Many outlets have teams on their staff that discuss college prospects and generate mock MLB drafts in the weeks and months leading up to the actual draft in July. We’re just a small team of two at Yankees Savant, so we decided to outsource our mock draft to AI to see what they would generate. We used Google’s Gemini and ChatGPT to see what they would generate and created the best draft of both AI worlds. The prompt we used is “Create a mock 2025 draft for the New York Yankees”.
I liked what Gemini chose for the first five rounds (text is copied and pasted from Gemini prompt):
Round 1 – Pick 39 (Competitive Balance Round A): Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana
- Why: Even with the penalty, the Yankees could find excellent value here. Devin Taylor has consistently been ranked as a top outfield prospect with a strong bat. He’s shown the ability to hit for power and has improved his stolen base numbers, indicating a more well-rounded offensive game. The Yankees haven’t drafted an outfielder in the first round since Spencer Jones in 2022, and adding another high-upside bat to complement Jones and Jasson Domínguez in the outfield could be a smart long-term play. His hit tool is his primary strength.
Round 2 – Pick 71 (Approximate): Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara
- Why: The Yankees have a strong track record of developing college pitchers, and Bremner is a high-upside right-hander who could fit that mold. He’s been climbing draft boards with good stuff. With their limited bonus pool, taking a college arm who might sign for slot or slightly below could be a strategic move. He projects as a solid starter.
Round 3 – Pick 103: Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn
- Why: Irish is considered a “hitterish” prospect with good barrel control and strength, projecting as an above-average bat. While he plays catcher and outfield, the Yankees could develop him at either position based on their organizational needs and his defensive progress. Adding another high-upside college bat, particularly one with versatility, is a good pick in this range.
Round 4 – Pick 134 (Approximate): Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma
- Why: Continuing to add to their pitching depth, Witherspoon is another strong college right-hander who has impressed this season. He offers a good combination of stuff and command, fitting the Yankees’ philosophy of drafting and developing college arms.
Round 5 – Pick 165 (Approximate): Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV)
- Why: While the Yankees have some promising shortstops in their system (George Lombard Jr., Roderick Arias), adding another high school infielder with upside is never a bad idea. Southisene offers athleticism and potential at a premium position. This pick would be more of a long-term play, focusing on projectability.
Summary of Picks:
- Round 1 (Pick 39): Devin Taylor, OF, Indiana – Impact college bat with power potential.
- Round 2 (Pick 71): Tyler Bremner, RHP, UC Santa Barbara – High-upside college pitcher.
- Round 3 (Pick 103): Ike Irish, C/OF, Auburn – Versatile college bat with strong hitting tools.
- Round 4 (Pick 134): Kyson Witherspoon, RHP, Oklahoma – More college pitching depth with good stuff.
- Round 5 (Pick 165): Tate Southisene, SS, Basic HS (NV) – Athletic high school infielder for future development.
This mock draft balances the Yankees’ need for impact bats with their consistent strategy of drafting and developing college pitching, while also navigating their competitive balance tax penalty and bonus pool limitations.
Our take: I think Gemini’s top three picks Taylor, Bremner and Irish are gone before the Yankees get to those picks. Taylor is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the 24th best amateur prospect. Bremner is the 14th best prospect, and Irish is the 21st best. That said, Taylor and Bremner both fit the profile of top draft picks the Yankees have gone with in the past few years, and I think Irish’s scouting grades may translate to him dropping a few rounds. It should also be noted that Gemini didn’t know to remove the 2nd round pick, after the Yankees forfeited the second round as a result of signing a free agent (Max Fried) who had received qualifying offers.
The Yankees last drafted an outfielder, Spencer Jones, in the 1st round in 2022, and Taylor may prove to be a better hitter than Jones has been. Taylor is graded as having plus (60) power and an above-average (55) hit tool, coming from the left side of the plate. If there’s any area of concern, Taylor’s defense and arm are noted as being fringy (both graded as 45s), so I’m curious if they may convert him into an infielder, if drafted.
While I would love to see the Yankees go with Bremner (he sounds a lot like what they were expecting and are getting out of Ben Hess), I think a prep pick is the direction they go because of age and moldability. LHP Cameron Appenzeller is a good fit for the Yankees in that he’s a lefty arm, and has above-average fastball and slider and is a tall 6-foot-6 frame. There’s a lot of room to build muscle, and I think getting talent like Appenzeller in to work with the Yankees’ training staff at a younger than usual age may benefit them in that they can mold his body to fit the profile they’re seeking.
While I think Irish fits the profile of what they’re looking for, the Yankees are pretty deep with good catching and outfield talent. I’m kind of thinking that the Yankees may take a chance on Marcus Stroman’s younger brother, Jayden, especially given the two-way possibilities. Their first attempt at signing a TWP has not gone well, as RHP/1B Josh Tiedemann has been limited to pitching, and even then has an era north of 13. However, if the younger Stroman can hit-and-run at an above-average grade, plus throw 97+ MPH heaters, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yankees take the chance. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Jayden go a little higher than 3rd round, considering what he can offer a team.
It’s a little odd for the Yankees to wait until the 4th round to draft out of the SEC, but Gemini has the Yankees going with Kyson Witherspoon. The Yankees are a slider-friendly organization (look at Will Warren as an example), and a plus slider fits what they would be looking for. Witherspoon also attended NW FL State College, the alma mater of former Yankees prospect, RHP Beck Way (traded to KC for Benintendi).
The Yankees have done well with drafting shortstop prospects of late, and both Anthony Volpe and George Lombard Jr. are prep picks. I think that if the Yankees pass on Appenzeller and Stroman, Gemini’s choice of Tate Southisene may be a direction they go. Southisene’s above-average arm may mean he can move to 3B if needed since there is a lot of room to work with on that slender frame (he’s listed at 5-11, 180).
Tomorrow, we’ll review the picks that ChatGPT put together and later, we’ll analyze both LLMs and see which of the two seems more likely. We’ll also merge the both drafts together to create our “ultimate” mock draft.
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