The New York Yankees have officially signed 2026 fifth-round pick Bear Harrison, the brother of Milwaukee Brewers star left-handed starting pitcher Kyle Harrison, according to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis.
Via Callis on X: “5th-rder Bear Harrison signs w/@Yankees for $437,200 (full slot 160 value). @AggieBaseball C, hit .294/.493/.608 with 11 HR as junior, OBP skills & righty pop. Brother of Kyle. @MLBDraft”
New York Yankees Officially Sign Brewers Star Kyle Harrison’s Brother During All-Star Break
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – JULY 8: Kyle Harrison #52 of the Milwaukee Brewers delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 8, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Kyle Harrison is a left-handed pitcher whom many believe was snubbed of an All-Star Game nod this year. In 17 starts this year, Harrison has a strong 3.01 ERA with 101 strikeouts over 83 2/3 innings.
Meanwhile, Kyle’s younger brother, Bear, is a completely different player: a catcher who bats right-handed. The younger Harrison is coming off a breakout junior season with Texas A&M in which he slashed a remarkable .297/.495/.626 with 12 home runs and 35 RBI across 53 games.
More About Yankees’ Bear Harrison
The new Yankees prospect began his collegiate career with St. Mary’s (California) in 2024. He hit .322/.410/.541 with eight homers and 35 RBI that season, which allowed him to transfer to one of the top baseball schools in the nation, Texas A&M, for his final two collegiate seasons. In 2025, Harrison slashed .254/.417/.522 with 10 home runs and 34 RBI over 44 games.
While the fact that Harrison hit below .300 in his two seasons as an Aggie could be cause for concern, his elite on-base ability and slugging percentage should be enough for fans to be excited about the catcher.
It could’ve been a fun rivalry between Bear and Kyle if the Boston Red Sox hadn’t traded the older Harrison to the Brewers this past offseason. It was a blockbuster deal, as Boston sent Harrison, left-hander Shane Drohan and second baseman David Hamilton to Milwaukee in exchange for third baseman Caleb Durbin, shortstop Andruw Monasterio, 2B Anthony Seigler and future considerations.
It wasn’t the only huge trade Harrison has been involved in. On June 15, 2025, the San Francisco Giants acquired first/third baseman Rafael Devers from the Red Sox in exchange for Harrison, right-hander Jordan Hicks, right-hander Jose Bello and outfielder James Tibbs III.
None of the Yankees’ top 30 prospects per MLB Pipeline are catchers, so Harrison could quickly become one of the top backstops in the organization. He wasn’t the first catcher selected by New York in this year’s draft, however, as the Yankees selected Oklahoma backstop Brendan Brock in the third round (No. 99 overall).
Brock had a strong 2026 season, slashing .302/.399/.522 with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. There’s a good chance he will become New York’s top-ranked catching prospect when MLB Pipeline updates its list. Harrison shouldn’t be too far behind, however.
It’s always fun to see brothers face off against each other in the majors. Maybe one day both Harrisons will be on the same team, with the younger brother calling the pitches for his big brother behind the plate.
New York Yankees Officially Sign Brewers Star’s Brother During All-Star Break