Perennial contenders in the American League, such as the New York Yankees, are always on the lookout for ways to improve their Major League roster.
In 2024, they were able to get back to the World Series for the first time since 2009, which was the last time they took home the championship. It was a solid bounce back campaign after they missed the playoffs entirely in 2023.
The offseason addition of right fielder Juan Soto really helped push the team to another level as he combined with MVP Aaron Judge to be the most fearsome duo in baseball, putting up historic numbers.
To help bolster their roster, other moves were made during the season, such as acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins and relief pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs.
Acquiring players of that caliber is not cheap and the price the Yankees paid was some good prospects from their system.
When combining those deals along with the graduation of two of their top prospects, catcher Austin Wells and starting pitcher Luis Gil, it should come as no surprise that they have plummeted in the MLB farm system power rankings.
As shared by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, New York is now No. 21 in the rankings with a value of $166 million. That is a far cry from the last edition of the rankings, which had them in sixth place with a value of $252 million.
When the Rookie of the Year (GIl) and third-place finisher for the award (Wells) both are no longer part of the farm system evaluations, a significant drop is going to occur.
The Yankees are assuredly okay with the one-year blip on the radar as it has provided them with two more foundational pieces for the Major League roster moving forward. However, there are some concerns with the prospects who are in place on the roster.
Spencer Jones didn’t have the breakout campaign many were expecting and Chase Hampton was battling injuries throughout 2024.
Currently buyoing this group is star prospect Jasson Dominguez, who won’t be considered a prospect for much longer as he is penciled into the Opening Day lineup as the starting left fielder.
He is currently the No. 24 ranked prospect on McDaniel’s list, with shortstop George Lombard Jr. coming in at No. 60.
New York certainly hopes that some of their other prominent youngsters can return to form in 2025 and help boost the farm system rankings back into the league’s top half. If not, it will be Lombard carrying the torch for the franchise by the summertime when Dominguez will have officially graduated.
