Assignment Day: My Key Observations from the MiLB Roster Assignments

Monday was a big day for those who follow the Yankees minor league system. After the first 3 games of the AAA season this weekend, assignments for the rest of the organization were posted on social media this afternoon.  With all but the FCL and DSL rosters announced, there are several takeaways from the opening rosters. With that said, here are the main observations I had from today’s announcement.

1.      Aggressive Player Assignments

Each season, there are always a handful of assignments that surprise people in a positive way, with the Yankees showing a clear indication of faith in a prospect beyond the public’s perception. Things are no different this year. Leading the way is Xavier Rivas. After 5 dominant starts at Hudson Valley towards the tail end of last season, I was unsure which way the organization might go in his placement. It turns out that his performances, coupled with offseason improvements, have the organization believing he is ready for the challenge of the upper minors. The big question we will have to wait for is the following; was there a velocity bump this winter that enabled this promotion? If so, it could be an exciting season for the southpaw.

Elsewhere, Rory Fox, Pico Kohn, and Ben Grable join Jack Cebert as members of the 2025 draft class on the pitching side to skip Low-A and begin their professional careers in the Hudson Valley.   On the hitting side, Wilson Rodriguez is the main standout promotion. After only 30 games at Low-A last summer, he’ll move to the tri-state area. Only 21 years old this season, Rodriguez clearly has believers within the organization.

2.      Telling Demotions/Repeaters

On the flip side, there are always some names who don’t make the upward movement that many expect following the previous campaign. Roderick Arias sticking in Tampa to open the 2025 season is the best example. For 2026, the main player that caught my eye was Engelth Urena. To call Urena’s 2025 campaign below expectations would be fair, as the 21 year old backstop showed good traits but was unable to put it together for an extended run. He was given a promotion in August to Hudson Valley but struggled mightily in his 22 games there. Urena returning to Tampa to begin 2026 certainly paints an uneasy picture of the organization’s thoughts on him.

Another demotion is Eric Reyzelman. After being pegged as a major breakout bullpen arm heading into 2025, Reyzelman experienced major control issues at AAA, nearly walking as many hitters as he struck out. Now, Reyzelman has been sent back down to AA, where he will attempt to reclaim command of his arsenal. Still only 24, there is still time for the righty to get his stuff back to a level that had fans excited for him, but he will have to do so back at Somerset.

On the repeaters front, Allen Facundo and Henry Lalane headline this list. The latter isn’t all too surprising, as Lalane has flashed diminished stuff in his injury shortened 2024 and 2025 campaigns. It is encouraging enough that he is healthy to begin a campaign for the first time in 3 years. If he can flash the stuff he did in 2023, he won’t spend too long for Tampa. The most surprising one to me is Allen Facundo, who the YankeesFarm team is very high on. While this could be related to his return from 2024 Tommy John, Facundo pitched 30 innings last year at the level. His first few starts will be key to watch, as the Yankees are usually willing to be aggressive with guys who have really good stuff.

3.      Loaded Hudson Valley Pitching Staff

If there is one MiLB level to tune into daily to begin the season, it is Hudson Valley. While there are a handful of intriguing hitting prospects such as Kaeden Kent, Core Jackson, Roderick Arias (if you still want to believe), Kyle West, and the aforementioned Wilson Rodriguez, the pitching staff is where it is at. While there are no top prospects in this group of arms, it is littered with top 10-30 prospects, as well as a few others primed to jump onto the list.

As mentioned earlier, 2025 draftees Pico Kohn (YF No. 10), and Rory Fox (17), begin their professional careers in should very likely be rotation spots. Their draft class peer, Jack Cebert (16), looks primed to make the jump to the rotation after his exciting Spring Breakout performance. Returning to the staff from last summer is Andrew Landry (21), who possesses some great stuff while still honing his command. There is a litany of arms to fill out the last 2 spots in this rotation.

Luis Serna, after returning very late in the 2025 season from an arm injury, makes the jump to Hudson Valley. With his slim frame and injury history, it is possible he could be a candidate to move to the ‘pen, but that may not be the plan yet. While Frayner Herrera was used out of the ‘pen last year, the 20 year old was a starter in 2024 DSL. With such an aggressive promotion for such a young player, could this be a sign of wanting to get him back in the rotation? Another young arm is the recently acquired Sean Paul Linan. While the 21 year old has a smaller repertoire that could be better suited for the ‘pen, it is entirely possible the Yankees will want to feature his nasty changeup in the rotation and build out his pitch mix. Capping off the potential starters are Brandon Decker and Baron Stuart, who have proven to be reliable innings eaters in their time with the Yankees. I am very curious to see how this rotation shakes out.

4.      The Names Not Listed…

What was maybe most glaring were the names not on the rosters. The most notable name is Dax Kilby. The star 1^st rounder remained absent after missing out on the Spring Breakout game. It has been reported that Kilby has been managing a hamstring issue, so it is clear that the organization does not want to rush him back into playing. What remains unclear is how long we will have to wait to see him. Elsewhere on the hitting side, Jackson Lovich is also not listed, as he is out with an undisclosed injury. After his hot 6 game stretch in Tampa last year, he is a bat that many fans can’t wait to see. Lastly, Tomas Frick was missing from an already eerily thin catching core. Hopefully he will be back soon.

The pitching side is where things get more interesting. Unsurprisingly, many of the previous season Tommy John receivers are yet to be assigned as they continue their post-op build up. This includes top 10 prospects Chase Hampton and Thatcher Hurd. More worrying were the abstentions of Bryce Cunningham and Mac Heuer. For Cunningham, there has at least been footage of him on the mound in Minor League Camp. Still, for a pitcher who missed a big chunk of the 2025 season with shoulder issues, not looking the same upon his return, it is somewhat discouraging that he will have a delayed start to the campaign. Mac Heuer may be the big one. The 2025 8^th round draft pick has been receiving heaps of praise this offseason as a breakout candidate in the system. Him missing the start of the season is a bummer, and we will have to hold our breath that this isn’t’ a TJ case.

5.      Turn on the Bat(s) Signal

It was no secret that the Yankees hitting depth was in a weakened state. After trading double digit hitters since the 2025 trade deadline, the hitting core was depleted. Still, looking at these rosters really shined a light on how much work there is to do at the plate. While there are still some interesting bats with serious potential outside of the top guys (Lombard, Jones, Kilby), most of them are sitting in Hudson Valley. From those featured in the YankeesFarm top 30, only Kaeden Kent, Jace Avina and Brando Mayea are on opening day rosters. While players like Core Jackson, Bryce Martin-Grudzialanek, Enmanuel Tejeda, and Kyle West are key among the non-Top 30 names who pique my interest, there will be a lot of at-bats taken by guys who are not on the radar of my top 30.

With this does come opportunity! Some unfamiliar names will have a runway to catch our attention. We’ve seen this happen with the likes of Rafael Flores, Brendan Jones, and Parks Harber in recent years, amongst others. We may very well find the next UDFA gem over the next few months. Still, the pitching far outweighs the lineup in terms of what will be generating fan interest over the next 6 months.

We have finally made it, as Friday is opening day for the rest of the organization. There will be plenty to talk about in the weeks to come, and I look forward to diving into the prospects in the system. I hope you all enjoy the start of the best time of the year!

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Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.