Yankees landing 2 unexpected names on draft debut leaderboard underscores surprising success

The New York Yankees received a lot of praise for their 2026 draft class, though for many of these youngsters, it won't be until 2027 that we see them take the field. However, there are a few who have already seen professional action, and folks have liked what they've seen.

Carlos Collazo of Baseball America ranked the top 10 draft debuts, and there was not one but two Baby Bombers present in his rankings. The most encouraging part of all of this is that neither of these selections was a top draft pick, indicating that maybe this class is deeper than many imagine.

Ranking No. 2 in Collazo's list was 11th-round pick Anthony Potestio out of the University of California San Diego. The pre-draft report on the lefty-swinging shortstop/third baseman was centered on his patience and strike zone recognition, and down in Tampa, he did not disappoint, posting a minuscule 9.2% chase rate. The biggest drag on Potestio's ceiling, however, was a lack of power, with the 22-year-old never topping five homers in a single year during his three collegiate seasons.

One would have thought that moving from metal to wood bats would depress Potestio's pop even more, but the opposite has happened. He only played 19 Single-A games, but in that time, the youngster slashed .333/.513/.684 with more walks (19) than strikeouts (14). Most impressively, he hit five homers over that short time, a development that Collazo called "eye-opening."

Sneaking into the ninth spot on the list is 19th-round pick Tyce Armstrong. The Baylor product brings big-time power to the Yankees' system, but as a first-base-only prospect who is already 23, his ceiling seemed limited, and he needed to get off to a hot start in his pro career in order to be taken seriously.

He did just that, hitting .310/.407/.634 with six homers over 22 games at Tampa. As Collazo notes, the six-foot-four, 230-pound slugger generates some impressive exit velocities, with his highest ones coming at angles that typically do damage. Not only that, but he also showcased some better-than-expected contact and plate discipline. Offense is going to be his ticket to a big league future, and while there's a lot of road ahead of him, he couldn't have gotten off to a better start.

The Yankees' deeper-than-expected 2026 MLB Draft class bodes well for multiple reasons

Much of the reason for optimism surrounding New York's draftees had to do with what happened at the top. Lefty flamethrower Hunter Dietz was named one of the draft's biggest steals, and has drawn comparisions to future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. Third-round pick Brendan Brock has the kind of rare athleticism that could see him become a stalwart catcher or an impact center fielder. Fourth-rounder Paul Contreras has oodles of talent, and was name-dropped by Collazo as something of an honorable mention.

However, seeing these later-round picks hitting the ground running and performing is huge. Sample sizes are small, but the jump in competition is notable, and executing right away can quickly trigger a re-evaluation of skills. While he entered as a higher, buzzier pick, that sort of impressive performance right out of the gate is what really helped Dax Kilby rise in evaluators' eyes last season.

This isn't to say that suddenly Potestio and Armstrong are going to be top 100 prospects. That's still a long shot, and there's a long way to go before they can prove worthy of that type of consideration. But this deep in the draft, you're unlikely to get anything of value, and Potestio and Armstrong are giving us something to dream on.

If Potestio can end up as a quality utility infielder, that will be a win. The same will be true if Armstrong emerges as a lefty-mashing platoon bat. Or, and this is probably the most likely scenario, they produce enough to become mid-ranked prospects who can then have some value as trade chips.

We don't want to put the cart before the horse. There's always the possibility that this could be the highlight of these two youngsters' pro careers. What we do know is that these sizzling debuts have garnered them the right to some more attention moving forward.

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