New York Yankees 2025 MLB Draft Report Card

Best Pure Hitter: Georgia high school SS Dax Kilby (1) only reinforced his above-average hitting reputation with a tremendous debut in pro ball. Before the draft, he was lauded for his rhythm, balance and clean, compact swing from the left side with great barrel sense. After the draft, he looks like a potential steal after scorching the Florida State League for 18 games when he hit .353/.457/.441 with excellent contact data and some of the best swing decisions of any debut hitter.

Best Power Hitter: The scouting department out of the Bronx took fewer bombers than is typical for the organization, though West Virginia 1B Kyle West (13) has a pretty lengthy track record of hitting for power. He homered 55 times across four college seasons with Charleston and West Virginia and owns a career slugging percentage of .674.

Fastest Runner: Kilby (1) is an above-average runner, but Alabama OF Richie Bonomolo (7) could be a plus runner. He will turn in 60-grade times from home to first fairly consistently and went 16-for-17 (94.1%) on the bases this spring.

Best Defensive Player: Bonomolo (7) has a chance to be a solid defender in center field, and Utah SS Core Jackson (5) has the tools to be a reliable defender at shortstop. 

Best Fastball: Texas Tech RHP Mac Heuer (8) has a high-spin fastball that is regularly in the 93-95 mph range and has been up to 98. Indiana RHP Ben Grable (11) doesn’t throw quite as hard—he sits in the low 90s and will touch 96—but has great carrying life at the top of the zone with his fastball.

Best Secondary Pitch: UNC Charlotte RHP Blake Gillespie (9) threw his low-80s slider 61% of the time in 2025. It was one of the highest-usage breaking balls in the country and was a pitch he threw with confidence to lefties and righties, who collectively whiffed at a 41% rate against the pitch. Mississippi State LHP Pico Kohn (4) also has a good slider. He throws his in the low 80s and has an impressive ability to manipulate its shape and location.

Best Pro Debut: Kilby’s (1) debut was the most impressive of any player in the 2025 draft class—Yankees or otherwise. His performance was exceptional, his under-the-hood metrics were exceptional and the feedback he received from scouts who watched him was also exceptional. It’s hard to have a better debut than the one Kilby had, especially for a high school hitter.

Best Athlete: Notre Dame RHP Rory Fox (6) was a multi-sport athlete in high school. He was an all-state quarterback who won a state championship in Wisconsin and also played basketball.  

Most Intriguing Background: In addition to his exploits on the field, Fox (6) was also the valedictorian for his class coming out of high school. His brother, Luke, pitched two years with Duke and was drafted in the 17th round by the Dodgers in 2023.

Closest To The Majors: Texas A&M SS Kaeden Kent (3) is the son of five-time all-star Jeff Kent and has the sort of well-rounded, reliable game that could make him a steady, low-variance player and quick mover.

Best 11+ Round Pick (Or UDFA): Southeastern Louisiana RHP Brennan Stuprich (14) was the pitcher of the year in the Southland Conference this spring. He posted a 2.90 ERA over 14 starts and 90 innings with a 29.7% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate with a four-pitch mix.