The Major League Baseball amateur draft is just weeks away. The New York Yankees will face their own set of challenges, starting with who to take with a late first-round pick. The team selects 39th overall in the competitive balance round. The club has had some success with its first-round selections over the years. These prospects are either developing with high projections or are current high-impact players in the big leagues. Here’s a look at the Yankees’ last five first-round draft picks, working backwards from 2024.
The Last Five Yankees First Round Draft Picks
2024: Ben Hess, Right-Handed Pitcher
This was the first choice from the Bronx in 2024, a big right-handed pitcher from the University of Alabama. Ben Hess is currently ranked the third Yankees prospect in the top 30. The right-hander has been living up to expectations and showing positive progression.
His professional debut was on April 9, 2025, and most appearances after that seemed to be second nature. Hess’s ability to pitch has come naturally in professional baseball, and his display of that is consistent.
On April 16th, Hess worked five innings, allowing one unearned run, and struck out nine hitters. On May 9th, Hess worked 6 2/3 innings, striking out nine. At High-A Hudson Valley this season, the 2024 draft prospect is 4-2 in 10 starts. He has struck out 66, only walking 28 while allowing 31 hits, and 27 earned runs over 45 2/3 innings.
2023: George Lombard Jr., Shortstop
George Lombard Jr. was a high school prospect when taken in the first round, 26th overall, in the 2023 MLB draft. The infielder is in the mix of trying to be the next version of Derek Jeter. His overall profile and projections put him very close to that goal.
George Lombard Jr. talks about playing in the Yankees organization and how he got to wear #️⃣2️⃣ for the @SOMPatriots! pic.twitter.com/JwVpzY432M
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 5, 2025
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Lombard Jr. is the highest-ranking Yankees prospect at the moment, ranking number one in the team’s top 30. His performance in Single-A has put him in the spotlight to advance rapidly, as he’s now with Double-A Somerset.
Between three levels in 2025, Lombard Jr. has slashed .242/.386/.364 with 64 hits, 57 runs, and 29 RBI. Based on his elite caliber, his advancement and protection will continue throughout the next months.
2022: Spencer Jones, Outfielder
Spencer Jones comes right after Lombard Jr. in the Yankees’ prospect rankings. He went from a 31st-round pick in 2019 by the Los Angeles Angels to a first-round pick by the Yankees in the 2022 draft.
After a slower-than-normal start by Jones early this season, he’s found his groove and is rolling through 2025 with ambition. The outfielder is now up to Triple-A and may be on the edge of seeing a major league field soon.
He currently maintains a .291 batting average with a .401 on-base percentage and a .663 slugging percentage. He’s recorded 57 hits, 19 home runs, 35 RBI, 11 stolen bases, and scored 48 times.
2021: Trey Sweeney, Shortstop
Trey Sweeney was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2021 draft. He was a shortstop out of Eastern Illinois University. Sweeney spent two seasons with the Yankees organization before a trade to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023.
He was later traded from the Dodgers to the Detroit Tigers in July of 2024, where he made his major league debut in August, and had a hand in helping the Tigers advance to the postseason.
In two seasons, Sweeney has posted a .218/.275/.330 slash, with 70 hits in 321 at-bats, eight home runs, 41 RBI, and a .605 OPS.
2020: Austin Wells, Catcher
Austin Wells is one of the best catchers the Yankees have ever picked up in a draft capacity. The one-time prospect has been steady in the major leagues on both the offensive and defensive ends.
The beginning of the Yankees’ season saw Wells within the lead-off spot and top six in the lineup. He started out well in 2025, but has had a recent slump. Wells’ batting average has decreased to .215. His on-base percentage is .277, and his slugging percentage is .435.
Main Photo Credit: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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