The Yankees Need a Youth Movement To Support Veteran Roster
New York has a number of young players and former top prospects who could take a step forward in 2025 and lift the team to a higher level.

The New York Yankees finally made it back to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Yes, finally.
Fair or not, we know the Yankees are held to a different standard than most baseball teams. Traditionally seen as the gold standard, the Yankees are now in the shadow of the team they watched hoist the trophy, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After winning the World Series, the Dodgers have put together the best offseason I have personally ever seen. L.A. seems to be following the exact formula that led opposing fans to tag New York as the Evil Empire years ago.
However, the Yankees have not been sitting on their hands. If not for the Dodgers video game offseason, we’d surely be talking more about the Yankees’ moves.
Although Juan Soto went across town, the Yankees’ response was not quiet. Trading for Devin Williams and Cody Bellinger while adding Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt via free agency is far from nothing.
I like the Yankees’ moves, but unless more are made, added production will need to come from within for this team to continue on their trajectory. New York has a number of young players and former top prospects who could take a step forward, lifting this team to a higher level.
Austin Wells – C
2024 Stats: .229/.322/.395, 13 HR, 105 wRC+
I think the Yankees have found their catcher of the future. Austin Wells has already shown to be a plus defender behind the plate and still has room to grow in that regard. He graded out in the 96th percentile in framing, and with Jose Trevino gone, a larger role is there for the taking.
Offensively, Wells put together a promising first full season, and he has more power to tap into. While his exit velocities don’t jump off the charts, his swing path allows for lifting the ball, and the Yankees’ short right field will become his best friend. I expect him to lean into his pull-side power more this season, which should help his home run totals climb.
Another offseason of development as he enters year two as a full-time player has many bullish on the 25-year-old catcher.
Although he only struck out 21% of the time last year, his swing-and-miss numbers suggest that rate could climb. Luckily, Wells does not chase out of the zone and draws his walks. As he continues to get comfortable, taking advantage of pitchers working back into counts and knowing when to pick his spots could help him take a leap in the power department.
Anthony Volpe – SS
2024 Stats: .243/.293/.364, 12 HR, 28 SB, 86 wRC+
The expectations for a top shortstop prospect with the Yankees were always going to be out of control. Sure, Anthony Volpe‘s bat has not produced as some had hoped, but he still put up a 3.4 fWAR season in 2024. He’s been an elite defender with plus speed, giving the Yankees a floor they should be comfortable with.
We did see his power numbers dip from a .174 ISO in his rookie year to .121 ISO in year two. Although he struck out less, the batted ball data dipped as well. The biggest issue last season was not making quality contact.
Not only was he not hitting the ball hard, but Volpe hit too many balls into the ground. A 50.2% ground ball rate dampened his power, and he will need to adjust in order for him to reach his ceiling. Luckily, that is an adjustment we do see plenty of players make.
Volpe is entering his age 24 season, still a young and developing hitter. Ironing out his issues against breaking balls and off-speed pitches is next on his checklist. If he can improve against those pitches, and take advantage of fastball situations, a 20/20 season is well within his capabilities.
The pressure of being the Yankees shortstop will always be there. However, after the additions made this offseason, New York can take some of that pressure off his bat. Worst case scenario they get an elite shortstop who can steal bases and fill out the bottom third of the order. Best case, Volpe is a true table-setter atop a World Series contender.
Jasson Domínguez – OF
2024 Stats: (MiLB) .314/.376/.504, 11 HR, 16 SB, 135 wRC+
The amount of prospect hype and extraterrestrial nicknames have not done Jasson Domínguez any favors. Patience is not a virtue for many baseball fans, especially ones who cheer for the Yankees. We need to remember Domínguez is entering his age-22 season and has growing pains ahead of him.
With barely over 50 games in Triple-A, I am not sure what to expect from Domínguez. Steamer has a .249/.326/.418, 18 HR, 18 SB, 2.1 fWAR projection for him, and I would sign up for that right now. Not because I think he’ll be worse, but because that level of production from a rookie is exactly what this team needs.

If the Yankees give as much playing time to Domínguez as I think they will, his projection is perfect. What they cannot afford is for him to struggle and run a high strikeout rate back to the minor leagues. By no means does he need to reach his ceiling in 2025, but he must show he is a better option than Trent Grisham and other bench pieces.
His outcomes are truly all over the place. You could tell me he’d have a 25/25 season or that he’d spend the majority of the year in the minors, and I could believe you. That’s too many unknowns from such a young player to feel comfortable predicting any one scenario.
Oswaldo Cabrera – UTL
2024 Stats: .247/.296/.365, 8 HR, 88 wRC+
Every team needs a utility guy. Oswaldo Cabrera, a switch-hitter who played six different positions last season, is much more valuable than he gets credit for. In 2024, Cabrera graded out as an average or above-average defender at every position he played.
Offensively, he made major strides across the board from his rough 2023 campaign. While power will likely never be a major part of his game, he can still make an impact at the plate. Cabrera’s 89% zone contact rate was 7% higher than league average, and an 18.8% whiff rate ranked him in the top third of major league hitters.
Having a player who puts the ball in play, plays solid defense, and can fill in all over provides the Yankees with a valuable glue guy. There’s a chance Cabrera can be exactly what post-covid DJ LeMahieu has been for the Yankees with a bit more versatility. I have a feeling Cabrera is going to be needed and will surprise some fans.
Oswald Peraza – INF
2024 Stats: (MILB) .243/.343/.407, 16 HR, 25 SB, 99 wRC+
Oswald Peraza was ranked as the third best Yankees prospect in 2023. Two years later he enters spring training with no options left. Last season started off with a shoulder injury which put him behind the eight-ball out of the gate.
He spent the majority of the season in Triple-A where his power, understandably, took a dip. Peraza has never put up high exit velocities, but his 2024 average was more than a mile per hour lower, and the stats showed his injury affected his play.
Now presumably healthy, can Peraza provide something to this Yankees team above being a soft-hitting backup infielder?
If so, New York has a much better plan B for injuries, which would allow for Cabrera to move around more. Third base is far from set in stone. LeMahieu is near the end of his career and coming off injury, making this competition one to watch in spring training.
Ben Rice – 1B/C
2024 Stats: .171/.264/.349, 7 HR, 73 wRC+ (50 G)
What a wild ride Ben Rice put us on in 2024. From “the Rizzo replacement” to unplayable all in the blink of an eye. He debuted in June with a .708 OPS and promise, hit all seven of his home runs in July (three in one game), then recorded just two hits in August and into September.
I do not think he will be a primary catcher, but if he can get by as a backup, that would be huge for his outlook. Throughout the minors, Rice did nothing but put up insane numbers, which is what lands him on this list. I won’t write him off after one stint in the majors, but the Yankees signing Paul Goldschmidt does give us some indication of what the organization thinks for 2025.
Rice could find a way to be a power bench bat used in certain situations, or he could be in the minors. It would take an injury for him to become a starter, but the power is intriguing. Intriguing enough that I included him on this list simply to protect myself from the non-zero chance he hits 20 home runs this season.
Final Thoughts

You might have noticed I left pitchers off this list. That’s not an indictment of the young arm talent in the organization, but a sign of confidence in the current rotation. The Yankees’ biggest holes, in my eyes, lie in the lineup, and with so many young position player options, that is where the Yankees can make the biggest leap.
While not all of these players will hit, they do not need them to. If a couple can find their stride and get closer to the players they were projected to be as prospects, the lineup is stronger and much deeper.
The Yankees did not get their Evil Empire nickname by relying this heavily on young players, but I can see why they believe in these options for 2025.