Yankees Believe First-Round Pick Trey Sweeney Will Stick at Shortstop

NEW YORK — Picking in the first round of the MLB Draft, each team has an endless list of talented prospects to choose from. 

When the Yankees were on the clock on Sunday, set to pick 20th overall, New York had no trouble making their selection, a testament to how much this organization has faith in Trey Sweeney.

"A 6-foot-3, left-handed hitting shortstop with power that does things easy with tools made it a pretty simple pick for us," said Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting.

Yankees' First-Round Pick Trey Sweeney Poised to be 'Impact Player' at Next Level

Oppenheimer, assessing the draft in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, added that even with several high-upside shortstops within the Yankees' farm system—namely former first-round pick Anthony Volpe—the plan was to take the best player available. 

That player was Sweeney, who just wrapped up his tremendous redshirt sophomore season at Eastern Illinois University, showcasing why he was viewed as one of the best collegiate hitters in this year's draft class. 

Even if scouting reports indicate that Sweeney doesn't necessarily profile as a shortstop in the future, Oppenheimer is confident that the first-rounder will stick at the position. After all, the Yankees drafted him to play the position.

"We really see him as being able to play shortstop," Oppenheimer added. "He's smooth, he's got good hands, he runs well enough, his range is good and he's got a plus arm. So realistically he has all the tools and the intangibles to be a shortstop."

Trey Sweeney Latest Lefty Hitter Drafted By Yankees

Volpe was picked in the first round in 2019, making Sweeney the second shortstop picked in the first round by the Yankees in the last three years. Factor in Kyle Holder (a first-rounder backs in 2015) and New York has added a trio of talented shortstops with their first-round selection in the last seven drafts. 

MORE:

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• MLB Insider: Yankees Have 'Eyes' on Joey Gallo Ahead of Trade Deadline
• Trey Sweeney Latest Lefty Hitter Drafted By Yankees

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