Yankees Survive Rare Rule 5 Draft

The New York Yankees pulled off a rare feat in this year's Rule 5 Draft.

Aug 23, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The MLB's winter meetings have concluded, and so has the annual Rule 5 Draft.

The Rule 5 Draft has not been a part of the Yankees' offseason playbook in the past. In fact, it has hurt them.

In 2024, five Yankees prospects were plucked from the New York farm system, and there were worries that three or more prospects could go in this year's draft.

"The Yankees rarely make a selection in the Rule 5 Draft and it's been more than 50 years since they held onto one for a full season (Billy Parker, 1973)," MLB's Joe Trezza wrote prior to the Rule 5 Draft. "But they lost five players in the Minor League phase of the Rule 5 Draft in 2024, and it is possible they could lose more players this time around."

The Yankees managed to survive the MLB portion of the draft without losing a single prospect. However, they did lose three players to the Triple-A phase, none of whom were top players in the Yankees' system.

The Yankees even participated in the draft by adding former St. Louis Cardinals 25-year-old bullpen prospect Cade Winquest. It was the Yankees' first Rule 5 Draft selection since 2011.

Prospects That Could Have Been Picked

The top three Yankees prospects who were named most likely to be drafted in the Rule 5 Draft were 23-year-old left-handed pitcher Brock Selvidge, 27-year-old right-handed pitcher Brendan Beck and 26-year-old right-handed reliever Harrison Cohen.

Selvidge (10th) and Beck (11th) are both top 15 Yankees prospects, while Cohen has been bumped out of the top 30 with the addition of Winquest.

Selvidge had a career-high 4.92 ERA at Double-A Somerset with a 2-6 record in 15 games in 2025. Beck was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and had an 8-3 record with a 4.44 ERA. Cohen had another impressive season, posting a sub-2.00 ERA for the second consecutive year, and did so at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Yankees That Were Protected From the Draft

Although there was a chance the Yankees could lose a few top-15 prospects, several of the top-10 prospects were safe from the Rule 5 Draft.

Right-handed pitcher and No. 3 prospect Elmer Rodriguez, outfielder and No. 4 prospect Spencer Jones and right-handed pitcher and No. 8 prospect Chase Hampton were all promoted to the MLB at November's 40-man roster deadline to be protected from the draft.

Mar 4, 2025; Clearwater, Florida, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Spencer Jones (78) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies in the third inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Jones and Hampton are both due to make their MLB debuts soon. Jones could be part of the Opening Day roster or traded away, depending on how he looks in Spring Training and whether the Yankees land a big free agent outfielder.

Hampton's ETA is listed for 2026, but that could be delayed after spending all of 2025 on the full-season injured list.

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