The New York Yankees haven’t had much luck with their first-round draft picks over the last ten years, with only one player making it to the big leagues.
If a Major League team wants to improve their ball club from within, it starts with developing draft picks. The New York Yankees have made thirteen first-round selections since 2010 and only Aaron Judge has made the Majors.
Yes, the jury is still out on some of the most recent draft picks, though we’ll take a look at their progress as well as the other players who flamed out along the way. True, with the success the Yankees have had in winning games they weren’t drafting at the top of the order, though a first-round pick can not be a swing and miss, regardless if it’s the number one or number thirty pick.
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Most of these picks were traded out of the Yankees system which brought back Major League talent, however, something needs to be said about not developing your own talent instead of constantly bringing in higher-paid veterans via trades.
2010 Pick #32 RHP Cito Culver
Drafted as a pitcher out of high school then turned into an infielder, Cito Culver struggled to make it past high A ball. He spent five years toiling in rookie ball, low A, and high A, before finally getting promoted to AA in 2015. He topped out in AAA in 2017 before spending the next two years with the Marlins organization. In a nine-year minor league career, he hit .231 with 43 home runs. Maybe he should have stayed a pitcher.