The New York Yankees' upcoming playoff team will feature a significant number of young players developed through the organization's draft picks. The team is expected to start at least 10 homegrown players in their first playoff game, including several high-round draft picks from recent years such as the 2022 and 2023 first-rounders. One player who may not play has been replaced by another, with the 2019 first-round pick potentially taking second base. This emphasis on homegrown talent is seen as a positive development for the team despite some previous misses in drafting high-profile prospects.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-11,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The New York Yankees are looking promising with their young, homegrown core of players. Their 2022 seventh-round draft pick may start on the mound in the playoffs, while their 2020 first-round pick will catch him. The team's 2023 first-round pick is expected to play shortstop and 2022's first-round pick could be in center field. Another young player from the 2021 draft will likely bat cleanup as the designated hitter. Only one of these players, Aaron Judge, is older than 27 years old, and he still has five more years under contract after this season. This youth movement is a positive sign for the team's future. Despite having some big misses in past drafts, the Yankees have had some successes that are now contributing to their success on the field.
Written for “Yankees Young Core Develops” on 2026-09-12,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
This article does not take a side on a contested political
question, so it has no leaning score. That is an
answer rather than a gap: a match report or a rescue can be warmly
or critically written without being left or right, and scoring it
anyway is how approval of a subject gets recorded as a political
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No political leaning scored for article 8025 · logged 2026-09-11
For as much as the Yankees spend in free agency and trades, when they take the field for their first playoff game this year, there will be a heavy dose of homegrown.
asserted
they → spend → homegrown
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asserted
he → access → Yankees
Sign Up NowTheir seventh-round draft pick in 2022 may be on the mound.
uncertain
pick → sign → mound
Their first-round pick from 2020 will be catching him.
asserted
pick → catch → 2020
Up the middle they will have their first-round pick from 2023 at shortstop and likely their first-round pick from 2022 in center field.
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they → have → field
Their 12th-round pick from 2021 will be batting no lower than cleanup as the DH, and their first-round pick from 2013 will hit second or third while patrolling right field.
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pick → bat → field
Perhaps most encouraging for the future, only one of those players is older than 27 years old, and Aaron Judge still has five more years under contract after this season.
asserted
Judge → have → season
Of course, there is little time to care about anything beyond October once the postseason rolls around.
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postseason → be → October
But it is a reminder that the Yankees, for all the misses they have had on big prospects over the years (including some still on their roster that are trending in that direction), also have had some important wins in drafting and development to help them get where they are this season, even without Judge for three months.
asserted
they → have → months
