The Yankees have a deep farm system, so let’s look at three prospects the New York Yankees may select in the first round of a condensed 2020 MLB Draft.
The MLB Draft will have a much different look this summer. There will only be five rounds of draft picks made as opposed to the normal 40 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Because of this, the New York Yankees must get their first-round draft pick right.
New York will have the 28th overall pick in the draft and will have the chance to add another elite prospect to their farm system.
Here are three potential options Brian and Cashman and company may consider taking round one.
Yankees Target #1: Daniel Cabrera, OF LSU
With Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton proving to be injury-prone and top prospect Jason Dominguez still several years away from the bigs’ drafting LSU outfielder Daniel Cabrera could be a wise decision.
In three seasons at LSU, Cabrera produced an impressive career slash line of .314/.369/.513 with 22 home runs and 116 RBI’s. With both power and an ability to get on base at a high rate, he projects to be a top of the order bat.
As for his defense, Cabrera projects to be a corner outfielder which could work out well for the Yankees with Stanton’s future likely to be as a designated hitter and Brett Gardner near the end of his career with no true replacement lined up in the minors.
Thus, Cabrera is an all-around perfect fit for the Yankees if he’s on the board with the 28th pick.
Yankees Target #2: Blaze Jordan, 1B, DeSoto Central HS (Miss.)
With high school seasons around the country canceled or cut short, taking a non-college prospect could come with some risk, but slugger Blaze Jordan from Mississippi may be worth it.
In 13 games before his senior year came to an abrupt end, Jordan hit .422 with a .509 on-base percentage. Overall, posted a career average of .400 with an on-base percentage of .526, 19 home runs and 98 RBI’s. Defensively, Jordan struggled a bit at first base as his fielding percentage is .958, but that should improve once he gets to the minor leagues.
Regardless, the Yankees should value Jordan’s bat over the glove, which could conclude in being a wise selection in round one.
Target #3: Cole Wilcox, RHP, Georgia
If the Yankees decide to go pitching round one, Georgia right-hander Cole Wilcox should be a name they have circled.
After a stellar high school career, Wilcox moved onto the University of Georgia, where he has thrived in the SEC the past two seasons. The right-hander has made 23 appearances on the mound with 10 starts and posted a 6-2 record, 3.38 ERA in 82.2 innings with 96 strikeouts and just 40 walks.
With a fastball already touching 97-98 miles per hour and developing off-speed stuff, Wilcox has the potential to be a mainstay in the rotation of any team that drafts him and should be ranked high on the Yankees draft board.