Yankees Underrated Prospect Dominating Minor Leagues

George Lombard Jr. has received plenty of hype, and rightfully so, for his performance in the minor leagues this season, but another New York Yankees infield prospect who's currently playing for Double-A Somerset has emerged as one of the most productive farmhands across baseball.

After playing two seasons at Oklahoma State, where he slashed .316/.438/.601 with 29 home runs and 108 RBIs across 113 games, the Yankees selected Roc Riggio in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He signed for $693,000, and would post a .611 OPS over 97 plate appearances between the Florida Complex League and Low-A Tampa in his first year with the organization.

Riggio moved up to High-A Hudson Valley for the entire 2024 campaign, batting .221/.349/.397 with 11 homers, 47 RBIs and 27 stolen bases while primarily playing second base.

FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen ranked the 23-year-old as the Yankees' No. 23 prospect coming into the 2025 season, voicing some concerns about his ability to make consistent contact while propping up both his bat speed and defensive prowess.

"Lefty-hitting infielders with this kind of bat speed are uncommon, and Riggio is no slouch as a defender, either, even though he is likely limited to second base," he wrote. "A lack of plate coverage and barrel control is a byproduct of the effort with which Riggio swings. While he sports hit tool risk, there are some Rougned Odor similarities here, though a Kody Clemens and Cavan Biggio type of role is probably more likely."

Riggio began the year on the injured list and played a pair of rehab games in the Florida Complex League before returning to Hudson Valley on May 6. He proceeded to make light work of the South Atlantic League's pitching, as he hit .264/.436/.597 with six home runs and 15 RBIs over 94 plate appearances before earning a promotion to Somerset on June 3.

Though it's over a small sample size, his dominance in High-A has carried over to Double-A. Riggio has blasted an absurd five home runs over just seven games for the Patriots while slashing .367/.367/.967 in 30 trips to the plate.