Yankees' 2023 MLB Draft Guide and Top Prospects to Target

The New York Yankees have the No. 26 overall pick in the 2023 MLB draft, and that means who they take in the first round will hinge on how the draft unfolds ahead of them.

The last time the Yankees held the No. 26 pick was in 2013 when they selected Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo. He was later traded to the Cincinnati Reds in the deal to acquire Aroldis Chapman, and he never reached the majors before calling it quits after the 2019 season.

Who might the Yankees be targeting this time around?

Ahead we've broken down three prospects who should be on the Yankees radar when their pick comes up in the 2023 MLB draft.

SS George Lombard Jr., Gulliver Prep (FL)

As mentioned in the intro, the Yankees are at the mercy of how things unfold ahead of them given how late they are drafting, but there appears to be a fairly clear demographic the team will be picking from.

"I'd expect a prep position player at their top pick given what the Yankees tend to like at early picks and what's on the board," wrote Kiley McDaniel of ESPN.

George Lombard Jr. is one of a handful of high school shortstops in the mix to go at the end of the first round, and his stock has been trending up all spring as he has flashed more power potential, making a move to third base more realistic as his 6'3", 190-pound frame fills out.

His father was a top prospect in the Atlanta Braves farm system and is the current Detroit Tigers bench coach, so he also has baseball bloodlines.

OF Dillon Head, Homewood-Flossmoor High School (IL)

Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images

LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 15: Dillon Head #5 of the American League Team takes batting practice prior to the MLB-USA Baseball High School All-American Game at Dodger Stadium on Friday, July 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

With top-of-the-scale 80-grade speed and a good enough hit tool to profile as a leadoff hitter who can set the table and wreak havoc on the bases, Dillon Head is one of the most athletic players in the 2023 draft class.

He doesn't try to do too much at the plate, employing a gap-to-gap approach to utilize his speed rather than selling out for power, and his wheels are an asset in the field as well where he should have no problem sticking in center field.

Along with Vanderbilt speedster Enrique Bradfield Jr., his draft stock has received a nice boost from the resurgence of the stolen base across baseball thanks to the new pickoff rules and larger bases.

SS Sammy Stafura, Panas High School (NY)

There may be no player and team more frequently linked during the 2023 draft cycle than Sammy Stafura and the New York Yankees.

The 6'0", 188-pound shortstop plays his high school ball 40 miles north of Yankee Stadium, and after a middling performance on the showcase circuit last summer he has been trending up in a big way this spring.

With a 50-power/65-speed profile and all the tools to stick at shortstop, it's not hard to see why he has climbed into the first round, though there are some questions about his ability to handle elite pitching given his performance last summer and the fact that he plays in a cold weather state.

If he is still on the board, it would be an upset to see the Yankees go with anyone else.