​The Yankees had one pick left on the first day of the MLB Draft, a slot that would close after the fourth round and the related compensation selections. They had already beefed up their pipeline with two left-handed pitchers who came early in the day—Hunter Dietz and Sean Duncan—as well as a catcher, Brendan Brock. So, when the rounds looped back to them at No. 127 overall, the Yankees chose to expand beyond the battery to target a different area of need. Their newest addition is Paul Gutierrez-Contreras II, an outfielder from Cal State Fullerton who mostly went by Paul Contreras during his titan days.
Fullerton has a storied program, one that has produced major league talent such as Matt Chapman, Justin Turner, Tim Wallach, and even the man who went No. 1 overall in the Derek Jeter draft era, Phil Nevin. Gutierrez-Contreras now sets his sights on joining that respected fraternity of alumni. Although MLB Pipeline didn’t place Gutierrez-Contreras on its Top 250, they did publish a brief blurb shortly after his selection, highlighting his accolades as this past season’s Big West Co-Player of the Year. He spent a year at Modesto Junior College before transferring to Cal State Fullerton, where he earned the Big West Co-Player of the Year honors as a junior in 2026 after posting a .346/.441/.633 line with 14 homers. A big, physical right-handed hitter, Gutierrez-Contreras made a few subtle changes at the plate to unlock more of his tools as a junior. At 20 years old, he’s primarily patrolled right field in college, though some scouts believe he could be tested in center field as a professional.
Baseball America also included Gutierrez-Contreras on its broader draft board, ranking him 372nd overall. They commented on his no-bat-glove look, a stylistic cue that might remind fans of Jorge Posada, or perhaps Trent Grisham more recently. They described him as well-built with lean strength throughout his frame, noting a simple setup with a small leg kick, though his swing can stretch out at times. He’s a patient hitter who makes frequent contact across pitch types, showcasing solid gap-to-gap power as well. His swing decisions yield a favorable contact rate, but his miss rate increases against harder fastballs, a shortcoming that could pose questions at the next level.
Gutierrez-Contreras will turn 21 on August 5 and seems reasonably likely to sign, perhaps with some under-slot bonus relative to the $603.5K value attached to the pick, given where he falls in the broader drafting landscape. Born in Turlock, California, and a graduate of Joseph A. Gregori High School in nearby Modesto, Gutierrez-Contreras has done a commendable job elevating his stock over the past year. He hit .293/.407/.431 in 145 plate appearances for the Duluth Huskies of the wood-bat Northwoods League last summer in Minnesota, posting an .838 OPS that was 77 points above the league average. He followed that with another standout spring at Fullerton, registering 24 extra-base hits in 52 games and a 1.074 OPS that ranked third in the Big West.
As a writer who appreciates real wood-bat experience, I’m a fan of drafting players who have actually faced those tougher, wood-bat challenges, and Gutierrez-Contreras certainly fits that criterion. If he signs, he could be a compelling under-slot addition who brings a blend of balance, power, and defensive versatility to the Yankees’ system.