Yankees Draft: What did New York see in 2022 third- and fourth-round picks?

The New York Yankees have completed their 2022 Major League Baseball draft quest. In a 20-round draft, the Yankees selected 15 pitchers and five position players; it is clear what the demand and priorities were for the front office.

First-round pick Spencer Jones is probably the most exciting name, followed by the hurler in the two-spot, Drew Thorpe. These are the only players with over a million dollars in slot money attached to them, and rightfully so. These two guys are going to be the prominent futures names of the franchise, but what about selections three and four?

What do Yankees’ third- and fourth-round picks bring to the table?

Round 3, Pick 100 – SP Trystan VRIELING, Gonzaga

The sophomore righty from the Bulldogs was called by the pinstripes in the third round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Vrieling is a very skilled pitcher, but would not have been my third pick for the Yankees.

His maturity, along with career walk totals, had me thinking this kid would be more of a 7-8 round guy, if not 11-12. Why did the Yankees want him third of all the other options? Well, aside from the way he was ranked by external sources, Vrieling does show pitch metrics and selections that are quite valuable to any pitching staff.

He’s equipped with four pitch options; fastball, curveball, changeup, and slider. He shoves a four-seam heater between 93-95 mph max, working corners and the upper and lower shelves.

Although the fastball could be better commanded, throwing strikes isn’t much of a problem.  His off-speed stuff is dependable and trusted in counts, with good break and movement on both curveball and slider, as well as a good working changeup. In four seasons between college and summer ball, Vrieling went 9-12 with 259 strikeouts, 104 walks, and 183 hits allowed in 202.2 innings pitched.

Round 4, Pick 130 – RF Anthony HALL, Oregon

The second of five position player draft picks by the Yankees, ranked prospect No. 144 of MLB’s Top 200 Draft Prospects, Hall was another surprise pick by New York early in the draft. Hall was drafted in the 35th round by the Atlanta Braves in 2019, but instead opted to go to the University of Oregon as an outfielder.

The obvious issue that stood out when scouting Hall was his strikeout consistency; in all three levels/seasons combined, Hall struck out 116 times, only walking 57 times with 164 hits in 543 at-bats. The numbers that got evaluators interested were his RBI, batting average, and on-base percentage. His tools include speed, shown on the base paths and in the outfield, with great ability to field his position. His projections as a hitter show hope for the future if he’s able to pile up more reps. Currently, Hall displays raw power that’s heavy on the pull side, as well as well-balanced spray charts. But there’s always that swing-and-miss…

The Yankees third and fourth picks are very unique. With various takes on these prospects abounding, there are some good positives to be taken from each of these selections.

Not our first choice, however.

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