Photo by Sandy Molinares for JSN

2024 Spring Breakout Prospects: A look ahead into Yankees' future

Tampa, FL—The New York Yankees showcased star-studded Prospects at the Spring Breakout game on March 16. Yankees' Roster included top pitchers Chase Hampton, Will Warren, and Henry Lalane, the most talented pitching prospects currently in the Minors. On Monday, the Yankees announced the prospects named to MLB Pipeline's All-Spring Breakout first team: OF Spencer Jones, 1B T.J. Rumfield, and LHP Brock Selvidge. Here is a look at players that stood out in the spring breakout after an impressive game. They have also been talked about at length after each put together an impressive 2023 season.

OF Spencer Jones was held out of trade talks for Milwaukee Brewers Ace Corbin Burns and Chicago WhiteSox Ace Dylan Cease.  It looks like the Yankees have made the correct decision holding onto Jones. He does everything well and even managed to cut down on his swing-and-misses and strikeouts this spring. If Jones can take this into the season with the Somerset Patriots, he will move up to Triple-A quickly and could follow a similar path that Jasson Dominguez did to MLB last year. Spencer Jones is the Yankees'  top prospect in the Spring Breakout game. He hit the longest Yankees home run at 470 Ft. Jones can do it all and will start with the Patriots this season.

Jones’s speed is impressive; he ran 29.8 feet per second and beat a ball to first base. Spencer is the Yankees 2nd ranked prospect and ranks 84th in MLB Pipeline’s top 100. The future is bright for Jones and he will continue to skyrocket up the ranks. 

Jones 2023 stats (AA/AAA) 16 HR | 66 RBI | 43 SB | .780 OPS | 480 AB

1B T.J. Rumfield has flown under the radar and finally got well-deserved recognition after the Spring Breakout performance. Rumfield plays solid defense and can make any play at first base. Rumfield is also a tough at-bat and has had several walk-offs for the Patriots. His lefty bat will provide upside if he ever gets the call-up with the Yankees. He’s not on the Yankees top 30 prospect list yet, but he definitely should be.

Rumfield was rolling before he got hurt last year on a play that cost him over a month on the injured list. If Rumfield is healthy this season, he should be knocking on the door to Triple-A. In the prospect world, TJ Rumfield hit 17 home runs in 86 games, including a stretch of HRs in 5 straight games. TJ also played incredible defense with only 2 errors and won the Gold Glove.

Rumfield 2023 stats (AA) 17 HR | 58 RBI | 8 SB | .757 OPS | 311 AB

LHP Brock Selvidge is the Yankees second-ranked lefty pitching prospect and was the Yankees 3rd round pick in 2021. Selvidge has the makeup of a big-league starter. He shined in his brief time with Hudson Valley last season with 50 innings, 46 strikeouts, and an ERA of 3.50 in nine starts. A major highlight is that Selvidge got the win that sent Hudson Valley to the Championship. He pitched 6.2 innings, with seven strikeouts and two runs allowed against the Philadelphia Phillies High-A affiliate, the Jersey Shore Blue Claws.

In the Spring Breakout game, Brock topped out at 97. His cutter became a big pitch for him in 2023, and his slider was his third pitch. Selvidge could move up to Somerset quickly.

Selvidge 2023 stats (A/A+) 127.2 IP | 137 SO | 3.45 ERA | 1.18 WHIP | 23 Starts

RISING PLAYER TO WATCH:

LHP Henry Lalane has given the Yankees so much to be excited about. The young lefty Dominican pitcher was impressive despite just throwing 21 innings in the FCL last year. Lalane arguably has the most upside out of any Yankees pitching prospect and has risen to their 8th-ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline. The Yankees will have to keep a watch on his innings, but it’s possible he can start the year with the Tampa Tarpons. If all goes well he could end the year with Hudson Valley and be in MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects.

Lalane topped out around 95 in the Spring Breakout game and struck out 3 batters in.2 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays.

Lalane 2023 FCL stats: 21.2 IP | 34 SO | 4.57 ERA | 0.97 WHIP

ICYMI: Here are the highlights of Yankee Prospects during the Spring Breakout game:

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