It is officially prospect season in MLB, and if you aren’t paying attention to the kids, you’re missing an important part of the Yankees as an organization. Fans are constantly refreshing their feeds for any scrap of info on the next generation. They want to know who is going to be the next homegrown hero to wear the pinstripes. On Saturday, MLB Pipeline gave us a lot to chew on by releasing their updated Top 100 list, and the Yankees managed to land four names on that prestigious ledger.
George Lombard Jr. is the headliner here, checking in at 32nd overall. It is a lofty spot for a 20-year-old, but the kid has earned every bit of the hype. Some scouts think his floor is just a reliable defender who can run a bit and chip in ten homers a season. That is selling him short.
The ceiling for Lombard is a legitimate star. His 2025 campaign saw him post a 127 wRC+ while splitting time between High-A and Double-A. He slashed his way to a .367 on-base percentage and swiped 35 bags. Sure, he looked a little human when he first reached Double-A Somerset, but the way he adjusted to that advanced pitching late in the year proves he belongs.
The High Heat and the Command Struggle
Then we get to the arms. MLB Pipeline has Carlos Lagrange at 79 and Elmer Rodriguez at 82. There is a lot of internal debate among the fans on this one. Most people prefer Rodriguez because of his consistency. He just finished a monster year with a 2.58 ERA over 150 innings and sat down 176 batters via the strikeout. He had one rough outing in Triple-A Scranton to round out his year, but his poise and command suggest he could be a mid-rotation staple in the Bronx before this season is even over.
Pipeline clearly has a thing for Lagrange’s raw electricity though. You can’t teach a 102 mph fastball. Lagrange used that heater to post a 3.22 ERA in Double-A last season, which looks great on paper. But we have to talk about the elephant in the room. His walk rate spiked to a nauseating 5.74 per nine innings after being much more manageable in High-A. If he doesn’t find the strike zone, that velocity is just a fast way to get into deep counts. He is the ultimate high-risk, high-reward lottery ticket in the system right now.
The New Kid on the Block
The final name on the list is Dax Kilby at 94. He was the first-round pick last summer and he did not disappoint in his first taste of pro ball. In just 18 games, he put up a ridiculous .353 average and an .898 OPS. He showed off the wheels too, taking 16 bases in 18 games. It is a small sample size, but the batted-ball data says it wasn’t a fluke. He hits the ball hard and rarely chases out of the zone. Seeing him and Lombard eventually manning the infield together is the kind of stuff that keeps Yankee fans dreaming in the middle of January.
The farm system is finally showing some real teeth again. These aren’t just names on a list; they are legitimate pieces of a future championship core. Whether they all make it to the Bronx or become trade chips for a deadline blockbuster, the Yankees are in a very healthy spot at the top of the system, even if the rest beyond these four might not be that good.