The Yankees' Chandler Simpson Clone

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There have been some tweets making the rounds on Twitter about a Yankees prospect who resembles a controversial MLB player. Indeed, Luis Durango has grown in recognition amongst prospect watching Yankees fans, as well as some non-prospect watchers, thanks to the similarities of his play style to Chandler Simpson. With Durango’s name being much more prevalent, let’s get to know Durango.

History 

Hailing from Panama, Luis Durango Jr. was signed by the Cleveland Guardians as an IFA, making his debut in the organization at the complex level in 2021. His father, Luis Durango Sr, played in 39 MLB games across 3 seasons with the Padres and Astros from 2009-2011, with stops in the Atlanta, Cincinnati, and White Sox organizations. Like his father, Durango is a smaller outfielder (5’10” compared to his dad at 5’9”) who built their game around speed, defense, and contact. 

In 181 games across 4 seasons in the Guardians organization, Durango swiped 87 bags. However, his offense struggled, especially in his 2024 season at the Low-A level, where Durango hit .250 and had an OPS of .655. After not progressing out of A ball after 4 years, the Yankees took a chance on Durango in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 Draft. After an average 2025 at Hudson Valley where he recorded a 97 wRC+, Durango has reached new heights in 2026, rising from Low-A Tampa all the way to AA Somerset.

Playstyle 

Durango’s game plan is simple: see ball, hit ball. There is no power to Durango’s game, with no home runs outside of the complex league in his career. During his 27 games at Low-A this year, Durango didn’t record any batted ball over 100mph. While the power may not exist, the bat to ball skills are hard to beat. With 95th percentile whiff rates or better at all three levels, Durango rarely misses the ball. While swing decisions are questionable, it has not prohibited Durango from hitting. The minuscule 11.7% K rate on the season backs this up. 

One of the key changes for the lefty is something I typically speak against, but makes sense given Durango’s skillset. Durango re-adjusted his setup in the box, utilizing one of the most unorthodox grips I’ve seen. With his left hand resting near the base of the bat, Durango chokes well up on the bat with his right hand, creating a gap in the handle. This gives him strong bat control.  Durango has cut down on his fly balls and increased his ground balls, with a 65% rate this season. Focusing on getting the ball in play and using his speed to put pressure on the defense has worked out. He has proven very willing to drop bunts for singles. He will even use his inner Ichiro and use the running swing, getting a head start down the first base line. This game plan has led to a .329/.386/.404 slash on the season, good for a 114 wRC+. While the .377 BABIP is traditionally high, suggesting batted ball luck, we do know his speed does provide leeway there. 

The other key area his speed impacts is his ability on the bases. With 42 stolen bases in 74 games, with only 10 caught stealing, Durango puts pressure on the pitcher to consider the running game. Being able to go 1st to 3rd, albeit better, had previously been a problem with the Yankees. That is an area Durango thrives. He is constantly in the pitchers head, taking a bit of pressure off the hitter. Defensively, Durango has shown capability to cover all 3 outfield spots, namely centerfield. He has shown decent routes with excellent makeup speed, especially going back on balls.

The Simpson Comparison 

So far on the season, Simpson is slashing .309/.336/.366 with a 4.5 BB%, 8.5 K%, 35 stolen bases, and a 97 wRC+. His BABIP currently sits at .336, which is closer to normal than Durango’s. Where Simpson has taken a step to become a more valuable player is defensively. After a 2025 season where he graded poorly on defense, he has recorded 6 DRS and 7 OAA in left field. at the plate, Simpson has a 99th percentile whiff rate, ranking as one of the very best in putting bat on the ball. While his ground ball rate isn’t as aggressive as Durango’s, he has posted 59.4% and 57.7% in his first two seasons. Indeed, the Simpson game plan is to put the ball in play and let his speed do the work. 

I am fine admitting I have been a Chandler Simpson fan. While it is not my preferred style of player, I do think there is a place for a strong hit tool with killer speed and good defense. This is what separates Simpson from someone like Luis Arraez, not being as one dimensional a player. So, is Durango going to be as good a player as Simpson? That, I am not sure. The first question is how comparable is the speed to Simpson. Simpson’s 29.6 feet per second is 96th percentile in the league. Is Durango that fast? I’m sure it is close, but those extra tenths of a second do matter. The second question is how will the contact hold up at higher levels? The jump to AA from A+ is the toughest developmental jump, and Durango has seen to make that jump in stride, with his whiff rate only jumping from 13.5% to 16.7% through 15 games. Still, the gap to the MLB is big. If Durango continues to see a jump in his whiff, it will hurt his value tremendously. 

Is Luis Durango a top 30 prospect in the organization? No, I don’t believe so. Still, this is a player who has a very unique skillset, even if it is a skillset that had been left behind in a past era. If Durango were able to continue positive progression, he would be a firecracker in a lineup that has seen more focus on the big, booming fireworks.

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