The New York Yankees are facing a uniquely constrained but pivotal 2025 MLB Draft. Due to exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax, they’ve been penalized with a 10-pick drop from their original first-round position. As a result, their top selection shifts to Competitive Balance Round A at No. 39 overall. Further compounding their draft limitations, the Yankees forfeited their second-round pick and the compensatory pick for Juan Soto by signing Max Fried. These penalties have placed additional emphasis on the Yankees’ ability to identify undervalued talent in the middle rounds. Fortunately, this is an area where Damon Oppenheimer and his staff have demonstrated excellence over the past decade.
A Decade of Drafting: Trends and Takeaways
From 2014 through 2024, the Yankees drafted 284 players, 55 of whom have reached the Major Leagues to date, yielding a 19.4% success rate. This is well above the overall MLB average of 15.1% during that time. Among all 30 Major League Baseball teams, the Yankees total ranks them tied for 4th best, alongside the Cleveland Guardians. They trail only the Los Angeles Dodgers (63), Houston Astros (58), and Minnesota Twins (56).
Where the Yankees Find Value
The Top 5 Rounds: 18 of the 55 MLB players (32.7%) came within Rounds 1-5.
College Players: 14 of those 18 (77.8%) were drafted out of college.
Pitchers: 10 of those 18 (55.5%) were pitchers, and 9 of those 10 (90%) were college arms.
This data underscores the Yankees’ clear lean toward college pitchers in the early rounds since they are prospects who typically require shorter development timelines and offer less risk compared to high school arms.
Pick No. 39 – Who Fits the Profile?
Given the Yankees’ draft constraints, maximizing the value of pick No. 39 is essential. The current college pitcher class offers several intriguing arms who align with the Yankees’ track record of success.
JB Middleton, RHP, Southern Mississippi (#31 MLB Pipeline)
Middleton has been outstanding this season and profiles as an intriguing Yankees target, that is if he is still available. The 6‑0, 178‑lb junior has gone 8–1 in 12 starts, striking out 88 batters against just 19 walks in 77.1 innings. He leads the Sun Belt in ERA and strikeouts and ranks second nationally in WHIP (0.84). Middleton attacks hitters with a mid‑90s fastball (topping out around 97 mph) complemented by a sharp breaking ball. His command and pitchability stand out, as he’s fanned 10 or more in multiple outings while effectively pounding the zone. Though he’s on the smaller side, he’s well-conditioned, repeats his delivery, and still has room to fill out. His athleticism, high-velocity heater, plus command of a strikeout slider fits the Yankees’ model of a fast-moving college righty with swing-and-miss stuff and good strike zone command.
Zach Root, LHP, Arkansas (#44 MLB Pipeline)
The East Carolina transfer boasts a deep pitch mix and impressive poise. He generates ground balls and weak contact, despite not relying heavily on his fastball. Root also effectively combines his premium stuff with swing-and-miss acumen. In his first season at Arkansas he’s 6–3 with a 3.95 ERA and a team-high 92 strikeouts in 66.0 innings. The southpaw routinely sits in the low‑90s and has touched 97 mph on the gun. He mixes a plus curveball and a slider/cutter with a fading changeup. Most notably, he recently blanked No. 1 Texas for eight scoreless innings (two hits, two walks, 11 K) in a dominant March outing. Despite a somewhat unorthodox, three‑quarters delivery, Root repeats it well and shows strong control. His combination of velocity, pitch mix and polish mirrors the Yankees’ ideals: a power lefty who attacks the zone and can be developed into a front‑line starter.
Marcus Phillips, RHP, Tennessee (#69 MLB Pipeline)
At 6’4″, 246 lbs, Phillips combines elite velocity (100+ mph) with raw athleticism. The former two-way player has the frame, movement, and three-pitch upside that could make him a steal if the Yankees believe in their player development system to refine his control. Along with the triple-digit heater, Marcus already has two plus off-speed offerings: a hard 87‑mph slider with heavy sweep (whiffing ~46% of batters) and a 90–95 mph changeup with sharp arm‑side run. He checks the boxes of “pitchability” and “projectability” as a polished college arm with top velocity and a developing arsenal. He also fits New York’s mold of big‑armed, athletic pitchers who can be refined in the pros. Marcus’ family happens to already be familiar with the organization, as his father Sean played in the Yankees minor league system from 1991-1995.
Joseph Dzierwa, LHP, Michigan State (#70 MLB Pipeline)
Fresh off a complete-game shutout of No. 6 Oregon with 11 K and 0 BB, Dzierwa is a tall, projectable college-level arm making a late-season rise up MLB teams draft boards. He’s 7–2 with a minuscule 2.20 ERA in 73.2 innings, leading the Big Ten in ERA while registering 86 strikeouts against 19 walks Showcasing his stuff and poise, scouts love Dzierwa’s towering 6′8″ frame and smooth delivery. His fastball sits in the low‑90s and has touched 95, showing run and firm spin (he consistently hunts the top of the zone). His best pitch is a plus changeup (low-80s, heavy fading action), complemented by a mid-70s slider (sharp 1–7 shape) and a cutter to keep hitters off balance. In short, he can miss bats with three pitches and already commands them effectively. He also hides the ball well and works with a sharp-angled delivery providing added deception. If the Yankees can help him develop a breaking ball, he has the control and physical traits to be a mid-rotation lefty.
Potential Picks in Rounds 3–5: Scouting Value Where Others Don’t
With their next selections at No. 103 (Round 3), No. 134 (Round 4), and No. 164 (Round 5), the Yankees may return to familiar territory, identifying college arms with untapped upside.
Anthony Eyanson, RHP, LSU (#132 MLB Pipeline)
Eyanson has taken well to the SEC after transferring from UC San Diego. The California native is 7–2 with about a 3.16 ERA and has punched out 105 batters in 68.1 innings while walking 26. Eyanson features a low-90s heater that can touch 97 mph, but it’s his breaking balls that shine. He throws a biting low-80s slider and a sharp mid‑70s curveball with confidence. In fact, during fall training he was noted for holding hitters to a .190 average thanks to his command of those pitches. He possesses a sturdy 6′2″, 208‑lb frame and the athletic delivery that scouts envision adding strength at the next level. New York likes arms like Eyanson who have two above-average pitches and the ability to strike batters out. Given his strikeout upside and feel, he fits the Yankees’ need for high-ceiling starters. With refinement of his slider and continued control of his fastball, he has the tools to develop into a quality mid-rotation arm in their system.
Caden Hunter – LHP, USC (#121 MLB Pipeline)
Hunter is a junior left-hander who has quickly become the Trojans’ ace. After two successful JUCO seasons, Hunter is 6–2 with a 4.50 ERA in 11 starts (58.0 IP) this year, striking out 64 and walking 26. He has more than delivered for USC, posting a WHIP around 1.41 and nearly 10 strikeouts per nine innings. Hunter pairs a mid-90s fastball and a serviceable slider with his true out-pitch, the changeup. His above average command and physique (6′2″, 205 lbs) provides confidence to talent evaluators that he can add strength. Caden has already demonstrated the poise to limit damage along with the valuable ability to induce ground balls. The southpaw fits the mold of a developmental project that could blossom into a valuable rotation piece, providing the Yankees can develop and improve upon his pure stuff.
Conclusion: Tactical Patience and Developmental Confidence
The 2025 Draft will test the Yankees’ ability to maintain competitive talent pipelines under structural constraints. Without a pick until No. 39 and no second rounder, the Yankees must double down on their organizational strengths: drafting experienced college arms and trusting their developmental infrastructure.
Their track record supports this strategy. Oppenheimer and his staff have an elite success rate among college pitchers taken in the top five rounds suggests that the team is more than capable of turning mid-tier picks into valuable big-league assets. Look for the Yankees to prioritize pitchers with command, polish, and physical upside. Don’t be surprised if they lean into unorthodox deliveries or deceptive profiles like they’ve done in the past.
This year may not offer a flashy headline, but it could produce several key contributors who quietly form the backbone of future Yankees rotations or become vital trade assets in their next championship push.
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