Minor League Baseball

New York Yankees' INF Prospect's Big Weekend: MLB Debut and Kudos from Aaron Judge

Jorbit Vivas made his long-awaited first appearance in the big leagues and contributed in the series with the Tampa Bay Rays.
Jami Leabow|
New York Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas takes a lead at third base during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on May 2, 2025.
New York Yankees second baseman Jorbit Vivas takes a lead at third base during the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on May 2, 2025. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

Jorbit Vivas had a weekend he’ll never forget.

After finally making his major league debut with the New York Yankees following 601 minor league games, Vivas checked off some other firsts from his weekend series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

First major league hit. First run scored. First base on balls. First RBI. (When it comes to walks and runs driven it – make it two of each, actually.) First compliment as a major leaguer from his team captain and two-time American League Most Valuable Player, Aaron Judge.

Vivas ended the weekend with a .200 average – he was 1-for-5 – but that number alone doesn’t really tell the story. He played a flawless second base, with Judge crediting him for a “great job on defense” and his “electric at-bats.”

Judge seemed to enjoy watching Vivas’ debut weekend unfold.
"To see him come up, make his debut, get his first knock, that was pretty special," he told reporters, as shared by SNY.

Vivas was called up to fill in for starting second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is expected to miss four to six weeks with a right oblique strain. He had two prior call-ups without any major league action but is expected to get a good look from manager Aaron Boone this time around.

Vivas, 24, is ranked as the No. 19 prospect in the Yankees’ farm system by MLB Pipeline. He opened the season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre with a hitting line of .319/.426/.436/.862. He had 17 runs, five doubles, two homers and 15 RBIs. He also walked 15 times and stole six bases.

The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him in 2017 as a 16-year-old prospect from Venezuela. He’s got a career batting average of .273 with 122 doubles, 20 triples, 50 home runs and 324 RBIs in the minors to go with 88 bases. The Yankees acquired him on Dec. 11, 2023, in a trade with the Dodgers.

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Jami Leabow
JAMI LEABOW

Jami Leabow is the managing editor of Minor League Baseball on SI. Her love for the game began when her parents bought season tickets to the then-California Angels.

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