Yankees Make 40-Man Moves

THE BRONX, NY -- The Yankees made some 40-man roster moves, protecting players from next month's Rule 5 Draft. The Yankees enter 2026 with a trio of high-end prospects drawing industry attention, led by outfielder Spencer Jones, right-hander Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz, and rehabbing left-hander Chase Hampton.

Hampton, 24, did not pitch in 2025 after undergoing Tommy John surgery on February 21. Ranked No. 8 among Yankees prospects by MLB Pipeline, the left-hander has shown promise when healthy. Across parts of two seasons (2023–24), he posted a 3.45 ERA in 27 starts, striking out 161 batters over 125.1 innings. The Kilgore, Texas native was drafted in the sixth round in 2022 out of Texas Tech and is expected to rejoin minor-league action sometime in 2026.

Jones, 24, headlines the position-player group after a breakout 2025 season split between Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The first-round pick from Vanderbilt hit .274/.362/.571 with 35 home runs, 80 RBI, and 29 stolen bases in 116 games. He appeared at all three outfield spots, primarily center field. Among qualified minor leaguers, Jones ranked second in home runs, fifth in slugging percentage, and sixth in total bases. Baseball America lists him as the Yankees’ No. 2 prospect, while MLB Pipeline ranks him No. 4. Over four minor-league seasons, Jones owns a .271/.349/.490 line with 72 home runs and 109 steals.

Rodríguez-Cruz, 22, was named Baseball America’s 2025 Yankees Minor League Player of the Year after a dominant campaign across three levels. The right-hander went 11-8 with a 2.58 ERA and 176 strikeouts in 150 innings, ranking second in minor-league strikeouts and eighth in ERA among qualified pitchers. Acquired from Boston in December 2024, Rodríguez-Cruz is now viewed as the organization’s No. 3 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline. Across four seasons in the Red Sox and Yankees systems, he holds a career 2.59 ERA in 75 appearances.