Yankees draft lefthanded-hitting shortstop Trey Sweeney
Eastern Illinois' Trey Sweeney stands with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred after being selected by Yankees as the 20th pick in the first round of the 2021 MLB baseball draft, Sunday, July 11, 2021, in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
The Yankees, who are severely lacking in lefthanded hitters on the major league team, for the second year in a row selected a lefthanded-hitting college player with their first pick in the MLB Draft.
On Sunday night, the Yankees took Eastern Illinois shortstop Trey Sweeney with the 20th overall pick in Day 1 of the draft at the Bellco Theater in Denver, site of Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
MLB moved the draft from its longstanding June slot to July’s All-Star festivities.
Sweeney, 21, was on site and walked up to the podium after his name was called by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred. Sweeney donned a pinstriped Yankee jersey (no number on the back) and slipped on a Yankees cap.
"This feels awesome," Sweeney said on MLB Network. "It feels great to put this iconic logo on my chest and on my hat. I’m just thankful and blessed. This is awesome."
Sweeney was the Ohio Valley Conference player of the year in 2021. In 48 games, he hit .382 with 14 homers and a 1.234 OPS. The 6-4, 200-pounder eventually could move to third base, the experts say.
"We are really excited to have selected Trey Sweeney," Yankees vice president of domestic amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer said in a news release. "He has excellent raw power and contact ability, and he can hit to all fields with strong plate discipline. At shortstop, he has a good clock, doesn’t play rushed and has good field awareness. His timing for both getting to ground balls and getting the ball across the infield is excellent. We also really like Trey’s makeup, as he’s smart with good instincts. With his overall tool set, we believe he has the potential to be an impact player."
It’ll be years before Sweeney and 2020 No. 1 pick Austin Wells reach Yankee Stadium, if they ever do. But at least the addition of two lefthanded-hitting position players could give Yankees fans hope that the future won’t be so right-leaning in the Bronx. Yankee Stadium is built for lefthanded power, and it has been a failed gamble this season for the Yankees to have a lineup without a single lefthanded power hitter.
In 2020, the Yankees picked Wells, a catcher, with the 28th overall pick. After going 2-for-7 in major-league spring training, he is off to a strong start for Class A Tampa. The 22-year-old is batting .278 with seven home runs, 48 RBIs and a .906 OPS in 50 games. He also has stolen eight bases.
There are questions about whether Wells will remain a catcher, but the Yankees are high on his hitting.
The biggest name in this year’s draft — at least locally — was Vanderbilt pitcher Jack Leiter. The son of former Yankees and Mets pitcher Al Leiter was chosen second overall by the Texas Rangers.
Leiter, who unlike his father is a righthander, went 11-4 with a 2.13 ERA for Vanderbilt, including a no-hitter against South Carolina, and struck out 179 in 110 innings.
With the first pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Louisville catcher Henry Davis. The Pirates picked first overall for the first time since taking Gerrit Cole in 2011.
After MLB slimmed the draft from 40 rounds to five last year, this year’s event will go 20 rounds spread over three days. Sunday night’s festivities were only for the first 36 picks.
With the Associated Press
Anthony Rieber covers sports media and business and professional sports (you know, games and trades and things). He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since Jan. 1, 2026.
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