Yankees' Farm System Check In
A Blog by Greg
It has been exactly two months since I last wrote about some of the New York Yankees’ top-ranked prospects, so I figured a wellness check was long overdue. The Yanks’ farm system was shaken up slightly after making a number of trades in July. Unfortunately, Jesus Rodriguez, Rafael Flores, and Ben Shields, three players whom I held in high regard, were dealt at the deadline. However, they were able to hold onto most of their top prospects. Let’s get right into analyzing the performance of the Yankees’ top prospects in their minor league system.
SPENCER JONES, OF, 24 Years Old
Jones might not be the top-ranked prospect in the Yankees system (that spot is reserved for SS George Lombard Jr.); however, he has been the most discussed prospect the Yankees have currently. Jones started the 2025 season in AA for the Somerset Patriots, the team he plagued the entirety of 2024 with, and excelled. Through 49 games, Jones had a .274 batting average and hit 16 HRs, nearly matching his total of 17 home runs through 124 games in 2024. When Jones was called up to AAA, he did not slow down at all. Through 37 games, Spencer Jones has a batting average of .297 and an OPS of .995, and he has hit 14 HRs. It seems that Jones, in his age 24 season, is finally realizing his potential as an elite power hitter. Additionally, his walk-to-strikeout ratio has greatly increased since 2024, a number that alarmed many when discussing his inevitable jump to the MLB. In 2024, Jones walked 54 times but struck out 200 times. So far in 2025, however, Jones has nearly matched his total number of walks from the 24’ season with 49 and only struck out 120 times in 38 fewer games. Jones’ performance led many skeptics to believe that he should have been traded at the 2025 trade deadline. In my opinion, Jones is a talent that should not be sold for a veteran rental. Spencer Jones has spent four seasons in the Yankees farm system and will likely be a member of the MLB roster soon, and I, for one, am excited to see how he will perform in the major league setting.
GEORGE LOMBARD Jr., SS, 20 Years Old
While Lombard might not be the popular topic of conversation amongst Yankees fans the way Spencer Jones is, the 20-year-old SS is the number one ranked prospect in the Yankees’ farm system. He started the season in A+ ball playing for the Hudson Valley Renegades, where he performed incredibly well. His .329 batting average, .983 OPS, 11 SB, and solid defense in the field through 24 games quickly earned him a promotion to AA. When he arrived at the Yankees’ AA affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, Lombard struggled to match his impressive stat line from A+ ball. Through 83 games, Lombard is batting .212 with a .674 OPS. He has still been dangerous on the basepath, stealing 18 bases, but he hasn’t been able to get on base nearly as much as he did in the lower levels of minor league baseball. Lombard is still 3.6 years younger than the average AA player, which is a healthy reminder not to overreact to the 20-year-old’s slow start with the Somerset Patriots.
CARLOS LAGRANGE, RHP, 22 Years Old
The Yankees’ top-ranked pitching prospect and number two ranked prospect overall is an impressive starting pitcher. Lagrange started the 2025 season in A+ with the Hudson Valley Renegades, where he put up a pedestrian 4.10 ERA but held a 1.032 WHIP and an incredible 13.8 K/9. Lagrange struggled with the deep ball, surrendering 19 HRs in only 8 starts; however, he struck out 64 batters while only walking 12. These numbers earned him a promotion to AA, where he continued to impress. In 10 starts and 55.0 IP as a member of the Somerset Patriots, Carlos Lagrange has a 3.44 ERA, a 5-3 record, and a 12.1 K/9. Unfortunately, his WHIP jumped to 1.273 along with his BB/9 rate, which jumped from 2.6 to 6.1. Carlos Lagrange is a flawed prospect, to say the least, but he is still very young, and his strikeout statistics are a reason alone to be excited about his future with the New York Yankees.
Thank you for reading, everyone, and make sure to stay tuned for more articles coming soon!