​The Major League Baseball Amateur Draft is drawing near, and the New York Yankees hold the 35th overall pick for their first selection. After years of swinging broadly at the top of the draft in the early 2000s, the organization has improved its scouting, evaluation, and development efforts over the past seven drafts. As is typical, the Yankees pick toward the end of the first round, and they also slid 10 spots due to penalties for exceeding the Competitive Balance Tax thresholds. That shift places them with the third-smallest bonus pool, just over $7.3 million, narrowly ahead of the Mets and Dodgers.
Baseball America recently updated its farm-system talent rankings, placing the Yankees at 21st in the sport. The current weakness is on the position-player side, suggesting that is likely where the club will direct its attention in the draft. Both MLB.com and Baseball America place seven pitchers among the organization’s top 10 prospects, highlighting a surplus of pitching talent. Conversely, the catching position appears notably lean—the rankings from BA and MLB.com do not include any Yankees catchers among the top 30 prospects.
Teams usually do not draft with an immediate major-league need in mind, but they do tend to target a positional group that could use a boost throughout the system. If the Yankees decide to pursue catching, several enticing options could plausibly be within reach at the 35th pick, according to recent pre-draft rankings.
University of Georgia catcher Daniel Jackson enjoyed an outstanding season, earning the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s top amateur player. He captured the Southeastern Conference triple crown, batting .378/.473/.803 with 32 home runs and 26 stolen bases. He became only the third Division I player—and the first catcher in Division I history—to post a 30/25 season. He is viewed as a potential fit for the Yankees at the 35th pick, though his draft projections vary: MLB.com ranks him as the 28th-best prospect, while Baseball America places him at 37th. In several mock drafts over recent months, Jackson has appeared as a possibility for New York, and his tools and performance would represent an exciting addition if he lands in pinstripes.
Another strong option is Mississippi high school standout Cole Prosek. Prosek is a polished hitter with present power, having finished second nationally with 18 home runs during his high school season. The left-handed hitter makes substantial contact and projects to offer a solid contact-to-power blend as he develops. He is listed as a third baseman or shortstop on various scouting reports, but the consensus is that he may not stick at shortstop in pro ball. Recently, he has begun catching, and in limited opportunities scouts believe he could establish himself behind the plate.
Draft strategies often include following up on past successes. In two of the last three drafts, the Yankees selected high school shortstops—George Lombard Jr. and Dax Kilby—and watched as their development trajectories accelerated in the years that followed. If the organization chooses to repeat that approach, they could target another high school shortstop who carries a profile that lends itself to versatility and upside while potentially transitioning to catcher if needed.
As the draft approaches, the Yankees’ plan will likely emphasize bolstering the position-player side of their prospect pipeline, with catching representing a meaningful area of opportunity. If they can land a catcher with the combination of athleticism, bat-to-ball skills, and defensive upside that this class offers, they could add a dynamic layer to a system that already leans heavily on its pitching. The 35th pick could yield a player whose development accelerates as he projects into a strong two-way contributor for the organization, or at minimum, provides a high-upside catcher prospect who could grow into a cornerstone behind the plate.