New York Yankees Prospect Gets Call Up After Nearly 600 Career Minor League Games

The Yankees acquired Vivas on Dec. 11, 2023, from the Los Angeles Dodgers. He and left-handed pitcher Victor Gonzalez became footnotes to history that day when the Dodgers traded them to the Yankees for shortstop Trey Sweeney.

The two-for-one trade created a spot on the 40-man roster for free agent signee Shohei Ohtani.

Vivas, 24, is ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system by MLB Pipeline.

In 20 games at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season, Vivas has scored 12 times and has two homers and 14 RBIs with a batting line of .343/.432/.493/.925.

He’s played 595 career games in the minors since the Dodgers signed him in 2017 as a 16-year-old prospect from Venezuela. He’s got a career batting average of .273 with 122 doubles, 20 triples. 50 home runs and 323 RBIs.

In a brief call up to the Yankees last season, Vivas did not get into the game. He struggled in 2024 at the Triple-A level, hitting just .225 after being hit in the face by a pitch during spring training, resulting in a broken orbital bone around his left eye.

Here’s what MLB Pipeline has to say about him:

“With a quick, compact left-handed swing and excellent hand-eye coordination, Vivas has a history of making consistent contact against all types of pitches and all over the strike zone. He never looked like his usual self in 2024, chasing and missing pitches much more than usual as his strikeout rate jumped to 17 from 12 percent in his first five pro seasons. He adds to his on-base ability by working counts, drawing walks and getting hit by pitches, and he has enough sneaky pop to provide 10-15 homers per year.”

Grisham is entitled to three days of paternity leave. Vivas will hope to get a chance in his absence as the Yankees begin a three-game set with the Guardians in Cleveland on Monday.