Yankees News: Full list of 2026 draft picks, Cam Schlittler All-Star decision, Max Fried

The New York Yankees swept the Washington Nationals behind three late-inning comeback victories to enter the All-Star break with much-needed momentum following a 5-15 stretch. They responded admirably to adversity and finished the first half with the fifth-best record in MLB. Round of applause.

This weekend also featured the 2026 MLB Draft, which we covered extensively on Day 1. The Yanks got a steal with their first-round pick in Arkansas lefty Hunter Dietz and then added College World Series champion Brendan Brock, a catcher who could be a fast riser due to his advanced bat.

As for the rest, the Yankees took 16 college players and four high school players. One of the latter featured Andy Pettitte's son, who is a two-way player. They once again prioritized pitching early on in what could be an effort to bolster the farm system ranks ahead of this year's trade deadline.

Here's the full list of selections, and you can read a full list of scouting reports from MLB.com. Based on the success of the Yankees' last few drafts, there's reason to be optimistic about their work this weekend.

Cam Schlittler will not pitch in 2026 All-Star Game as he prioritizes Yankees

As for business on the MLB roster, Cam Schlittler has opted out of pitching the All-Star Game. He told reporters of his final decision on Sunday, citing some apprehension about his throwing timeline as well as prioritizing the team for the second half (he's in line to start the opener against the Dodgers once play resumes).

To add some more drama to this (and we'll have more here later), Blue Jays manager John Schneider came out and said he would have named Toronto pitcher Dylan Cease the starter of the ASG whether or not Schlittler was going to be available, so it's worth wondering if the Yankees right-hander caught wind of that and decided to tell one of his most hated rivals to kick rocks. That's a fun narrative to consider, but it's probably not the reality.

The day of the All-Star Game was supposed to be a throw day for Schlittler, and he said he was concerned about dialing up his fastball in live action. He also mentioned injures to the rotation and didn't want to throw things off course right out of the break for the ailing staff.

Max Fried is on track to return to Yankees early in second half as injury absence comes to end

Speaking of injuries, as of Monday morning, Max Fried has not pitched for the Yankees in two months ever since he went down with an elbow injury in Baltimore against the Orioles. But he's been making good progress and could be back with the team very soon.

Aaron Boone told reporters on Sunday that Fried could go on a rehab assignment this coming Friday, meaning he may return to the rotation within the next two weeks. He'll need at least 2-3 outings given the long layoff, but this is huge news for a hobbling Yankees roster that badly needs reinforcements.

Fried was one of the best pitchers in the league before he suffered the injury and is still among the top-100 players in WAR despite missing more than half the season up until this point.

Once Fried is back, the Yankees will once again have the best rotation in MLB. And his presence will have a domino effect with helping the bullpen get rest. With how tough New York's schedule gets over the next month or so, Fried is needed, so we'll be keeping close tabs here as he puts the finishing touches on his rehab.

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