Yankees take son of former MVP in third round of 2025 MLB Draft

The MLB Draft began Sunday night, and the New York Yankees were one of three teams absent from the first round. 

Since the Yankees spent more money this offseason than the competitive balance tax allows, their first pick was bumped back 10 spots as punishment, meaning they didn’t take a prospect until the second round.

Once the Yankees were finally on the clock, they used the No. 39 pick on high school shortstop Dax Kilby. The Yankees had to wait until the end of the night to make their next pick, but they were able to land a player who might be worth the wait. 

With the No. 103 pick, the Yankees drafted Texas A&M shortstop Kaeden Kent, the son of former National League MVP and five-time All-Star Jeff Kent.

Having major league bloodlines is always a positive, but what really makes the 21-year-old such an intriguing prospect is his performance on the diamond.

During his junior season with the Aggies, Kent recorded a .279/.398/.544 slash line with a .943 OPS and more walks (37) than strikeouts (35).

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Kent also has positional flexibility. While he was strictly a shortstop during the 2025 season, he played every infield position and even spent some time in the outfield during his first two seasons in college.

Kent has some pretty big footsteps to follow considering his father collected over 2,400 hits and almost 400 home runs during his career, but his strong offensive numbers and defensive versatility suggest he’ll be a valuable piece for the Yankees once he works his way up the farm system.

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