2026 MLB Draft Targets

The MLB Draft is quickly approaching. With the College World Series within our grasp, both Baseball America and OverSlot updated their top 500 prospects for the 2026 draft. While I did a mock draft in May, some of those picks are slightly out of date. With three picks in the top 100, I wanted to highlight several names that not only I really like, but believe the Yankees could also be interested in. Here are 13 players I like; 3 from my mock and 10 new players.

RECAP FROM THE MOCK DRAFT

Eric Becker | UVA | SS | BA: 47 | OS: 34

Well-rounded shortstop with solid hit tool and swing decisions, with potential for more power. Likely fit at 2^nd or 3^rd at the next level.

Brent Renfrow | VT | RHP | BA: 67 | OS: 79

Strike thrower with very fluid mechanics. Mid 90’s fastball that get miss some bats but a plus slider that can get both chase and whiffs.

Taylor Rabe | Miss | RHP | BA: 39 | OS: 80

Coming back from Tommy John, made the move back from the bullpen into the rotation in 2026. Big fastball with improving command and two intriguing secondary pitches. Has shot into the top 100 with recent performances.

NEW PROSPECTS

Will Brick | Christian Brothers HS (TN) | C

BA: 62 | OS: 100

While it may be a bit of a reach based on pure draft ranking, Will Brick is one of the most enticing prep prospects in this draft class for me. Originally eligible for the 2027 draft class, Brick reclassified to 2026, making him one of the youngest players in the draft class. Brick has high upside offensively, managing to blend swing decisions, contact, and power. Brick is noted for not expanding the zone, a skill the Yankees last two high school 1^st round picks have been noted for. When he does swing, Brick typically will let the ball travel and use his quick hands and plus bat speed to send balls the other way. However, during the summer circuit series, Brick posted a well above average pulled air rate, as well as a .195 ISO, suggesting there is above average raw power.

Behind the plate, Brick impressed scouts with his smooth delivery. Between good pop times, quick transfer, and a strong arm, Brick has been able to control the running game between a high school and summer circuit performances. While his receiving skills are raw, the talent is there and the Yankees have been good in developing framers. With limited foot speed, Brick’s best way to be a productive fielder in the pros will be as a catcher, and so far, he looks like he can do that. The Yankees love their up-the-middle-profile, and catcher is  a position they have run somewhat thin on. While the Yankees won’t ever pick for need, it does make organizational sense in many ways.

Cade Townsend | Miss | RHP

BA: 27 | OS: 28

Going from reach to a dream, Townsend is a name that I would love to fall to the Yankees at 35. After moving from the bullpen to a full-time starter role in 2026, Townsend has had a breakout season, striking over 32% of batters faced while walking less than 7%. He has increased his strikeout rate by 4% while cutting his walk rate by 6%, a very impressive improvement in year-over-year. Pitch mix wise, Townsend primarily uses his mid 90’s fastball that has been up to 98 and pairs it with his high 80’s/low 90’s cutter. He rounds it out with a curveball and sinker.

If that pitch mix sounds familiar, it’s because it is what Cam Schlittler has used to become one of the best pitchers in baseball. The “tri-force” fastball pitcher is a growing trend in the MLB, and the Yankees have been at the forefront of it, teaching it to others in the system such as Jack Cebert and Carlos Lagrange. While the sinker doesn’t grade as highly as the fastball and cutter, the Yankees have been very good with improving sinkers. Townsend is a high upside arm with improving control and a repertoire right up the Yankees alley. If he does find his way to 35, it could be an ideal marriage.

Carson Tinney | Texas | C

BA: 40 | OS: 74

We return to the catching position, but this time in the collegiate ranks, as we look at one of the best power hitting backstops in the NCAA. Carson Tinney hits the ball – hard – and it goes a long way when he does make contact. Sitting in the 100^th percentile in 90^th% exit velocity, 98^th in pull air%, and 93^rd in barrel rate, Tinney has hit 37 home runs the last two seasons between Notre Dame and Texas with an ISO of .405 and .368, respectively. He has handled the competition of the two best collegiate conferences. While the contact skills are lacking, there is plenty of zone whiffs, Tinney does have a patient approach and will typically not expand the zone. This has allowed Tinney to work walks and give some on base upside. While this may be a turn off to some of the Yankee’s fans who desire more contact, it is also a prototype that is quite common in the organization at all levels.

Behind the plate will be an interesting dilemma for Damon Oppenheimer and his staff. Tinney is a big guy at 6’3” and has shown issues with his blocking and receiving. At the very least, Tinney does have a potential double-plus arm behind the plate, with some of the best caught stealing rates in the country. The Yankees highly value defensive ability behind the plate, but that hasn’t stopped them from taking a catcher projected as a good hitter/bad defender before, taking Austin Wells in the 1^st round in 2020. If the catching skills can improve, the Yankees could add a potential low average/high power weapon into their lineup from the right side.

Aiden Ruiz | Stony Brook HS (NY) | SS

BA: 33 | OS: 68

Aiden Ruiz is a prospect Yankee fans could easily get behind. A Long Island native, Ruiz is the shortstop at Stony Brook High School. Known as one of the premier prep defenders in the draft class, Ruiz uses excellent twitch and frenetic energy to make highlight worthy plays from shortstop. The defense projects the best to the pro level, but that isn’t to say his bat can’t be a real weapon.

Ruiz currently has excellent feeling for bat-to-ball. Between his high school season and the summer circuit, Ruiz posted top tier contact rates, especially out of the zone. While his swing decisions will need to be cleaned up, he is a good bet to put bat to ball. While his barrel control is lacking, Ruiz can comfortably spray the ball to all fields and find gaps. While he is an older prep player, already 19 years old, there is still projection in his frame to add some more strength. While he won’t be a major home run threat, there is still room for a 20-home run hitter potentially.

Ben Blair | Liberty | RHP

BA: 37 | OS: 42

When it comes to making selections from non-power 4 schools, the Yankees have done a great job finding talent in the lower levels. Just on their current MLB roster, they have 3 major contributors from small schools in Ben Rice (Darthmouth), Cam Schlittler (Northeastern), and Will Warren (SE Louisiana). They were also happy to take small school Trey Sweeney in the 1^st round in 2021. All this to say, I do not believe the Yankees would have any trepidation in taking Ben Blair out of Liberty with their first selection. With a lower 3/4^th arm slot, Ben Blair has balanced quality whiff metrics with a knack for strike throwing that makes him one of the most intriguing college arms in the draft.

Blair follows the prototype I laid down with Townsend: he throws 3 fastballs. His four-seam, sinker, and cutter all have favorable traits, although he could stand to use a bit more separation between his sinker and four-seam. He adds to the catalogue with a slider and changeup. His herky-jerky mechanics, while adding deception, do lead to some inconsistent release traits that will need ironing out. Despite that, Blair has proven to be a consistent strike thrower at the collegiate level. While he may not have the big school pedigree, Blair is my favorite arm that will more likely than not be available at 35.

Ty Head | NC State | OF

BA: 50 | OS: 44

Looking at the outfield, Ty Head is a hitter who I think would fit nicely for the Yankees. The left handed hitter has one of the better approaches at the plate in the draft class. In his two seasons starting at North Carolina State, Head walked 105 times to just 51 strikeouts. Similar to Dax Kilby, Head’s strength at the plate is his ability to make contact with just about every pitch he swings at. Even with a plus hit tool, Head makes smart swing decisions and does not chase. You have to have good hit and swing decision tools to strike out so little.

While his power is a work in progress, his exit velocities aren’t bad by any means. One issue Head has is his barrel control. If the Yankees can help him develop a better feel for the barrel, he may see more game power. That being said, Head has shown a knack for pulling the ball in the air, helping him maximize some game power and hit 14 home runs. Head has done a solid job patrolling centerfield, giving some belief he can stick there in the long run. If he does have to move over to the corner, he should project to be above average. Head has some safer tools, but I still believe there is some fun upside the Yankees could unlock.

Jacob Dudan | NC State | RHP

BA: 95 | OS: 78

Sticking at North Carolina State, we turn our attention to another pitcher, though this one an arm I think the Yankees could grab in the 2^nd, or even potentially 3^rd round. Dudan is a low arm-slot righty who succeeds with his east/west profile. His repertoire consists of a 4-seam fastball that has been up to 99, a high 80’s, 3,000 RPM slider, and a 90’s sinker. He also has worked on adding a changeup and even a cutter to his repertoire. As a low arm-slot guy who does best east/west, Dudan reminds me some of Jack Cebert.

Like some of the other arms, Dudan made huge strides in his junior year, cutting his walk rate in half to a miniscule 5.9%. This is very much an arm that has plus traits but needs refinement. Specifically, while his fastball may have some heat, it doesn’t have great traits. I can foresee the Yankees working heavily on that sinker to make it more of a swing and miss weapon. The only issue with Dudan is he did undergo Tommy John surgery in April, so he will likely miss the early portion of the 2027 season.

Jack Natili | Cincinnati | C

BA: 58 | OS: 55

This is a strong catcher draft, and I am very in on the Yankees taking advantage of the pool this year. Another option for the first two rounds is Jack Natili, a catcher from Cincinnati. Natili is very similar to Carson Tinney. He is a big guy with big time power potential. While he does have some contact concerns, he can make up for it with his strong swing decisions. He swings a good amount, but most swings are in the zone. Natili has seen a power surge this season, going from 9 to 19 home runs. His 6 home runs at the Cape Cod League show he can do it with the wood bats.

Defensively, Natili’s arm is his best attribute. While not as strong as Tinney’s, he is able to control the running game fairly well. His blocking and framing need work, but as I said with Tinney, the Yankees are very good at developing catchers behind the plate. The Yankees need more catching in the system. Whether it is one or more of Brick, Tinney, or Natili, the Yankees have a good chance add upside to the position.

Tyson Leblanc | Kansas | SS

BA: 114 | OS: 66

After two years in the background at LSU, Leblanc made the move to Kansas, where he has been a key cog in a Super Regional qualified Jayhawks squad. Leblanc is a 6’ shortstop who is perhaps the most well-rounded hitter we’ve discussed. Leblanc’s combination of hit/power/and swing decisions does excite me. The contact rates project to above average. While he does chase a bit, he does swing enough in zone to also project an average to above average decisions tool. Lastly, with 80^th percentile 90^th EV’s and a 96^th percentile barrel rate, Leblanc shows signs of natural feel to hit for power.

Defensively, while Leblanc is a shortstop collegiately, he will likely move to either 2^nd or 3^rd at the next level. Still, he projects to be at least above average and stick on the dirt. The Yankees are lefty heavy in the system, and especially on the infield. Leblanc would add a little more right-handed balance, as well as provide nice offensive upside. he is a name I would be happy to hear in the 2^nd or 3^rd round.

Daniel Jackson | Georgia | C/OF

BA: 35 | OS: 18

Ending things is a name who may have played himself out of the Yankees range, but I feel the need to write about. Jackson is another collegiate catcher with a powerful bat and some contact concerns. Unlike the others, he is a supreme athlete with good foot speed that could lend to a move to a corner outfield spot if he cannot be molded behind the plate. Jackson is a huge body at 6’6” that has shown not only huge power potential, evidenced by his 29 home runs this season, as well as improved contact and swing decisions.

Jackson’s power is to all fields. As long as he is elevating the ball, which he has done in 2026, it does not matter which field he hits to. This is a true plus power tool, if not even a bit higher. The swing decisions have ticked up, as he has been laying off on the low and away pitches much more this season. The contact will be tested further when he turns pro, but the collegiate improvement season over season is encouraging. Jackson legitimately could develop into a 40 home run/20 steals player behind the plate, which would be a dream outcome. Even if he doesn’t reach this ceiling, Jackson is an exciting player who the Yankees cannot pass up if he still somehow falls to 35.

Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.