{"id":229737,"date":"2026-05-13T10:11:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:11:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/229737\/"},"modified":"2026-05-13T10:11:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:11:22","slug":"as-young-stars-reach-the-bronx-yankees-prove-money-isnt-everything","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/229737\/","title":{"rendered":"As young stars reach the Bronx, Yankees prove money isn’t everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

BALTIMORE \u2013 If they have a need and want to fill it, the New York Yankees<\/a> can almost always scratch a check. That may never change.<\/p>\n

Yet in this modern era where the Yankees are outflanked in the spending department<\/a> by a handful of ballclubs and owner Hal Steinbrenner is both far less capricious and much more patient than his father, there\u2019s an almost equal likelihood the Yankees will patch that hole internally: Through scouting and development and guiding to Yankee Stadium players who are ready to meet the moment.<\/p>\n

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Six of the Yankees\u2019 current 14 regular position players and starting pitchers are products of the system, an output that places them tied for 11th among 30 Major League Baseball teams, according to USA TODAY Sports research.<\/p>\n

More notably, three of them \u2013 franchise player Aaron Judge, young slugger Ben Rice and emerging ace Cam Schlittler \u2013 are well on track to rep the club at this summer\u2019s All-Star Game in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n

\"Cam<\/p>\n

Cam Schlittler turned heads with his 2025 postseason performance.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re the product of organizational consistency, along with coherent messaging that ensures they\u2019re ready as they can be for the Bronx.<\/p>\n

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Even if you\u2019re a former seventh-round pick who was once too skinny and did not throw nearly hard enough to hear his name called the first day of the draft.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Yankees are really good at what they do. They\u2019re a superstar organization, they develop players well and they\u2019re a winning organization,\u201d Schlittler, the American League\u2019s leader with a 1.35 ERA, tells USA TODAY Sports. \u201cThey give you the pieces for your success. You gotta be able to do it on your own, as well: \u2018Here\u2019s what we can do for you. It\u2019s up to you if you want to put in the work.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not going to baby you. This is professional baseball. I took advantage of the resources I had, the coaches and teammates I had along the way and that\u2019s why I\u2019m in the position I\u2019m in.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Schlittler arrived from Northeastern University with several red flags: He had trouble putting on weight and adding velocity. His mechanics were a mess. And his pitch mix needed an entire makeover, all the way through the Yankees system.<\/p>\n

Thanks to the infrastructure the Yankees had in place, there was an answer for it all.<\/p>\n

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The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Athletics Lawrence Butler is tagged out by Chicago White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas as he tires to extend his double into a triple during the eighth inning at Sutter Health Park on April 18, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Cleveland Guardians mascot Slider interacts with fans during game against the Baltimore Orioles at Progressive Field on April 17, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Washington Nationals right fielder Daylen Lile attempts to catch a ball hit for a single by the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum during the first inning at PNC Park on April 16, 2026. The Nationals won the game, 8-7.<\/p>\n

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Milwaukee Brewers catcher Gary Sanchez wears a special chest protector to commemorate Jackie Robinson Day<\/a> during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at American Family Field on April 15, 2026.<\/p>\n

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April 13: The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Spencer Horwitz celebrates a home run in the dugout while wearing a welder’s hood during the 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.<\/p>\n

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April 12: Philadelphia Phillies mascot, The Phanatic, entertains fans with local team mascots for a birthday celebration before the game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Citizens Bank Park.<\/p>\n

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April 11: The Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda (left) celebrates with Ryan Vilade after hitting a walk-off single against the New York Yankees in the 10th inning of a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.<\/p>\n

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The Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez acknowledges the fans after becoming the team’s all-time leader in games played against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

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A rainbow appears during the fourth inning during the game between the San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 6, 2026.<\/p>\n

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A fan dresses as the Pope claps during the first inning of the game between the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays at Rate Field on April 5, 2026. The White Sox won the game, 3-0, to complete a three-game sweep of the Blue Jays.<\/p>\n

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The Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin celebrates with a traffic cone after making his major-league debut<\/a> in a 5-4 defeat of the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 3, 2026.<\/p>\n

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A young Red Sox fan meets Tessie the Boston Red Sox mascot before the Red Sox’s home opener against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park on April 3, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (6) and center fielder Jakob Marsee celebrate a victory against the Chicago White Sox at loanDepot Park on April 1, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Fans try to catch a solo home run hit by the San Francisco Giants’ Matt Chapman as San Diego Padres left fielder Nick Castellanos looks on during the third inning at Petco Park on March 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Philadelphia Phillies mascot The Phillie Phanatic entertains fans during the game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on March 31, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Toronto Blue Jays’ Kazuma Okamoto gets doused with ice water by teammates after a win over the Athletics at Rogers Centre on March 29, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The Cincinnati Reds’ Eugenio Su\u00e1rez blows a bubble as he waits to bat against the Boston Red Sox at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

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The St. Louis Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt is doused with water by teammates after hitting a walk-off two-run single against the Tampa Bay Rays during the 10th inning at Busch Stadium on March 28, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Fans react as the Milwaukee Brewers’ Jake Bauers homers against the Chicago White Sox at American Family Field on March 26, 2026.<\/p>\n

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Two F-35C planes from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron NINE Detachment Edwards Air Force Base perform a flyover before the Opening Day<\/a> game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on March 26, 2026.<\/p>\n

Cohesion and consistency<\/p>\n

In an industry as volatile as baseball, continuity is elusive. Less than one-fourth through this season, three managers have already been fired. Support staff like pitching and hitting coaches are viewed as fungible should a rough patch come up during the season.<\/p>\n

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And from October through January, the annual ritual of expunging and recycling scouts, coaches, and other non-executive personnel is the sport\u2019s grimmest ritual.<\/p>\n

Under George Steinbrenner, Yankee managerial instability was legend. In this era, though, the executives responsible for funneling players to the majors are as entrenched as the plaques in Monument Park.<\/p>\n

Damon Oppenheimer, the club\u2019s vice president of amateur scouting, has been with the club 34 years, and run their amateur draft since 2005. Kevin Reese, the VP of player development, is in his 19th season as a scout or front office member and ninth year heading up player development.<\/p>\n

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While the phalanx of scouts, coaches and quants beneath them may rotate, continuity at the top shows up when the next rookie is ready for pinstripes.<\/p>\n

At 27-16, the Yankees are once again on track for more than 90 wins and a 10th playoff berth in 12 seasons.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been really good, especially lately,\u201d Yankees manager Aaron Boone tells USA TODAY Sports. \u201cWe\u2019ve done a really good job the last four and five years developmentally, getting better and better on the pitching and position player side of things.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re very much cohesive. I think it\u2019s huge. It\u2019s very important. And I feel like they\u2019ve just continued to build on that cohesion.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, as Boone points out, the Yankees are hardly drafting the pick of the litter. They haven\u2019t had a losing season since 1992, have made the playoffs nine of the past 11 seasons and often lose their first-round pick as free agent compensation for the stars they do import.<\/p>\n

So their first draft pick often comes after the first two or three dozen players have already been selected. No matter: Their top draft pick has made the majors ever year from 2015-2022, with 2023\u2019s No. 1, shortstop George Lombard Jr., expected to become a big league regular.<\/p>\n

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And since 2019, the Yankees have drafted and developed 17 major leaguers who have produced 36.7 WAR. That\u2019s nearly double the 19.5 WAR Los Angeles Dodgers draftees \u2013 like the Yankees, perennial winners drafting late \u2013 produced from their 17 big leaguers.<\/p>\n

The most recent Yankee to bubble up, 6-foot-7 slugger and speed demon Spencer Jones, was picked 25th overall out of Vanderbilt in 2022. He blasted through the minors, with an .848 career OPS and a 35-homer season in 2025.<\/p>\n

With his strikeout rate slowly falling into place, Jones got the call for his major league debut May 8, knowing the process will continue.<\/p>\n

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\u201cOur player development group does such an incredible job of not only helping us in the minor leagues but also the guys in the major leagues, being open and communicating the things we need to get better at, what we need to work on,\u201d says Jones. \u201cAnd we\u2019re all trying to help each other get better. There\u2019s no interference or static.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverybody\u2019s pulling on the same rope as far as development and the belief it doesn\u2019t stop when you get here.\u201d<\/p>\n

It doesn\u2019t hurt to have a familiar face waiting when you\u2019re ready to debut.<\/p>\n

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From Dartmouth to dominance<\/p>\n

Like Schlittler, Rice was a lightly-regarded collegiate prospect from the Northeast, picked in the 12th round of the 2021 draft. A year later, Jones was drafted and the two made the minor league climb together, at least until Rice got the call to the Bronx in June 2024.<\/p>\n

Since then, he\u2019s evolved from intriguing lefty bat who can both catch and play first base to essential Yankee.<\/p>\n

Rice leads the major leagues in slugging (.696) and OPS (1.113) and is tied for fifth with 13 home runs. These are not numbers expected from a Dartmouth draftee.<\/p>\n

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Yet regardless of pedigree, the simple message from player development resonated just as easily to Rice.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were very clear from day one how we were evaluated from an offensive standpoint and what would move you up from level to level: Control the strike zone. Hit the ball in the air. And that\u2019s about it,\u201d says Rice.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, that communication was key. I knew what I needed to do to move up the system.\u201d<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t hurt that multiple coaches in the Yankees system climbed the ranks as Rice did and are now on the major league staff, such as assistant hitting coaches Jake Hirst and Casey Dykes.<\/p>\n

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The lessons do not stop once the pinstripes are donned. Even Judge has significantly benefited from the enhanced infrastructure of the past seven years, upping his game even as he approaches his mid-30s.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey would, of course, love for you to be a finished product, but they don\u2019t require that. They know there\u2019s going to be adjustments at the big league level,\u201d says Rice. \u201cBut their goal, what they\u2019ve always told us, is they try to set you up for a transition that is a little smoother than most. Set you up for success.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re not going to send you up to the next level if they don\u2019t think you\u2019re ready to handle the adjustments they think you\u2019re going to need to make.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Will Warren found that out this season. The second-year right-hander was an eighth-round draft pick in 2021, and enjoyed a decent rookie season a year ago.<\/p>\n

Yet over the winter, the Yankees pitching staff discovered if he moved just a few inches on the pitching rubber, toward the third base side, his pitches would gain greater effectiveness, particularly his sweeper against right-handed batters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat move helped me tunnel stuff a little deeper,\u201d says Warren after improving to 5-1 by hodling Baltimore to four hits over 5 2\/3 innings May 12. \u201cI can throw sinkers in and sweepers away and there might be 30 inches of difference, but the tunnel is the same to the hitter.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTherefore, we get later swings. They have to guess a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Through eight starts, Warren has nearly doubled his strikeout-walk ratio, from 2.63 to 4.92, and his adjusted ERA has improved from a below-average 93 to 123.<\/p>\n

All thanks to a few inches in his set-up.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour strengths aren\u2019t really ever going to change,\u201d says Warren. \u201cIt\u2019s just honing in on the little things \u2013 we found something that was going to make a difference even if we were going to be throwing the exact same pitches.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThat\u2019s what it takes to be at that next level here in the big leagues. Everyone\u2019s the best. What\u2019s going to separate me from whoever?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Yankees started making big moves on the pitching side in 2019, when they hired Sam Briend away from the Texas Rangers and Driveline Baseball, where he was director of pitching for the innovative Seattle-based lab.<\/p>\n

Before leaving the Rangers, Briend took note of a Rangers pitcher retiring that year \u2013 and took Preston Claiborne with him to the Yankees.<\/p>\n

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Now, Claiborne is the Yankees\u2019 assistant pitching coach. But in 2023, he had a different project: Turn a skinny, erratic, soft-throwing draftee into a major leaguer.<\/p>\n

And Claiborne got to work on Cam Schlittler.<\/p>\n

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(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)<\/p>\n

1. Juan Soto, Mets – $61,875,000<\/p>\n

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(Salaries in present-day value calculated by MLB Labor Relations Department, impacted by deferrals and signing bonuses)<\/p>\n

1. Juan Soto, Mets – $61,875,000<\/p>\n

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2. Cody Bellinger, Yankees – $42,500,000<\/p>\n

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3. Bo Bichette, Mets – $42 million<\/p>\n

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3. Zack Wheeler, Phillies \u2013 $42 million <\/p>\n

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5. Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays – $40,214,286<\/p>\n

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6. Aaron Judge, Yankees \u2013 $40 million<\/p>\n

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7. Anthony Rendon, Angels – $38,571,429<\/p>\n

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8. Jacob deGrom, Rangers – $38 million<\/p>\n

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9. Mike Trout, Angels \u2013 $37,116,667<\/p>\n

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10. Gerrit Cole, Yankees \u2013 $36,000,000<\/p>\n

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11. Jose Altuve, Astros \u2013 $33 million<\/p>\n

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11. Kyle Tucker, Dodgers – $33 million<\/p>\n

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13. Tyler Glasnow, Dodgers – $32,500,000<\/p>\n

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14. Francisco Lindor, Mets – $32,477,277<\/p>\n

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15. Tarik Skubal, Tigers \u2013 $32 million<\/p>\n

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16. Carlos Correa, Astros \u2013 $31,500,000<\/p>\n

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16. Corey Seager, Rangers – $31,500,000<\/p>\n

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18. Sonny Gray, Red Sox \u2013 $31 million<\/p>\n

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19. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks \u2013 $30,790,069<\/p>\n

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20. Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees – $29 million<\/p>\n

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21. Nathan Eovaldi, Rangers \u2013 $28,536,643<\/p>\n

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22. Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers \u2013 $28,206,684<\/p>\n

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23. Dansby Swanson, Cubs \u2013 $28 million<\/p>\n

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24. Carlos Rodon, Yankees \u2013 $27,833,333<\/p>\n

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25. Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (*retired) \u2013 $27,814,045<\/p>\n

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26. Bryce Harper, Phillies – $27,538,462<\/p>\n

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27. Trea Turner, Phillies \u2013 $27,272,727<\/p>\n

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28. Blake Snell, Dodgers – $27,152,056<\/p>\n

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29. Kris Bryant, Rockies – $27 million<\/p>\n

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30. Yordan Alvarez, Astros – $26,833,333<\/p>\n

‘He skyrocketed’<\/p>\n

Schlittler barely cracked 88 mph at Northeastern. In his first full pro season at high-A Hudson Valley in 2023, he\u2019d be fortunate to touch 90 mph.<\/p>\n

Enter Claiborne, whose work relationship with Schlittler would prove mutually beneficial.<\/p>\n

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\u201cHe fixed my mechanics,\u201d says a grateful Schlittler. \u201cHe\u2019s really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

To hear Claiborne tell it, the credit goes to the pupil.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe has a lot of underlying qualities we really liked,\u201d says Claiborne. \u201cAs he\u2019s going to physically mature, a lot of the strength aspects take care of themselves. That\u2019s why I always say, credit to him for putting in the work in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe showed up in 2024 spring training pumping 95, 97 mph and the rest is history \u2013 he skyrocketed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

With Briend working to refine Schlittler\u2019s pitch mix, the 6-6 right-hander posted a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts following his July 2025 debut.<\/p>\n

By October he was starting the decisive Game 3 of the AL wild card series and beating the Boston Red Sox, hitting 99 or 100 mph on the radar gun 37 times.<\/p>\n

And now, just might start the All-Star Game for the AL.<\/p>\n

Schlittler views it as doing nothing more than expected of him from an organization that finds just enough gems to maintain their expected level of excellence.<\/p>\n

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And demand nothing less.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Yankees being the Yankees, some guys aren\u2019t built for it,\u201d says Schlittler. \u201cYou\u2019ve seen guys come in here, leave and have a lot more success. That\u2019s just part of the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you want to be a Yankee, you need to be able to handle that pressure playing in New York. And if you can\u2019t, it will expose you. That\u2019s what makes it exciting – relying on the fans, relying on the atmosphere. You\u2019re in that stadium every other week. You\u2019re making a playoff push. That\u2019s the goal.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere\u2019s nowhere I\u2019d rather be. If you\u2019re gonna have pressure on you, and those are the situations I\u2019m in, I\u2019m going to take that over a team maybe looking for 75 wins and draft picks.\u201d<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees’ dominance isn’t just payroll as Schlittler and Rice shine<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"BALTIMORE \u2013 If they have a need and want to fill it, the New York Yankees can almost…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":229738,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[10094,48671,3472,128,32358,28539,90203,7482,9,24,321,63,339,90199,90201,90202,24627,129,131,130,90200,46145],"class_list":["post-229737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-the-bronx","tag-aaron-judge","tag-ben-rice","tag-boston-red-sox","tag-bronx","tag-cam-schlittler","tag-hal-steinbrenner","tag-level-of-excellence","tag-los-angeles-dodgers","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-yankees","tag-nyc","tag-philadelphia","tag-player-development","tag-position-player","tag-preston-claiborne","tag-texas-rangers","tag-the-bronx","tag-the-bronx-headlines","tag-the-bronx-news","tag-usa-today-sports","tag-will-warren"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=229737"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/229737\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/229738"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=229737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=229737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=229737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}