The Yankees are coming fresh off their first World Series appearance in 15 years, they are first in the American League East, and homegrown hero Aaron Judge is on his way to becoming one of the best right-handed hitters in the history of the game. As per usual, the grass is greener on the Yankees' side.
It's hard to think about the future when the present is so good, especially when the Yankees farm system is typically not rated very highly at the moment, anyway. Baseball Prospectus had the Yankees' farm system ranked 25th out of 30 in their preseason evaluation. MLB Pipeline currently only has one Yankees prospect ranked in their Top 100. The San Francisco Giants are the only other team to have just one, and the Houston Astros are the only team with zero.
The Yankees' low rankings are partly due to some big trade arrivals over the past couple seasons (like Juan Soto and Jazz Chisholm Jr.). New York has also called up a wealth of their prospects who are no longer being counted as part of the farm system.
Also keep in mind that the Yankees haven't had a pick in the top 15 since 1993, and haven't had a top 10 pick since Derek Jeter in 1992. That is the price tag for 32 consecutive winning seasons. Despite these factors, the Yankees still have several exciting young players. For the sake of this article, "young" means 25 years old at most - with some exceptions.
Here are the 10 most valuable young players in the New York Yankees organization
Honorable Mentions/Notable Exceptions: Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells
Although Anthony Volpe and Austin Wells could both easily make this list, it defeats the purpose of the exercise. Yankees fans have seen at least one full season of each and have a generally good idea of who they are and what they're capable of. They are both talented players who will be responsible for the success of the Yankees organization for years to come, but do not belong on a list designed to shine a light on players that haven't gotten their full shot yet.
No. 10 - Rafael Flores
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Hometown: |
How Acquired: |
Age: |
Position: |
Level: |
Bats/Throws: |
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Anaheim, CA |
Undrafted FA, 2022 |
24 |
C/1B |
AA |
R/R |
Rafael Flores has spent most of his time in 2025 behind the plate, although that additional time is split between first base and DH. He began 2024 in High-A and was promoted to Double-A halfway through the season, adjusting well to the change by slashing .274/.359/.519. Although he is not ranked particularly highly on MLB Pipeline and does not have outstanding scouting reports on FanGraphs, he's taken another step forward in 2025. In Triple-A this season, he has continued his success. In 50 games so far, he's slashing .286/.344/.520 with 11 home runs.
While his offensive results are intriguing, he's also walking far less and striking out more than he did last season. His catching skills leave something to be desired, as he allowed 115 stolen bases last year between High-A and Double-A and caught only 31 baserunners. He doesn't have an obvious role, which muddles his potential path to the big leagues. If he improves his bat, he'll have to compete with Ben Rice at first base, which seems unlikely. Flores and Rice are close enough in age that Rice's experience and proven bat skills at the major league level give him the obvious advantage, and Flores doesn't grade well enough defensively to be a true competitor to Austin Wells.
All things considered, offense plays. Hitting pays the bills, and Flores has done that every year in the minors. If he continues to hit, he could force his way into Triple-A and make a name for himself in the years to come.
No. 9 - T.J. Rumfield
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Hometown: |
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Age: |
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Bats/Throws |
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Richmond, VA |
2021 draft, 12th round by PHI, traded to NYY |
25 |
1B |
AAA |
L/R |
T.J. Rumfield didn't get to play a full season of college baseball until he was already 21. At Virginia Tech, he slashed .315/.402/.478, which got him just enough buzz to be drafted by the Phillies in the 12th round. He was traded over to the Yankees organization in the general minor league shuffle, and in 2024, he handled the transition from Double-A to Triple-A well, with a 117 wRC+ over 114 games. In 2025, he is off to a strong start, slashing .281/380/.463 in his first 47 games. FanGraphs scouting ranks his hit tool and raw power tool as just about average, but he has been nothing but consistent in his three seasons in the minors.
Rumfield faces a similar roadblock that Flores does: there isn't an obvious place for him to play. His consistency bodes well for him, even with his lack of volume. His BABIP and contact percentage are impressive and suggest good bat-to-ball skills and that he won't be overwhelmed by velocity. It's too early to say exactly what kind of player he is, but at 25 years old, the clock is ticking.
