New York Yankees Farm System: The Yankees system is loaded with pitching upside and developmental success stories, but their hitting crop leans toolsy and volatile, with real questions about how much contact and consistency will emerge.
Summary
The Yankees’ farm system continues to offer a wide range of developmental stories, from high-upside athletes to role-specific contributors. Several prospects—such as George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, and Dillon Lewis—showcase exciting power-speed combinations, although each comes with caveats regarding contact quality, swing decisions, or defensive fit. Others, like Brendan Jones and Dax Kilby, offer more subtle value through zone control, instincts, and base-running efficiency. Across the board, the system reflects a mix of physical tools and evolving baseball skills, with fantasy relevance often hinging on approach refinement and level-to-level adjustments.
On the pitching side, the Yankees have leaned into depth and projection. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz and Bryce Cunningham stand out for their command and sequencing, while arms like Ben Hess and Kyle Carr offer mid-rotation potential with room to grow. Carlos LaGrange continues to tease us with a 100 MPH fastball, but needs better control to remain a starter.
Overall, the system is solid with some of the best pitching in the minor leagues. I hope that Jones gets the call early in 2026. I really want to see how he does at the highest level.
AI-Assisted Fantasy Tiers: Methodology and Observations
AI has made significant strides in all aspects of our lives. Over the past four years, I have compiled 500,000 words of personal scouting narratives, which have formed the foundation for training my own AI assistant. This assistant now evaluates prospects and assigns fantasy tiers exclusively based on the insights and observations contained in my write-ups.
After requesting that my AI assistant generate fantasy tiers using this year’s reports, I found that the AI’s rankings generally align with my own assessments. However, there are some cases where the AI’s evaluations differ from my personal rankings. I am sharing those differences here for your consideration.
🥇 Tier 1: Fantasy Impact Targets
- George Lombard Jr. – Plus athlete with zone control, speed, and projection; future fantasy contributor at SS.
- Spencer Jones – 30/20 upside with elite EVs; contact issues cloud path to impact.
- Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz – Starter traits, command, and sequencing; lacks flash but projects as rotation piece.
- Carlos Lagrange – Electric stuff with reliever risk; cutter/fastball combo could dominate in short bursts.
🥈 Tier 2: Everyday-Upside Targets
- Dax Kilby – Strong debut with more speed than originally projected; power continues to be a question mark
- Bryce Cunningham – Mid-rotation upside with pitchability and polish; lacks standout weapon but throws strikes.
- Dillon Lewis – Power and speed; a rare sleeper in the Yankees system
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