Seven New York Yankees Highly Touted Prospects Invited to Spring Training

Infielders Roderick Arias and George Lombard Jr. hope to continue their upward trajectory in the New York Yankees’ system this season. Outfielder Spencer Jones and pitcher Chase Hampton are looking to bounce back after subpar campaigns.

The quartet are among seven Top 30 Yankees prospects heading to Major League spring training as non-roster invitees, the team announced.

The prospects are all considered Top 30 prospects by Baseball America, with Lombard and Arias the No. 2 and No. 3 prospects, respectively.

Jones is No. 6 and Hampton is No. 7. They are joined by catcher Rafael Flores at No. 10, pitcher Cam Schlittler at No. 14 and pitcher Eric Reyzelman at No. 29.

No. 1 prospect Jasson Dominguez is already on the MLB 40-man roster.

Lombard was the Yankees’ first-round pick in 2023 out of Gulliver Prep in Miami. Last season with Class-A Tampa and High-A Hudson Valley he slashed just .231/.338/.334/.672 with five home runs and 45 RBI in his first full minor league season. But, he’s one of the fastest players in the system, as he stole 39 bases last year.

Arias is a 20-year-old prospect out of the Dominican Republic who is entering his fourth minor league season. Last year was his first with a full-season affiliate, and he hit 13 home runs and drove in 74 runs for Tampa. He also slashed .233/.335/.393/.728.

Lombard and Arias have time to develop. The Yankees had hoped Jones and Hampton would be more ready for the major leagues by now.

Jones was New York’s first-round pick in 2022 and became somewhat stuck at Double-A Somerset last season. Even with a slash line of .259/.336/.452/.788, with 17 home runs and 78 RBI, he struck out a concerning 200 times in 482 at-bats.

Hampton, a right-hander, was the Yankees’ sixth-round pick in 2022. A highly regarded college pitcher, he saw nearly his entire 2024 season wiped out due to a flexor tendon injury and a lower body injury. He made just two starts at Somerset.

In 2023 he went 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA with two affiliates, as he struck out 145 hitters in 106 innings.

Flores had a terrific year with Hudson Valley and Somerset last season, slashing a combined .279/.379/.495/.875 with 21 home runs and 68 RBI.

Schlittler, a seventh-round pick in 2022, pitched with three affiliates and reached Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season. He went a combined 8-8 with a 4.33 ERA, with 154 strikeouts in 120 innings.

Reyzelman has emerged as a potential closer. Last year he reached Somerset and recorded five saves and a 1.16 ERA in 31 appearances.

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