My Breakout Prospects of 2025
- Carlos Peña
- Feb 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Feb 21
Welcome to my first post on the site. Getting into my Yankees breakout prospects of 2025!
Starting right off at No. 8 is Tony Rossi, who had an impressive debut season! Rossi an unsigned Free Agent, started his season at Tampa and made quite the impression. Rossi tossed 7.2 shutout Innings, allowed just 2 Hits and struck out 12 before being promoted to Hudson Valley. At High A, Rossi pitched to a 2.63 ERA over 37.2 Innings, where he struck out 52 and gave the Yankees a new potential backend weapon!
40 G | 2.18 ERA - 0.97 WHIP | 45.1 IP - 18 H, 26 BB, 64 K | 12.7 K/9 - 33.7 K% | .118 AVG
At NO. 7 I have, Juan Matheus.
Matheus had a very good season! Matheus started the season well with Tampa, slashing .271/.360 w/.729 OPS and ripping 27 XBH and stealing 35 Bases! He would earn a mid-season promotion to Hudson Valley where he slashed .287/.381 w/.779 OPS over 28 Games!
Overall a solid season for Matheus!
.275/.365 - .742 OPS | 37 XBH - 3 HR, 56 RBI | 40 SB | 12.3 BB% - 18.5 K% | 115 wRC+
Moving onto No. 6 is: Bryce Warrecker
🎙️Warrecker was moved to the bullpen this season and became a weapon for the Renegades! Out of the gate in the first half, Warrecker pitched 27+ Innings to the tune of a 0.98 ERA while striking out 34 batters! He would finish the season with a 2.05 ERA logging 55 innings of relief work and posting 58 Ks! Warrecker should be a prime candidate to begin 2026 in Somerset!
40 G | 2.05 ERA - 0.84 ERA | 57 IP - 35 H, 13 BB, 61 K | .173 AVG | 9.6 K/9 - 28.2 K% | 2.22 FIP
Next at No. 5 is the first DSL kid, Richard Matic!
🎙️Richard Matic put up a tremendous breakout season for the DSL Yankees! Matic put up big offense numbers and reached top 10 season in several of them.
Matic’s contact rate and power numbers increased big time across the board. He also increased his Walk rate, almost to a 1:1 rate.
The 3B has put himself in position to start at the FCL next season, and a player to watch for the coming ‘2026 season!
.336/.487 - 1.053 OPS
20 XBH - 5 HR, 30 RBI
20.9 BB% - 22.5 K% | 167 wRC+
At No. 4, Dillon Lewis
🎙️Lewis was drafted in 2024 as a gifted raw athlete with some promise, and in 2025 he began to fulfill that promise! Lewis showed out this season and I’m hoping he builds off it big time in ‘26!
Lewis achieved a rare 20/20/20 season. He hit 21 doubles, 22 home runs, and stole 26 bases!
After earning a promotion, Lewis gradually increased his walk rate and significantly lowered his strikeout rate as the season progressed. His performance put him on the map and set new expectations for the upcoming season!
Lewis also earned the Florida State League Player of The Month in May!
Season:
.237/.321 - .766 OPS | 21 Doubles, 5 Triples, 22 HR, 79 RBI | 26/28 SB | 10.2 BB% - 23.5 K% | 120 wRC+
Tampa
(46 G): .250/.323 - .800 OPS | 9 Doubles, 2 Triples, 9 HR, 29 RBI | 13/14 SB | 9.2 BB% - 28.2 K% | 121 wRC+
HV
(76 G): .228/.320 - .746 OPS | 12 Doubles, 4 Triples, 13 HR, 36 RBI | 13/14 SB | 10.8 BB% - 20.8 K% | 120 wRC+
Coming in at No. 3 is Xavier Rivas!
🎙️Xavier Rivas was very impressive this season and showed great progression as the season rolled on! Rivas began the season in the FCL where he was extremely dominant and earned a Pitcher of the Week in May, and also the Pitcher of the Month in May! He earned quick promotion after 4 Games where he put up a 1.15 ERA over 15.2 Innings and struck out 22! Once at Tampa he took some time to adjust and seemed to have command issues and that may have been due to him working on secondary pitches.
After 10 Games he was promoted to High A and he took shoved there. Rivas flourished at Hudson where he lowered his Walk Rate by almost 2 points and increased his strikeout rate by 3 points! He also increased his roundball rate and saw a significant bump in his left on base rate, all helping win the Pitcher of the Month of August at Hudson Valley. Rivas finished the season at Hudson, pitching to a 1.15 ERA over 15.2 Innings with 22 Ks and kept hitters to a .094 AVG!
Season:
6-4 | 3.38 ERA - 1.17 WHIP | 85.1 IP - 50 H, 50 BB, 113 K | .164 AVG | 11.9 K/9 - 31.3 K% | 3.73 FIP
FCL:
1-0 | 1.15 ERA - 0.83 WHIP | 15.2 IP - 4 H, 9 BB, 22 K | 12.6 K/9 - 36.1 K% | .078 AVG | 2.67 FIP
Tampa:
2-3 | 5.80 ERA - 1.59 WHIP | 40.1 IP - 37 H, 27 BB, 47 K | 10.5 K/9 - 25.1 K% | .234 AVG | 4.98 FIP
HV:
3-1 | 1.23 ERA - 0.78 WHIP | 29.1 IP - 9 H, 14 BB, 44 K | 13.5 K/9 - 38.9 K% | .094 AVG | 2.57 FIP
Coming in at No. 2, Elmer Rodriguez Cruz!
🎙️ ERC made one hell of an impression in his first season in the org after being traded to the Yankees! ERC started his season at High A and for 15 Games he was dominant, pitching to a 2.26 ERA over 83 Innings and racking up 99 Ks! He earned a mid-season promotion to Double A where he kept right on rolling, pitching to a 2.64 ERA over 61 Innings and adding 74 Strikeouts there before ending his season at Triple A! ERC has begun knocking on the door for his MLB debut next season!
ERC led MILB all Prospects that hadn’t debuted with 176 Strikeouts!
This season he earned a Pitcher of the Week at Hudson Valley in April and a once with Somerset!
26 Starts | 11-8 | 2.58 ERA - 1.07 WHIP
150 IP - 104 H, 57 BB, 176 K | 10.6 K/9 - 29 K%
.190 AVG | 2.47 FIP
And closing out this list is, Carlos Lagrange!
🎙️Lagrange had a tremendous season! Lagrange got the baseball world and Yankees fans attention with his start in the Yankees Breakout Game! That game was a precursor to the great things he had in store, and would set the pace for his season!
The towering flame thrower put up good numbers at High A, pitching to a 4.10 ERA over 41 Innings of working and striking out 64! He got even better than Double A where he pitched to a 3.22 ERA over 78.1 Innings of work and he struck out 104 batters, the league hit just .183 AVG against him and stranded 75% of runners.
Lagrange excited Yankee fans by piling up strikes outs with a fastball that reaches 100-101 regularly, and touched 103 MPH! Sky’s the limit for Lagrange and he heads into 2026 as one of the Yankees top prospects and someone who could potentially make his MLB debut in the coming season!
11-8 | 3.53 ERA - 1.20 WHIP | 120 IP - 82 H, 62 BB, 168 K | 12.6 K/9 - 33.4 K% | .189 AVG | 3.14 FIP
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