The 2025 All-Homegrown Yankee

 

It is fun to imagine what would happen if the Yankees traded every player who was originally from another team and stuck only with homegrown talent. This is a fun exercise, and in no way is the author suggesting that the Yankees should do this. It’s just for kicks.

 

The criteria for this list are as follows:

 

1. The player must have spent at least one full season in the Yankees minor leagues.

2. The player must currently be in the Yankees system, including both the major and minor leagues.

3. Every player currently on the roster who does not meet the above criteria will be traded or released sometime over the next three seasons in this hypothetical scenario.

 

C – Austin Wells – If the catching skills are merely average, the Yankees are going to want his bat in the lineup. Slotting in a lefty starting catcher would provide great balance to the lineup, especially with Wells being a power threat.

 

Predicted line: .267/.345/.500/.845 with 24 HR, 32 doubles, 75 RBI

 

Backup C – Antonio Gomez – A top notch defensive catcher with size, Gomez could be a high quality backup catcher. He has the bat, however, to potentially be much more than that. If he is good enough, he may even push Wells off catcher to first base. He has a good bat, makes contact, and improving pop. Now that his vision is corrected his bat should be much more consistent going forward.

 

Predicted line: .250/.350/.400/.750 with 8 HR, 15 doubles, 20 RBI

 

1B – T.J. Rumfield – Rumfield is a big first baseman with great contact skills for his size. With a few adjustments, he could tap into that size for some serious power. The Yankees are hoping they can do just that with him. If they can, Rumfield would be a great candidate to replace Rizzo in 2025. Rumfield sprays the ball all over the field and is a solid defender. There are other options within the organization, and the best “homegrown” option may be to sign Murikami out of Japan. I could also see Tyler Hardman, Andres Chaparro, Austin Wells, Trey Sweeney, or even Elijah Dunham as internal candidates to fill the spot.

 

Predicted line: .305/.410/.420/.830 with 20 HR, 40 doubles, 90 RBI

 

2B – Anthony Volpe – There are many who feel Volpe will end up being the future star shortstop of the system. While that very well may be the case, Oswald Peraza is the better defensive shortstop. Peraza has some nice offensive tools of his own too. If forced to decide between both full packages, Volpe would be the choice. In this scenario, however, we don’t have to choose. Volpe, who is a solid defender in the middle infield and the highest rated shortstop in the minors, will be the future of second base in the Bronx unless Peraza’s bat proves to be worse than expected. Volpe’s bat is even better than his fielding, and he stole 50 bases in the minors last season.

 

Predicted line: .285/.380/.520/.900 with 25 HR, 35 doubles, 85 RBI, 30 SB

 

SS – Oswald Peraza – The aforementioned Peraza has already had some success in the majors. Hopefully that taste has only motivated him more to work hard and be the best player possible. Defensively, Peraza is the best there is at shortstop. Offensively he is slightly more raw, but has come a long way. He has above average pop for a shortstop, and hits the ball hard consistently without striking out too much. He’s the full package and could be a Yankee for a long time.

 

Predicted line: .290/.370/.430/.800 with 17 HR, 45 doubles, 75 RBI, 35 SB

 

3B – Trey Sweeney – In terms of lineup balance, it makes the most sense to have a lefty at third base in the future. Sweeney fits the bill both offensively and defensively. He should be able to stick at third base, as by all accounts he is a serviceable shortstop. He can hit for power, and with a few adjustments should be able to hit for average as well. The future is bright for the Yankees from a homegrown player perspective, and Sweeney is a part of that equation.

 

Predicted line: .265/.370/.450/.820 with 25 HR, 35 doubles, 80 RBI, 10 SB

 

LF – Spencer Jones – It would take a rapid ascension through the minors to get there, but Spencer Jones is capable of just that. His combination of size, speed, power, and athleticism could have him in the Bronx quickly in either LF or CF. Jones has 5-tools and is a potential star. He could anchor this team for a long time to come. Everson Pereira could also easily occupy this spot.

 

Predicted line: .290/.400/.500/.900 with 35 HR, 35 doubles, 95 RBI, 15 SB

 

CF – Jasson Dominguez – The highly touted international phenom from the Dominican Republic could become a star in short order for the Yankees. He’s just 5’10, but he’s a switch hitter with power and hitability from both sides. He can defend CF admirably and has excellent speed. Dominguez could be a star for a long time to come for the Yankees.

 

Predicted Line: .275/.390/.490/.880 with 25 HR, 40 doubles, 10 triples, 90 RBI, 30 SB

 

RF – Aaron Judge – There’s no escaping the Judge’s ruling. His contract has him in the Bronx for a long time, and he should still be in his prime years in 2025. Judge has the ability to hit 50 homeruns a year and be a star for this team. He also plays a plus defensive right field with a tremendous arm. The captain is here!

 

Predicted line: .290/.410/.590/1.000 with 45 HR, 40 doubles, 115 RBI, 15 SB

 

DH – Oswaldo Cabera – The Yankees will want to keep Cabrera’s bat in the lineup even if he is serving as a super utility, which he will. When he’s not filling in defensively, Cabrera will likely DH and get some more at bats. He can play LF, RF, 3B, SS, 2B, and 1B. Cabrera is versatile, athletic, speedy, and has a great bat.

 

Predicted line: .280/.370/.490/.860 with 24 HR, 40 doubles, 80 RBI, 30 SB

 

Bench: Tyler Hardman, Andres Chaparro, Elijah Dunham, Everson Pereira, Brett Barrera

 

Lineup:

 

1. Jasson Dominguez

2. Anthony Volpe

3. Spencer Jones

4. Aaron Judge

5. Oswaldo Cabrera

6. Austin Wells

7. Oswald Peraza

8. Trey Sweeney

9. T.J. Rumfield

 

Starting rotation:

 

1. Luis Severino – We know Luis and we know him well. He is capable of being the ace of the staff and he’s reliable, though has always struggled with health. With him as the ace, the Yankees will always need a backup plan, but they should have plenty of options.

 

Predicted line: 3.24 ERA, 15-6, 170 innings, 190 K

 

2. Nestor Cortes – Crowd favorite Nasty Nestor will be around for a long time due to his craftiness and ability to get guys out. He has embraced the gas station and the results have been spectacular. There’s no reason to think his success won’t continue.

 

Predicted line: 3.3 ERA, 17-5, 200 innings, 220 K

 

3. Clarke Schmidt – The Yankees have been flirting with giving him a rotation spot for a few years, but eventually he will get his shot. When he does, Schmidt should be successful enough to hold down the number three spot in the rotation.

 

Predicted line: 3.6 ERA, 15-10, 200 innings, 210 K

 

4. Will Warren – Warren has all of the ingredients of a good starter, including excellent control and a four-pitch mix. He has a fastball that touches 98 regularly and may not be done improving. Warren should be able to hold down the fourth spot in the rotation and be very successful.

 

Predicted line: 3.8 ERA, 15-10, 200 innings, 190 K

 

5. Drew Thorpe – The Yankees got Thorpe, a polished pitcher with a long NCAA track record, in the second round of the 2022 draft. He’s should be a fast riser and be ready by 2025. The Yankees feel he should be able to increase his velocity. If so, they could have a special pitcher on their hands.

 

Predicted line: 3.8 ERA, 15-10, 200 innings, 200 K

Bullpen:

1. Jonathan Loaisiga

2. Mike King

3. Ron Marinaccio

4. Clayton Beeter

5. Greg Weissert

6. Clayton Beeter

7. Luis Gil

8. Matt Krook

Reserve bullpen: Carson Coleman, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Brendan Beck, Brock Selvidge, Yoendrys Gomez

The bullpen should be talented in the Bronx for a long time to come. They have a ton of high end talent back there, with multiple players in the system touching 100 mph regularly. The Yankees bullpen is poised to be stacked in perpetuity.

Coupled with the fact that the Yankees will inevitably have some high end signings between now and 2025, the future looks bright. Add in some hopefully smart trade decisions, and were talking about a team that should be in competition for the World Series.

This has been a fun activity, and hopefully it generates some discussion in the comments. I’d love to hear some other opinions on who in this system will be a part of the team in 2025!