Yankees 2024 MLB Draft Rounds 11-20
The Yankees have found some true gems in the back half of the draft since it dropped to 20 rounds in 2021, with Jack Neely, (2021, 11th), Ben Rice (2021, 12th), Zach Messinger (2021, 13th), Kris Bow (2022, 14th), and Danny Flatt (2023, 14th). You may notice that all but one of the five prospects listed are pitchers, and that’s because the Yankees tend to take chances on guys in the bottom half of the draft since they won’t affect the bonus pool allotted as long as they don’t go over the $150,000 mark.
With 8 of the first 10 picks that the Yankees have chosen in 2024 going as pitchers, it’s possible they go after more bats since they’ve otherwise drafted two outfielders (Wilson is technically an OF but was originally drafted as 1B). However, with the abundance of depth with outfielders in the Yankees’ system, and the lack of quality depth in other places like 1B and 3B (in some respects), the Yankees may end up drafting many infielders.
11th Round, 331st overall: RHP Mack Estrada, NW Florida State (JuCo)
A Tampa-area native (from the same town as RHP Sean Hermann) attended the same school as 2020 4th round selection RHP Beck Way (dealt to KC Royals in Benintendi trade). Estrada has a low-to-mid 90s fastball, but his plus mid-80s slider is said to be his best pitch. Estrada still has room to grow with a 6-foot-4, 220 lb frame, which may help get his velo on the fastball up.
The Florida State commit recorded a 4.20 ERA in 79-⅓ innings of work with the junior college in Niceville, FL, and started 15 of the 17 games he appeared in during the 2024 season. With a 10.66 K/9 (94 K) and a 4.76 BB/9 (42 BB), there’s a lot to like about this selection.
12th Round, 361st overall: OF Brendan Jones, Kansas State
Jones has had a successful collegiate career, hitting a combined slash line of .275/.413/.458/.871, but really broke out in 2024 when he drove in 35 RBI on 69 hits to bring his batting average over .300. Jones also hit 9 home runs with K-State in 2024.
Jones was only caught stealing twice in 41 attempts in 2024, a career high in both attempts and steal, a result of his exceptional speed. The 5-foot-10, 175 lb junior mostly played in center field, but also spent some time in left field as well. The speed is critical in the large center field of both George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, FL, home of the Low-A Tarpons, and the CF in the Bronx at Yankee Stadium.
Jones struck out in 21.8% of AB (51 SO) in 2024, and walked in 18.5% of PA (55 BB).
13th Round, 391st overall: OF Dillon Lewis, Queens University of Charlotte (NC)
The Yankees go with another outfielder in Lewis, a righty bat, who hit 22 home runs in 229 at bats (9.6% of AB), along with 85 hits, and had a slash of .371/.444/.729/1.174 in 2024.
Lewis split time almost equally between left and center between collegiate and summer ball action, and did play one game with the Royals behind the plate in 2023. He also did not commit any errors in the outfield in 2024, and has only committed 3 errors total in nearly 180 collegiate games. Lewis grew up a Yankee fan, idolizing Derek Jeter.
14th Round, 421st overall: SS Austin Green, Texas Tech
The Yankees break the mold they’ve set by going with a middle infielder for the first time in 2024, with Texan Austin Green, a switch-hitter that naturally plays second base and shortstop but has recently moved over to the outfield. Green finished 2023 second on the team in home runs (12) and multi-RBI games (18). Green batted .290 in 2023 with 12 HR, 57 RBI and 28 total XBH.
In his senior year of 2024, Green hit a slash of .322/.435/.546/.981 with 56 hits in 174 AB, along with 13 doubles and 8 HR. He also drove in 45 RBI. The doubles machine spent a lot of time in the outfield this past season, playing a combined 42 games in the outfield, with all but 2 in right field.
Green spent two seasons at Weatherford College before transferring to Texas Tech. He made 3 appearances as a right-handed pitcher, throwing 4-⅔ innings, allowing 3 earned runs on 5 hits for an ERA of 5.79, but mostly played in the field as a MIF. While at Weatherford College, he batted .320 with an OPS of .962 in 56 games, and drove in 32 runs on 54 hits with 15 doubles.
15th Round, 451st overall: OF Marshall Toole, Wofford
The Yankees go with another outfielder in Toole, the Southern Conference Player of the Month of February 2024. Toole batted .375.461/.617/1.078 in 62 games in 2024, driving in 64 runs on 96 hits. He also had 15 doubles, 10 triples and 9 homers with the Terriers in 2024. Toole spent all 62 games in center field, while leading the Southern Conference and setting the single-season program record at Wofford with 43 stolen bases. He also led the conference and was second in the nation with 10 triples.
While in high school, Toole was a C/2B/OF, so like Green, the utility potential is there. He also threw one inning in 2021 while in collegiate summer ball with the Marietta Patriots. During a Perfect Game showcase, Toole had a 2.32 second pop time. An elite pop time is under 2 seconds, with the top 10 catchers in MLB holding pop times under 1.9 seconds.
16th Round, 481st overall: LHP Xavier Rivas, Ole Miss
Rivas missed the 2024 season with a UCL tear, so they’re taking a chance on the southpaw after he posted a 6.35 ERA in his junior year of 2023. Rivas had Tommy John surgery this past February, and was just cleared by his doctor, Dr. Keith Meister, to resume a throwing program last week.
In 2023, Rivas led the team in strikeouts (89), OBA (.248), inning pitched (68.0), wins (5), and starts (14). Rivas only allowed 40 walks in the 68 innings he pitched, good for a 5.3 BB/9, and the 89 K produced a K/9 of 11.8. He was expected to be the Rebels’ ace for the 2024 season.
Prior to the 2023 season with Mississippi, Rivas spent two years with the U of Indianapolis Greyhounds of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, where he had the second most all-time strikeouts (128) and held a K/9 of 14.34.
17th Round, 511th overall: OF JoJo Jackson, Georgia State
The Yankees go with another outfielder in Jackson, who was a switch-hitting outfielder with the Georgia State Panthers in the Sun Belt Conference. Jackson primarily played RF with Georgia State, but also played left field and a little center as well.
Jackson batted .310/.394/.655/1.049 in 2024 with 29 extra base hits out of 54 total hits, with 13 of those as doubles, a triple and 15 homers. Jackson also drove in 45 RBI and struck out 50 times and worked 21 walks. He also spent some time in the MLB Draft League in 2024 with the Frederick Keys, where he put up even better numbers: .352/.435/.591/1.027. He recorded 25 H and 17 RBI in 71 AB.
18th Round, 541st overall: RHP Gus Hughes, High Point
Hughes split his collegiate career between Gaston Community College and High Point, but had quite a 2024 with HPU. Hughes recorded a 3.77 ERA in a conference-leading 102-⅔ innings pitched with 111 strikeouts (K/9 9.73). Hughes was also named the Big South Starter of the Week in 2024.
Hughes had an OBA of .209 in 2024 while allowing 22 home runs (1.93 HR/9).
With Gaston CC in 2022, Hughes threw a 2.17 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP and 13.28 K/9 in 62-⅓ innings of work. With UNC Charlotte, Hughes threw a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings of work with an OBA of .216 and had a K/9 of 12.6 (14 K). Of note, LHP Josh Maciejewski, Yankees’ 2018 10th round selection, was a INC Charlotte alumnus.
19th Round, 571st overall: RHP Brandon Decker, Oakland University (MI)
With a ton of room to grow, the 6-foot-3, 187 lb righty thrower posted a 5.44 ERA in 102-⅔ innings in 2024 with the Golden Grizzlies. Decker also spent some time in summer ball, playing in the Appy League for the Bristol State Liners in 2023. He threw a 3.89 ERA in 34-⅔ innings, allowing 15 ER on 42 H, while not allowing any HR. He held a K/9 just under 10 with both teams.
Decker set the single-season school record for innings pitched, and was named Relief Pitcher of the Year for the Horizon League in 2023 as well as Pitcher of the Year in 2024.
A random stat: in high school (North Farmington, Farmington Hills, MI), he led the bowling team with the most games won (16) and had the highest average score (205.8)
20th Round, 601st overall: RHP Cole Royer, Pierce County HS (GA)
The tallest selection of the 2024 MLB Draft by the Yankees was saved for last, as the 6-foot-6 Georgia Tech commit
MLB notes that Royer is “ultraprojectable” and has a “quick arm”, adding that he “could have upper-90s velocity”. Right now, he has a fastball that sits low-90s and reaches 95 MPH, along with a “high-spin breaking ball in the upper-70s that could give him a second plus offering once he adds strength and refinement.” They note that he may become a reliever, and that he is an intriguing prospect.
Royer is indeed raw, as MLB noted, but in a Perfect Game showcase induced a lot of swing-and-miss with his fastball. The curveball and slider need a lot of command work, as they were either thrown into the dirt or up and away from the catcher and towards the backstop. The Yankees have a lot to work with here, and he may be the gem of the entire draft if they can tear him away from Georgia Tech.