New York Yankees Receive Praise For Early-Round Draft Pick

The MLB Draft gurus at MLB.com and MLB Pipeline are praising the New York Yankees for selecting high school shortstop Dax Kilby with their selection in the supplemental first round.

He was named as the organization's favorite draft pick by the outlet on Thursday.

The Yankees had a group of high school hitters they hoped would get to their first pick at No. 39 and estimated they had no better than a 50-50 chance at Kilby. The Newnan (Ga.) HS product was one of the more polished prep bats in the Draft, using a mature approach and quick, compact left-handed swing to make repeated contact from gap to gap.

There were 615 picks made in the 2025 MLB Draft.

Here are the 30 who stood out most -- one for each team -- for fit, value and intangibles: https://t.co/VWlipYCPPh pic.twitter.com/V8AFBnFQPT
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 17, 2025

The Yankees have shortstop Anthony Volpe under contract through 2028, so there's no real rush in trying to get Kilby to the big leagues quicker, and given that he's coming straight from high school, he likely won't even have a chance to get up until at least 2028. The new MLB Pipeline rankings are not out yet, but it remains worth watching where Kilby slots into the organization's Top 30.

The Yankees did not have a traditional first-round pick after spending above the allotted competitive balance tax threshold.

At the major-league level, the Yankees come out of the All-Star break at 53-43 overall and in second place in the American League East. They are also currently sitting in the first wild card spot, one game ahead of the Boston Red Sox and two ahead of the Seattle Mariners.

They'll kick off the second half of the season on Friday night at the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park.

Related MLB Stories