotlight found him in pinstripes, and that old routine now has a chance to play out on one of the sports biggest stages. It is the kind of choice that says as much about Rices path as it does about the event itself.
Dan Rice has been part of that path from the start, a former college pitcher who kept showing up to throw to his son through the years and across plenty of offseason miles. Ben grew up in Cohasset, Massachusetts, and went from Dartmouth to the Yankees with a stop-and-start college career shaped by the pandemic, but the swing he brings to the Derby will have the same familiar setup he has known for most of his life. For a player still carving out his place in New York, it is a reminder that some of the most meaningful baseball moments still begin in the backyard. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Finally Have A Deadline Answer For Their Catcher Problem
The Yankees have not hidden their interest in adding a right-handed hitting catcher before the trade deadline, and Brian Cashman has already acknowledged the clubs concern behind the plate. With the current catching situation unsettled, the front office is looking for a player who can give the lineup a different look and help stabilize a spot that has become a real question as July approaches.
One name drawing attention is Jonah Heim, whose profile fits what New York is seeking because of his track record against left-handed pitching and his reputation as a former All-Star and Gold Glove winner. His overall offensive numbers have been uneven, which is part of why the Yankees are still weighing other possibilities, but the bigger issue now is whether they can find a deal that makes sense before the deadline market tightens further. [Read more 🡒]