10 Ways to Boost the Farm System in 2026

You can’t find a reputable public source that ranks the Yankees’ farm system in any place other than the bottom third of the league. Not Baseball America, not Fangraphs, not The Athletic, not ESPN. That’s what happens when you graduate prospects to the big leagues while simultaneously sending dozens of them away in trades. It’s not that the Yankees don’t have legitimate prospects; it’s that they don’t have a lot of them.

Hope, however, springs eternal, and with the arrival of another baseball season comes an opportunity to change not only the perception of the Yankees’ system but the actual status of it as well. Here are ten ways that could happen in 2026.

1. Nail the 2026 draft

Baseball drafts aren’t like those of other sports because you don’t get to evaluate them nearly as quickly. Players taken in the NFL or NBA drafts may immediately step into meaningful roles, but in baseball it can take years for a draft to bear fruit. That doesn’t make them any less important to the health of an organization. 

Take the 2022 draft of the Yankees as an example. Spencer Jones (round 1) and Chase Hampton (round 6) are commonly viewed among the top ten prospects in the system, and Cam Schlittler (round 7) has already won a playoff start and figures into the 2026 rotation. Two other draftees have been used in trades, with Trystan Vrieling (3) being part of the cost for Camilo Doval and Drew Thorpe (2) a key to bringing in Juan Soto. Less than five years out, the Yankees can look at this draft as impactful.

The Yankees did not lose any of their draft picks this offseason because they didn’t sign any qualifying offer free agents. That means they will get a crack at picking three of the top 100 prospects in this year’s draft and then will try to continue working their magic in later rounds. Don’t discount any of the players the Yankees take, because the next Ben Rice (round 12) or Will Warren (round 8) could be in there. Getting a handful of prospects in this year’s draft would really give the farm system a boost.

2. Nail the 2025 draft

Dax Kilby is already getting mentioned in the lists of the top 100 prospects in the game, and that’s after all of 68 at-bats with Tampa at the end of last season. If he fulfills the promise he’s shown early on, the 2025 draft is already a success. But the Yankees’ farm system would benefit greatly from the development of hitters Kaeden Kent, Core Jackson, Richie Bonomolo, Jackson Lovich, or Kyle West into legitimate prospects.

On the pitching side, we’ve already seen Jack Cebert make his debut and raise some eyebrows. If Pico Kohn, Rory Fox, Mac Heuer, Blake Gillespie, or Ben Grable join him in showing the upgrades the Yankees’ pitching development group have become adept at giving their draftees, it would add another wave to an already deep group of prospect arms.

3. Get back on track in IFA

In January, the Yankees’ farm system took a hit by losing a player it never had. Wandy Asigen, a highly-touted shortstop prospect from the Dominican Republic, broke off an arrangement before the signing period officially opened and signed with the Mets instead. It was already known the Yankees were searching for a new international scouting director, and it had been reported that other players were parting ways with their handshake deals, but the Asigen story kicked the panic into gear, and the bad news seemed to cascade for weeks to follow.

Now with Mario Garza in the director’s chair, the Yankees can adopt new strategies, update systems, and perhaps repair some relationships, and maybe there is already a vision for where they would like to take the department. Asigen’s departure left the Yankees with a substantial amount of bonus pool money they had earmarked for him, and if it can be reappropriated to late-developing prospects or players who come into the market unexpectedly during the year, there is a chance to salvage a key area of talent acquisition and give the system a needed boost.

4. Get IFA’s back on track

The international players the Yankees have already signed are the ones with the potential to impact the farm system immediately. Perhaps the organization moved on from Donny Rowland because the highest-dollar commitments from the last handful of years have been disappointments. But it is not too late.

Roderick Arias is 21. Brando Mayea is 20. Francisco Vilorio is 19, and Mani Cedeno is 17. All of these guys were paid seven figures to sign with the Yankees and all of them have seen their prospect shine dim in the past year, but it is too early to write them off. The same is true of formerly touted pitchers Jerson Alejandro, Sabier Marte, Chalniel Arias, and Angel Benitez, as they hopefully put health concerns behind them. If any of these players begins to approach their potential, the farm system will look different.

5. Stay healthy

One of the least enjoyable aspects of spring training is taking notice of who isn’t there. Players, mostly pitchers, get hurt every year in the ramp up to the season. Last year we learned Brock Selvidge, Chase Hampton, Henry Lalane, Cade Smith, and Thatcher Hurd would be among the group not ready for opening day. Thankfully, several of those guys made it back for a portion of 2025, but Hampton and Hurd, for example, weren’t so fortunate. It often comes down to luck with player health, so a rash of injuries could put a serious dent in an already-thin farm system, especially one that heavily leans toward pitching prospects. Tip-toeing through spring training without a rash of injuries would be a huge plus.

6. Get healthy

Those same pitchers who missed a significant part of the 2025 season have the opportunity to come into this year healthy and ready to reclaim their status as top 20 prospects in the Yankees’ system. Hampton and Hurd, in particular, are arguably two of the best prospects the Yankees have, but that is completely dependent on their recoveries. Lalane was a darling among the pitching prospects, and if his stuff comes back he too could vault into the top-ten prospect conversation. Smith impressed in the Arizona Fall League, and Selvidge is just two years removed from starting the Spring Breakout game. Bryce Cunningham had his debut season interrupted with a lengthy absence, and he has the potential to be among the handful of best pitchers the Yankees have. Reliever Carson Coleman or infielder Enmanuel Tejeda, who also missed significant time last year, could make noise if they enter 2026 in full health. The depth of the farm system would greatly improve if these guys come back strong.

7. Relievers become MLB options

Speaking of Carson Coleman, the Yankees seem to be holding a tryout for bullpen spots, and pitchers currently in their minor league system could step up as candidates. On the older side for prospects and with a little MLB time under their belts, Brent Headrick and Kervin Castro could play a role in 2026. Rule V pick Cade Winquest has to stay on the 26-man roster throughout the season, but he might just have the stuff to make that plausible. Eric Reyzelman, who seemed to be on an upward trajectory before struggling through 2025, could get back to being the power reliever many envisioned him to be. Guys like Harrison Cohen, Chris Kean, Geoffrey Gilbert, and Bryce Warrecker could push themselves into the conversation, and Allen Facundo, who has been a starter up to this point, could move to the bullpen and fly up the ladder with his high-90’s fastball and wipeout slider. Having a bunch of choices for the bullpen would be a good sign for the health of the farm system.

8. Welcome to America

With a farm system thinned by trades, it becomes vital for another wave of talent to replace those who have left. Players coming stateside from the Dominican Summer League could provide that wave, and the Yankees have some interesting names to watch when the complex league begins play.

Third baseman Richard Matic is a player who has many people intrigued, outfielder Francisco Vilorio quietly improved in his second year of DSL action, second baseman Juan Torres had a fantastic offensive season in 2025, and shortstop Stiven Marinez was solid with the bat and impressive with the glove. All four, along with catching prospect Queni Pineda and toolsy outfielder Wilberson De Pena, could and probably should be playing baseball in Florida this spring.

There is some good buzz on pitcher Alexander Almonte, who will pitch this season at 19 years old, and it’s time for righty Anthony Mena to make his complex debut as well. Having some of these players pop in their first season off the island would be a boon to the farm system.

9. Someone comes out of left field

If you’re reading this, there is a decent chance you already know the names of Engelth Urena, Dexters Peralta, Wilson Rodriguez, or Jose Rodriguez. You probably know that Xavier Rivas is a dude, but you may be vaguely aware of the potential of Andrew Landry and Brian Hendry. But what if these names became staples on the list of the Yankees’ top prospects by the end of 2026? What a boost that would be for the farm system.

Also, remember that the Yankees signed Parks Harber as an undrafted free agent. He started hitting in Tampa, got promoted, kept hitting, got traded for an important big league reliever, went to the Arizona Fall League, and appeared in Pipeline’s list of the top ten third base prospects in the game. There is going to be a name none of us are thinking about right now, and he is going to give the organization a shot in the arm in a few months.

10. Bats show up

Let’s face it. The Yankees have a lot more pitching prospects right now than they do legitimate future Major League hitters. Teams seem to be prioritizing bats in trades, and the Yankees have sent off quite a few in the last two years, including four in the recent trade for Ryan Weathers. They need to have some hitters establish themselves the way guys like Dillon Lewis, Parks Harber, and Roc Riggio did in 2025. 

Even the hitting prospects considered among their best prospects, like George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones, need to hit. But how much better does the farm system look if Kaeden Kent or Brando Mayea or Jace Avina or Richard Matic or Enmanuel Tejeda or (fill in the blank with ANYONE else) joins the party and looks like a real offensive force? As Brian Cashman likes to say, the more the merrier, and the Yankees would really be merry if they had more hitters.

Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.