Yankees MLB Draft Report: Day 1

Round 1 (Pick 30): Anthony Volpe SS, Delbarton High School

With their first selection in the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, the Yankees selected Anthony Volpe from Delbarton High School in Morristown, NJ. Volpe was committed to play baseball at Vanderbilt University, but is expected to forgo his commitment to sign with the Yankees. In 2019, Volpe hit .488 with 7 home runs and 34 RBI’s while leading Delbarton to the NJ Non-Public A state final.

Primarily a Shortstop, Volpe also has the ability to move to second base. Volpe was expected to go later in the second round, so it came as a surprise to many when he was selected 30th overall. The 18-year-old’s hometown is Watchung, NJ and he grew up a Yankees fan according to tweets of his from past years.

TJ Sikkema- The Missourian

Competitive Balance Round A (Pick 38): T.J. Sikkema LHP, University of Missouri

Using the pick which was received from the Cincinnati Reds when the Yankees traded Sonny Gray to Cincy in January 2019, the New York Yankees selected T.J. Sikkema 38th overall in 2019. Sikkema filled various roles for the Missouri Tigers in 2019. Starting, closing and working in late relief. Sikkema had a very impressive 2019, earning an All-SEC selection while pitching to a 1.32 ERA with 101 strikeouts in 88.2 innings. The 6-foot, 221-pound left-hander was ranked #57 on MLB Pipeline’s draft prospect list. Sikkema will likely pitch out of the bullpen in the minors and has a 4-pitch mix which includes a fastball that features an overwhelming amount of movement.

Josh Smith- NOLA.com

Round 2 (Pick 67): Josh Smith INF, Louisiana State University

Josh Smith was picked 67th overall by the Yankees with their last pick on day one of the 2019 MLB Draft. Smith, a left-handed hitter, was a 38th round pick in 2016 to the Detroit Tigers, but went to LSU instead. Smith was LSU’s most productive hitter this season, hitting .343 with 8 home runs while leading his squad to a Regional Title. The 5-foot-10, 178-pound infielder primarily played shortstop this season, but was announced as a second baseman during Monday’s draft. You can expect a quality hitter who hits to all parts of the field, runs well and is an above average fielder.