Last week, we published our December update to the Top Yankees Prospects list, in which we ranked the 10 most promising minor-leaguers in the farm system. The list was mostly a combination of the team’s
most recent first-round draft picks (George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Dax Kilby, Ben Hess) and some breakout starting pitchers (Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange). Now, it’s time to mention some players who just missed the cut. These players caught our eye in 2025, and could find themselves on the Top 10 list in short order:
Brendan Jones
The left-handed outfielder was a 12th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft after catching the Yankees’ eye at Kansas State, where in his final season he hit .303/.441/.489 with eight home runs and 39 steals in 60 games. His skillset immediately transferred into professional baseball, as he posted a 172 wRC+ and 27.9-percent walk rate in 24 games between Low-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley in 2024 following the draft. Patience at the plate and speed on the basepaths have always been the focal points of Jones’ game, and he doubled down on his strong performance with a full season of rock-solid play in 2025 to gain some helium. He started the year with Hudson Valley and spent 44 more games as a Renegade, but he performed even better after earning a promotion to Double-A Somerset where his ISO jumped from .126 to .165 and his walk-to-strikeout ratio remained consistent.
In total, Jones hit 11 home runs with 51 steals and a walk rate just a tick below 15 percent on the season. It’s not a superstar’s profile, but Jones has the foundational tools of a player who can play a key depth role on a big-league roster. He’ll turn 24 in April, so his chance could come sooner rather than later if he keeps performing — it’s just a matter of whether it will be in New York or not.
Kyle Carr
If 2025 was the year of the crafty lefty, no pitcher in the Yankees farm system fit that mold of success more than Kyle Carr. Although he doesn’t possess the overwhelming stuff or K-BB% numbers typically found in top pitching prospects, Carr’s 2025 campaign provided a large enough sample to prove that what he’s doing is working to his advantage. Carr’s fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s and he complements it with a breaking ball and a changeup. He dominated High-A with a 1.96 ERA in 22 starts, but ended the season with three starts in Double-A in which he posted an 8.56 ERA.
There are reasons for skepticism over how Carr will perform at the highest levels that his struggles in Somerset did not exactly silence, but the larger sample provides adequate reasoning for excitement, especially if the Yankees pitching lab is able to repeat their success and add a few ticks of velocity onto his fastball.
Henry Lalane
Those who follow the Yankees’ farm system closely are likely familiar with the name Henry Lalane at this point, but thus far more hype has been driven by the frame and upside the 6-foot-7 lefty brings to the table than by his actual performance. Lalane entered last season with excitement building around his name after posting a 34.1 K-BB% in a small sample at the Complex in 2023, but then pitched just 12 innings all 2024. Last year, he made six starts with Low-A Tampa and produced a head-scratcher of a stat line: 16.1 IP, 1.65 ERA (5.01 FIP), 27.4 K%, 17.8 BB%, .179 BAA, 1.41 WHIP. For those who did glimpse him, the stuff wasn’t crackling quite the same, either.
The walks will have to come significantly down if he wants to earn his spot in the Top 10, just like they did for Carlos Lagrange this past season. Any speculation of a breakout for Lalane is not only dependent on his health, but also on the Yankees avoiding the possibility of losing him in the Rule 5 Draft this offseason.
Mani Cedeno
Similar to Lalane, Cedeno’s status as an honorable mention is based on the upside in his profile rather than the results he’s posted in his minor league career thus far. However, he’s only been in professional baseball for one season, and at just 17-years-old he deserves to be shown some grace after a lackluster start to his career in the Dominican Summer League. Cedeno was considered one of the most advanced hitters in the international free agent class last offseason, and signed with the Yankees for $2.5 million in January. He profiles as a well-rounded shortstop with a natural ability in the field and on the base paths, and the key to his development will be on offense. He has a smooth, right-handed swing and a tendency to be patient at the plate, so if Cedeno can make more contact moving forward he can develop into an exciting young player.
Dillon Lewis
Lewis has a somewhat similar story to Jones, as he was drafted in the 13th round of the 2024 MLB Draft and made enough significant gains in 2025 to warrant consideration among the team’s top prospects. The 6-foot-3 outfielder improved his plate discipline and fly-ball rate, and was able to access the same game power than allowed him to hit 22 home runs in his final year at Queens University of Charlotte. He will have to prove himself at the higher levels of the minor leagues, but so far the 22-year-old Lewis looks like a slugger in the making.
Lewis improved his walk rate to 10.2 percent in 122 games across Tampa and Hudson Valley, smashing 22 home runs and stealing 26 bases. Double-A will be a huge step in finding out what Lewis’s upside looks like, but his 2025 season was exactly what the Yankees wanted to see.
