3 Yankees Prospects Who Could Be Promoted to the Majors in May

New York has reason to consider these potential call-ups this month.

George Lombard Jr. is one prospect whom the Yankees could promote to the big leagues before May ends. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Yankees experienced an eventful April, filled with highs and lows. Fortunately, the good times significantly outweighed the bad ones, painting a bright outlook as the calendar turns to May. Now, all eyes will be on the Yankees to see if their strong start was a mirage or if this team is truly built to challenge for a World Series.

Even in the best championship contenders, no situation is ever perfect. There's always room for improvement. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman can use the trade market to find lineup upgrades, sure, but he and manager Aaron Boone can also use internal options to solve their problems. New York has a handful of up-and-coming arms and bats who are almost ready to make a big league impact.

Here are three prospects the Yankees could promote to the majors before May ends, starting with the most obvious candidate.

1. George Lombard Jr., IF

George Lombard Jr. continues to ascend through the Yankees' system. How long until he makes his MLB debut? | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The No. 1 prospect in the system, George Lombard Jr.'s ascent has been fun to watch. The 2023 draft's 26th overall selection slashed .312/.400/.571 with four home runs, 10 RBIs, 12 walks and four stolen bases in 20 games (90 plate appearances) with Double-A Somerset before the Yankees promoted him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre earlier this week.

It's a small sample size, but Lombard already impressed fans in his debut, drawing two walks and ripping off a 104.4 mph single while crossing home plate twice. If that's a glimpse of what's coming, New York fans will be in for a treat.

Lombard must string together strong performances before the Yankees give him the nod, but it's clear that he's close. It wouldn't be surprising if New York views the gifted prospect as a potential solution to its ongoing Ryan McMahon problem at third base. He's also a possible designated hitter candidate with Giancarlo Stanton and Jasson Domínguez banged up.

2. Yovanny Cruz, RHP

A potential Yovanny Cruz call-up could give the Yankees' bullpen a boost. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The Yankees have several gifted arms in their system, with Yovanny Cruz being one of the best.

The 26-year-old Dominican reliever hasn't struggled at all since he transitioned to Triple-A, going 4-0 with a 0.82 ERA in nine appearances with the RailRiders. He's striking out a personal-best 13.9 batters per nine innings while limiting them to an average of 4.1 walks. That's without even mentioning his ability to hit over 100 mph with his fastball consistently.

Yovanny Cruz really excites me as a Yankees pen option this season. Another scoreless frame with 2K's for Cruz

100.0 mph on this fastball, and the strikeout before was a 90.7 mph Slider

Season so far: 10.1 IP 1 ER 16 K and just 2 BB (3 HBP) pic.twitter.com/LeeV4CYz3A

— Cai Rogers (@cai_rogers7) April 29, 2026

Yankees reliever Jake Bird's early-season struggles are giving Boone & Co. a conundrum. New York can solve that problem by replacing Bird with Cruz, as it's clear the veteran's arm doesn't have much to offer at this point. Even if the Yankees don't have long-term plans for Cruz, they could use a call-up to show him off to other teams, increasing his value as a trade chip for a potential blockbuster.

A trade could also solve New York's bullpen issue; however, the team should at least promote Cruz first before exploring external options.

3. Spencer Jones, OF

The Yankees could give Spencer Jones's bat a chance before May ends. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

As previously mentioned, the Yankees opened May with Stanton and Domínguez each dealing with injuries. Although neither player's absence is expected to be lengthy, setbacks and unforeseen obstacles happen. The Yankees need the power boost, regardless, which is why Spencer Jones might get a crack soon.

Jones's upside has been on display early in the Triple-A season, as he's rattled off seven HRs and 30 RBIs while slashing .240/357/.521 with 15 walks drawn. He's still striking out at a high rate (40 in 115 plate appearances, 34.8%); however, he had a stretch of three consecutive games without a strikeout in the last week of April. Perhaps it's a sign of better things to come.

Spencer Jones ... AGAIN!!

The @Yankees' 2022 first-rounder crushes his second homer of the game for the Triple-A @swbrailriders -- 107.1 mph | 424 ft. pic.twitter.com/TGCD7smyXI

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 29, 2026

Jones's odds of joining the Yankees in May will hinge on Stanton and Domínguez's situations, but he can also improve his odds by further beating up most baseballs he sees. With five hits, two HRs and six RBIs with a .333 batting average in his last four games, he might already be on the right track.