Drafting prospects with big league pedigrees has fostered numerous success stories over the years.
The Yankees added a couple of players whose fathers enjoyed accomplished careers in MLB during this year’s draft.
Infielder Kaeden Kent, the son of former NL MVP Jeff Kent, was taken in the third round (103rd overall) out of Texas A&M.
The Yanks later tabbed infielder Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, whose father, Mark, spent 15 seasons in the majors, in the 20th round out of USC.
“Being raised in a major league house, we do know that’s an advantage and they have some knowledge of what they need to do,” Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting, said Tuesday on a conference call. “It does help a lot.”
George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ first-rounder in 2023 and now their top-ranked prospect by MLB.com, also is the son of a former major leaguer.
Oppenheimer said he only spoke with Jeff Kent once before the draft, and it was a chance encounter while scouting Kaeden at a Cape Cod League game.
But former Giants GM Brian Sabean, who serves as an executive advisor to GM Brian Cashman, certainly is familiar with the elder Kent’s legendary competitiveness.
“Jeff wasn’t one who made it like it was about him, or the guy who needed to be talked to or seen. I think he let his kid do the talking on the field,” Oppenheimer said. “Obviously, with Brian Sabean working for us, we had a lot of knowledge of the intensity of Jeff Kent.
“Once we met with the kid more than once, we kind of realized that this kid is his own kid. … But you learn from being around a competitor like his dad was.”
The Yankees’ top selection also profiles as a middle infielder; high school shortstop Dax Kilby was chosen with the No. 38 pick out of Newnan High School in Georgia.
“We were really excited about that,” Oppenheimer said. “We had one team call after we took him that night that was picking in the 20s that said he was gonna be their guy, but was one short. … So we were holding our breath that it was gonna be Dax on our board.”
All but Kilby among their 19 selections were college players, and 10 of those were pitchers.
Locally, the Yanks also drafted Bronx product Richie Bonomolo Jr., an outfielder from Alabama (and Cardinal Hayes HS) in the seventh round.
