The New York Yankees could use organizational depth at both catcher and third base. According to Kiley McDaniel, they’ll end up with both after the first round of the 2026 MLB Draft.
ESPN’s draft insider projected the Yankees to pick high-school infielder/catcher Cole Prosek from Mississippi with the 35th pick at the draft next month in Philadelphia.
The Yankees’ first-round pick was docked 10 spots due to penalties caused by them continuing to “exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the competitive-balance tax.”
That means instead of choosing 25th, where they finished after losing to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series, their first selection will be pushed back.
The Yankees are Projected to Choose Cole Prosek in the First Round
GettyYankee Stadium could welcome a high-school prospect if New York selects Cole Prosek next month.
Yankees fans may pine for a more polished player with a first-round pick, but they can afford to be patient with a left-handed hitter and high-school player like Prosek.
McDaniel explained why.
“Prosek is an advanced hitter with 25-homer upside from the left side,” McDaniel wrote for ESPN.com. “He’ll be 19 years old on draft day, a clear no-go for some teams, but the Yankees aren’t one of those teams.”
The Yankees have been patient and leaned into high-school prospects in recent years due to their enhanced organizational depth.
Prosek would be the third high-school prospect chosen in the first round over the past four drafts — only University of Alabama-bred right-handed pitcher Ben Hess broke the trend.
Though young, he is older than most high-school prospects and will enter pro ball with MLB pedigree. He is the nephew of Milwaukee Brewers third-base coach Matt Erickson.
Cole Prosek is a Project Behind the Plate
GettyAustin Wells was the last catcher chosen in the first round by the Yankees.
As a lefty hitter, with 60-grade hitting and 50-grade power, Prosek could fit right in while hitting at Yankee Stadium.
“Prosek isn’t as tooled up as fellow Mississippi prep prospects Eric Booth and Kevin Roberts Jr.,” MLB Pipeline wrote in Prosek’s scouting report. “But he’s a better hitter than either of them and one of the most advanced bats in the entire high school class.”
But picking Prosek would be an investment in his bat rather than landing a sure-fire player at any position, which comes with added risk since he isn’t a middle infielder.
“Because he’s a below-average runner and lacks lateral quickness, Prosek fits better at third base than in the middle infield,” Pipeline wrote. “He has seen some action at catcher this spring, playing well enough that scouts believe it’s a path that may be worth exploring in pro ball — though it would add to his development time and take a toll on his offensive production.”
Third base is a defense-first position for the Yankees at the moment, much to fans’ dismay. But McDaniel noted the 6-1, 195-pound prospect’s upside, which helped him earn the No. 33 overall ranking at MLB Pipeline.
“Defensively, he is a third baseman who has dabbled behind the plate,” McDaniel wrote. “There’s a lot of upside even as an older prep prospect with limited physical projection.”
Mock Draft Projects Yankees to Land Versatile High School Player in First Round