Major League Baseball

MLB 26-and-under power rankings: No. 20 New York Yankees

Updated Feb. 27, 2023 2:01 p.m. ET

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Deesha Thosar

MLB Writer

FOX Sports' 26-and-under power rankings are a new spin on the classic prospect rankings. Yes, prospects are important, but with all the game-changing young talent already in the bigs, farm systems alone can’t tell the whole story. So we’re diving deep into every single MLB club, ranking them all by the players in an organization entering their age-26 season or younger — from the bigs to the farm. Each weekday through March 24, we’ll count down from last to first. 

No. 20 New York Yankees
26-and-under total score: 14 (out of 30) 

TAMPA, Fla. — Anthony Volpe’s outward demeanor includes an easy smile, a breezy walk and a general looseness that is somewhat surprising for a 21-year-old who is ranked the Yankees’ No. 1 overall top prospect. 

Dig a little deeper and you'll discover that Volpe’s approach is hardly as carefree as his disposition seems. The kid is acutely focused on challenging himself and getting rid of his bad habits, all in the effort of becoming as game-ready as possible before his imminent major-league debut.

"Especially in the game of baseball, it's a cliché, but it's a game of failure," Volpe recently told FOX Sports. "You're always trying to see if you can make yourself more efficient and have a smaller margin for error. It's easy in training to go by easily and do the same things you're always doing. But I want to challenge myself and see if I can make it as game-like as I could."

It’s hard not to notice Volpe’s growing celebrity at Yankees camp. When he is finished with an infield drill, multiple coaches immediately offer feedback or compliment his technique or inquire about what he has left on the agenda for the day. He’ll get claps on the back and extra looks from top brass. Only one player has received a louder applause from fans than Volpe during batting practice: Aaron Judge. 

The New Jersey native grew up about 29 miles west of New York City and, four years after signing with the Yankees in the 2019 draft, Volpe has climbed to the No. 5 spot on MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects list. Volpe jumped four levels in pro ball between the 2021 and ‘22 minor-league seasons and he’s expected to make his big-league debut at some point this year. Volpe, alongside other big-league-ready position players in Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Everson Pereira and Estevan Florial, headlines a group of young Yankees hitters with potentially high ceilings. 

Last week at Yankees spring training, manager Aaron Boone specifically mentioned Volpe, Peraza, outfielder Jasson Domínguez and catcher Austin Wells as prospects he has been looking forward to watching in camp. 

"I'm excited about the guys knocking on the door now," Boone said. "These guys are now getting toward that upper level in the minor leagues or fighting for some playing time even at the big leagues now and it's exciting to see that next wave coming through.

"There's a lot of guys that have knocked on that door and haven't broken through yet, and there's that hunger and that desire, but it's important to also take it one step at a time."

High on Boone’s to do-list this spring is managing expectations. Just because Volpe may not crack the Opening Day roster doesn’t mean he won’t become an important piece for the Yankees at some point in the coming season. For his part, Volpe said he does a good job of keeping his emotions in check and understands his opportunity to play in the big leagues will arrive when the time is right.

Refraining from becoming too eager to reach the majors is even more cumbersome for prospects who are still at least a year or two away from making their debuts. 

Spencer Jones, the Yankees’ 2022 first-round pick, is one such young prospect who is already being compared to Judge, mostly for his size alone. Jones, a lefty-hitting center fielder with high marks in strength and power, checks in at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds. He is intriguing for his bat speed and hard contact and is quickly gaining attention for his plus athleticism. Jones is still at least a couple of years away from The Show, but his exit velocity readings will be intriguing to watch until then.

"It's a long, long year of things playing out, things unfolding, performance continuing to matter," Boone said. "Opening Day may not be the same as what April 15 looks like. It's trying to remind the team as a whole, but also certain individuals, we're always playing a long game here. 

"This is about us having a great season. So, trying to strike that balance between the urgency of every day and working at your craft and working to get incrementally better. But also trying to understand we gotta be smart because we're playing the long game here, especially when it comes to spring training." 

Score breakdown
Big-league position players: 6 (out of 10)  
Big-league pitchers: 2 (out of 10)
Prospect position players: 4 (out of 5)  
Prospect pitchers: 2 (out of 5)  

Deesha Thosar is an MLB writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the Mets as a beat reporter for the New York Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at @DeeshaThosar.

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Deesha Thosar