Yankees' farm system ranking is a frightful sight for 2026 and beyond

It's not easy to strike gold in the MLB Draft when most of your picks are towards the backend of the first round and or later rounds. Nor is it easy to find and keep top-notch international talent when you don't have a head scouting director for multiple months. 

Those are just two reasons why The Athletic's Keith Law may have ranked the New York Yankees' farm system No. 20 out of 30 Major League teams. 

"The Yankees have two really high-end shortstop prospects, a big group of arms who are probably starters, and then the system drops off pretty quickly, even with their well-deserved reputation for creating arms out of thin air," Law wrote. 

No. 1 prospect George Lombard Jr. and 19-year-old Dax Kilby are the shortstops Law referred to. 

Prospects to watch out for 

Lombard and Kilby are two players who often come up in prospect discussions for the Yankees. But neither player has completed a full season of Double-A, with Kilby getting his first taste of professional baseball last summer at Single-A. 

Outfielder Spencer Jones could be Major League-ready as early as Opening Day, but with his home run prowess comes serious strikeout concerns. 

Right-handers Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange could both make their MLB debut in 2026. Rodriguez was named the Yankees' Minor League Pitcher of the Year by Baseball America, and Lagrange can reach up to 100 mph with his fastball. 

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