Yankees sign their first UDFA prospects of 2024
C Ediel Rivera, International Baseball Academy & High School, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
After the hectic nearly 12 hours of 20 rounds and 615 total picks in the 2024 MLB Draft, a lot of eligible players remain out there, ready to be picked up by any team wishing to bring them into their organization. The Yankees wasted no time in agreeing to a deal with their first UDFA, and it wasn’t in the 50 United States, but a short hop over to La Isla Del Encanto: Puerto Rico.
Adding to their incredible catching depth, the Yankees signed Ediel Rivera, a prospect that Perfect Game classifies as the third best catching prospect in Puerto Rico, the 49th best catching prospect in the U.S., and a nearly perfect 9.5/10. Rivera signed for $150,000 via El Nuevo Día. The periodical also reported that Rivera was committed to Alabama State University, a school in the Conference, but wanted the opportunity to play professionally.
Based on the last PG event attended in July 2023, Rivera has plus speed, running a 6.70 second 60-yard dash. For comparison, that’s faster than any prospect on the Yankees’ Top 30 outside of Brando Mayea (plus-plus), and inline with Roderick Arias and Everson Pereira. In one game as part of an international tournament this past February (DIBAT), Rivera was used as a pinch runner.
Rivera also has a pop time of 1.84 seconds. Only one catcher in all of MLB has a sub-1.85 s pop time, and that’s Korey Lee on the White Sox. Wells has a pop time of 1.95 s and Trevino is 2.07 s. Comparatively, for minor-leaguer catchers, Ramirez is 2.05 s and Narváez has a pop time of 1.82 s, but Narváez isn’t very accurate so while he has a sharp pop time, he’s allowed 48 stolen bases out of 61 attempts (only a 21% success rate). Accuracy seems to be Rivera’s concern there too, but he is much closer to the bag than Narváez tends to be.
The six-foot, 170 lb. right-handed batter has a mostly upright stance with a quick swing, and has an above-average barrel speed of 68.8 MPH. The standout trait out of everything that Rivera can offer may be his power. While he doesn’t have triple-digit elite velos to the tune of someone like a Giancarlo Stanton, PG has him in the 95th percentile of his class, and can hit balls out into the low 90 MPH range.
Rivera’s frame can be compared to that of a smaller version of Dylan Jasso, and assuming he puts on more muscle, the exit velos would likely line up as well. That said, with more muscle may see a decrease in run speed similar to the opposite of what we saw with Jasson Dominguez. Dominguez lost muscle and in turn became a quicker runner, so the Yankees will have to decide if they prefer more power or a stronger hit tool over the plus speed they’re getting.
This signing comes at a good time as there are a number of catcher injuries on the Low-A Tampa roster. Manuel Palencia is likely out for the rest of the year (currently on 60-day IL) and Edinson Duran on the 7-day IL since June 12, so it’s possible the Yankees promote some of their catching depth to make room for Rivera. Rivera is also the first catcher signed of the 2024 Draft period, an oddity given the recent pattern the Yankees have displayed, having gone with Tomas Frick last year in the 15th round, Ben Rice in 2021 in the 12th Round and Austin Wells in the 1st round of the 2020 Draft.
What also remains to be seen is how they use Rivera. They could go the Jesus Rodriguez route and make him a utility guy, and with his plus speed and catcher’s arm, he could be a boon to the outfield. They could go the Ben Rice route and stick him at first base just to get his bat in the lineup, since there’s so much outfield depth. Hopefully, with Rivera arriving in Florida last night, we won’t have to wait long to see how he’s used.
LHRP Parker Seay, University of Louisiana – Monroe
The Yankees stick to their script of returning to familiar places in signing southpaw reliever Parker Seay out of ULM, the alma mater of Yankees 2023 8th Rounder, Nicholas Judice (later traded to Red Sox in Verdugo deal).
Seay, a 6-foot-2, 205 lb frame, struggled once he hit the collegiate circuit, throwing a 2.08 ERA in the abridged 2020 season in 4-⅓ IP, a 2.76 ERA in 16-⅓ IP in 2021 and 563 ERA in 32 IP in 2022, all with the JuCo College of Central Florida. Seay transferred to the University of South Florida for the 2023 season where he threw an 11.09 ERA in 9 appearances and 7-⅓ innings out of the bullpen with 9 K (11 K/9). As a fifth-year senior at ULM, Seay threw a 3.74 ERA in 33-⅔ IP with 40 K (10.7 K/9).
In the above video from 2022, Seay shows below-average control and the smaller than usual difference between fastball and off-speed pitches is concerning. How much his fastball, or any of his other pitches for that matter, have improved in 30 months can be significant, and we may not truly know until he hits the mound professionally. That said, the fastball seems to have good deception and with a K/9 over 10, there may be a lot of potential that the Yankees can mold even further.
RHSP JT Etheridge, Louisiana
Etheridge was a stellar JuCo kid with sharp 12-6 curveballs and flamethrower fastballs that transferred to the Ragin’ Cajuns for the 2023 season and struck out 52 batters in 32-⅔ innings of work this past season. That works out to an incredible 14.33 K/9 and walked only 21 batters in that time for a BB/9 of 7.2. Etheridge recorded an ERA of 5.51 in 2024, so with the kind of strikeout numbers he had, the Yankees have a little work to do, but there’s a lot to work with.
Etheridge has a tall 6-foot-6, 225 frame, and is the tallest kid to sign so far in the 2024 Draft period, and the kind of frame the Yankees like to draft in recent years. He shows plus command in the above video with a ¾ arm slot and a downward facing release (think Randy Johnson).
RHSP Jack Sokol, Pittsburgh
The Yankees return to visit another favorite as they draft another Panthers alumnus with the 6-foot-4, 208 lb RHSP Jack Sokol. Sokol started 14 of 15 games with Pitt, and put up below-average numbers, with a 5.09 ERA and a K/9 of 6.9 (57 K in 74-⅓ IP). Sokol had a good walk rate, with a BB/9 of 4.0 (33 BB in 74-⅓ IP), but had an OBA of .285.
(Sokol is #43 in the above video)
Sokol pitched two years with Pittsburgh (2023 & 2024), and previous to that, he pitched with Auburn in his freshman year (2021), then transferred to Pensacola State College (FL) for his sophomore year (2022). While with Auburn in 2021, Sokol threw in 5 appearances and made three starts, posting a 5.40 ERA and had a K/9 of 6.9. At the JuCo in 2022, Sokol threw a 4.13 ERA with a K/9 of 10.80 in 56-⅔ innings
RHRP Tony Rossi, UNC Charlotte
Rossi has been to a handful of colleges over the past few years. Rossi started at D-II University of West Florida for the 2019 season, then transferring to a JuCo, State College of Florida – Manatee/Sarasota where he was teammates with Yankees RHP prospect Cole Ayers. Rossi then transferred to UNC Charlotte, where he played his Sophomore through Redshirt Senior years of 2022 through 2024. Rossi underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2022 while he was with UNC Charlotte, which resulted in missing the end of the 2022 season and all of 2023. UNC Charlotte notes that he was their most used arm on the pitching staff in 2022, making 28 relief appearances.
Via Baseball America: “Rossi averaged 95 mph with a fastball that has touched 97 and features armside running life. He also has a pair of swing-and-miss secondaries between a high-spin slider in the mid 80s that features nearly 15 inches of horizontal break and a firm upper-80s changeup.”
(Rossi is #52 in the above video)
The curious part in this signing is his age. Rossi just turned 25 two weeks ago, and would fit better age wise in Double-A Somerset or Triple-A Scranton/WB instead of just starting his pro career in FCL next season. Like other prospects in this generation of talent, he had to contend with the short COVID-19 season in 2020, but the TJS in 2022/23 set him back as well.
Rossi had a K/9 of 13.91 in 2024 with UNC Charlotte after returning from TJS, his highest career numbers (outside the abridged 2020 season). However, he also had a BB/9 of 6.95 in 44 innings of work, translating to iffy control. The talent is obviously there, and like Etheridge, the Yankees have a lot to work with.
RHSP Cole Zaffiro, Penn
Zaffiro, a Long Island native, was Penn’s ace in 2024, throwing a 4.94 ERA in 74-⅔ innings while amassing 90 strikeouts for a K/9 of 10.8. Zaffiro averaged about 5-⅓ innings per appearance this past season; he made 14 appearances in 2024. He can also go the distance, averaging about 88 pitches per appearance and threw over 100 pitches in a game three times in 2024 while hitting a career high of 114 pitches on April 20th.
Going off of this broadcast (which is not always a great idea, but you do what you have to at times), it appears that Zaffiro has at least a low-90s four-seamer and a low-80s change-up and while he can nail the zone at times, shows some control issues.
Zaffiro was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Week in back-to-back weeks in March (3/18 and 3/25) after throwing back-to-back shutouts in a combined 13 innings of work. In that span, he allowed only 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 20 batters. The 6-foot-2, 185 lb. senior also led Penn in innings pitches, strikeouts, and games started.
INF Owen Cobb, Stanford
The trend this year has been that the Yankees have mostly stayed out east, so this Pac-12 (now 2-Pac?) selection is curious, although Cobb may be a sleeper signing. The 6-foot-3, 195 lb. grad student was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team in 2024, while batting .320 in 55 games.
The Yankees last visited Stanford in 2022 when they drafted Brett Barrera, also an infielder, in the 8th round, but Barrera has since been released from the organization. Cobb was a junior while on that team with Barrera.
Cobb doesn’t appear to be much of a power hitter, only hitting 13 home runs in his 5 years with Stanford, with all of those homers coming in the past two seasons. Instead, Cobb is more of a doubles or triples hitter, with 23 doubles and 5 triples in 2023 and 2024. His stats for those seasons are nearly identical, with 2024 being the superior year of the two: .320/.363/.500/.863 in 2024 compared to .324/.368/.471/.839 in 2023.
Cobb has a compact swing with nearly zero leg kick, hitting from the right side. He stands upright in the back of the box, and his 6-foot-3 frame has lots of room to grow. George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ 1st round selection in 2023, is a good comp for Cobb’s frame. Watching Cobb is like watching a combination of Lombard and Tyler Hardman, in a way. Cobb, Hardman and Lombard all have similar frames and all are infielders.
Cobb was signed as a SS, but can also play 2B.
INF Duncan Pastore, Louisiana – Lafayette
The Yankees went back to the bayou to sign the Tampa, FL native in his 5th year as a graduate student. Pastore batted .328 in 2024 with 65 hits and 11 doubles. Like Cobb, Pastore hits many more doubles than home runs, only hitting 9 in his amateur & collegiate career.
Pastore spent the four previous years with Nova Southeastern, where he had nearly a .350 batting average with 204 hits in 584 AB. He hit 41 doubles, 3 triples and 5 home runs out of those 204 hits while driving in 104 runs.
Between Nova, ULL and the summer leagues he played in, Pastore was used as a utility player, mostly playing the infield. Pastore spent most of his time at 2B and 3B, but also played 1B, RF, SS and even pitched in 18 games while with Nova with an ERA of 4.39 in 55-⅓ innings.
RHRP Chris Veach, South Carolina
It remains to be seen how the Yankees will use Veach, as he was a two-way player from 2021 to 2023 until he became a full-time reliever for South Carolina in 2024.
Veach attended Presbyterian College in 2021 and 2022, where he hit .336 in 40 games, with 10 doubles, a triple, three homers and 18 RBI. While with the JuCo in the Big South Conference, he also threw in 20 innings, recording a 2.70 ERA, a K/9 of 8.6 (19 K in 20 IP) and a BB/9 of 4.5 (10 BB in 20 IP).
South Carolina mostly used Veach as a pitcher in 2023, throwing in 26 innings with a 3.46 ERA, but he did have 4 at-bats where he recorded 2 hits. In 2024, he became a full-time pitcher and threw 44-⅔ innings with a 3.63 ERA and a K/9 of 10.9 (54 K in 44-⅔ IP) and a BB/9 of 4.8 (24 BB in 44-⅔ IP).
Baseball America notes that Veach has a mid-70s change-up that he uses as his primary pitch, using it 60% of the time. He also has a low-90s fastball and a “slurvy breaking ball” that sits around 80 MPH. Veach has a complicated wind-up that the Yankees will likely sort out as the mechanics don’t necessarily match the stats and they can likely get a little more velo out of the pitch offerings he has.
The 6-foot, 195 lb righty will likely be used as a reliever, but considering the Yankees have taken a shot at TWP Josh Tiedemann, it is entirely possible that Veach’s bat can be used whenever needed. Veach mostly played 2B when on the field as a non-pitcher, but he also had a handful of games at LF and RF.
INF Parks Harber, North Carolina
The Yankees sign their only true first baseman in Parks Harber, who had a number of career highs in 2024 with UNC. Harber hit a career best 80 H, 20 HR, 63 RBI and 35 walks in 61 games and 233 AB.
Harber slashed .343/.425/.648/.1.073 in that span, also a career high. Previous to his time with the Tar Heels, Harber spent his freshman-junior years with Georgia where they had him play the corners, but spent more time at 3B (74 games at 3B and 55 games at 1B). However, Harber played more 1B (17 games) than 3B (9 games) while with the Brewster White Caps of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2022.
It appears that Harber may have transitioned to become more focused on playing 1B during that summer, as he spent most of his time on that side of the field in 2023 with Georgia, before playing there full-time with UNC. Harber appears to be a plus power hitter, likely capable of 25-30 HR seasons, and also has good opposite field power.
Harber was also the quarterback on his high school (The Westminster School in Atlanta, GA) football team, where he led the team to the state playoffs, so he likely has a strong and accurate throwing arm like you would need for 3B.
RHP Brady Kirtner, Virginia Tech
With a low-mid 90s sinking fastball, a mid-80s curveball, and a slider Kirtner created based on the curveball, the Yankees must see something in the righty reliever from Virginia Tech. The curveball isn’t your traditional 12-6 curveball and instead is more of a slower version of the fastball.
In 2024, Kirtner made 23 appearances and pitched in 37-⅔ innings, where he struck out 37 batters (8.84 K/9) and walked 30 (7.17 BB/9). That’s good for a 4.30 ERA. His best year was in 2023 where he recorded a 4.62 ERA in 25-⅓ inning, but had a K/9 of 12.79 and a BB/9 of 5.33.
Kirtner has a clunky and loud delivery, as seen below, which the Yankees’ player development staff will likely help clean up a bit so that he can help refine his command of the strike zone. With the quality of pitches worsening last season, the Yankees have some work to do, but a K/9 over 12 like what Kirtner had in 2023 is very promising.
Of note, Kirtner was previously drafted by the New York Mets in the 12th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft. Instead, he opted to return to Virginia Tech for his senior year in the hopes of increasing his stock value, but now will have to hope the Yankees match the bonus slot of $150k that he was eligible last year.