The New York Yankees have hired Mario Garza as their new Director of International Scouting. Jack Curry of the YES network was the first to report the appointment
Mario Garza has been hired as the Yankees’ new Director of International Scouting.
— JackCurryYES (@JackCurryYES) January 27, 2026
About Garza
Garza joined the organization in 2011 as a coach for the Tampa Yankees. He then quickly rose through the ranks. He served as a manager in the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Most notably, as the Director of Dominican Republic Operations. His experience running the D.R. operations gives him a massive head start in the International Scouting role, as he already has deep-rooted relationships with trainers and buscones in the most talent-rich international market.
In modern baseball, scouting isn’t just about finding talent. It’s about knowing which talent can be fixed or maximized by your team’s coaching. Garza’s background in development allows him to identify international prospects whose physical tools align perfectly with the Yankees’ hitting and pitching philosophies.
What it means for the Yankees
The Yankees international scouting department has been awful for several years now. In November, the organization made the decision to fire long time scouting director Donny Rowland. The team was spending a lot of money in the international scouting market to no avail. The only prospect currently that projects to be anything at the major league level is Jasson Dominguez, and he has flaws.
The Yankees completely misses out on all but 5 prospects in the 2026 International Free Agent Signing Period due to the change. While a change was necessary, the Yankees should have waited to make the change.
Since, multiple prospects have pulled out of their hand shake deals with the Yankees to peruse more opportunities. For a team like the Yankees who always drafts much lower due to their record, drafting well in the international market is essential to sustaining organizational success.
The Yankees will now hand the keys of the International Scouting Department to Garza, looking to stabilize the operations in the international market.
(Top Image Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images)