The New York Yankees have quietly built one of the deepest catching pipelines in baseball. With Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, and Ben Rice currently on the roster, the catching depth chart is getting crowded. Meanwhile, former Yankees catchers like Luis Torrens, Jose Trevino, Ben Rortvedt, Carlos Narváez, Gary Sánchez, and Kyle Higashioka have all found solid roles with other teams.
Given this abundance, it might seem unlikely the Yankees would target a catcher with their first pick in the upcoming MLB Draft. But in baseball, teams draft based on talent, not positional need. Prospects often shift roles as they progress, and if a catcher with star potential is available, the Yankees may not hesitate.
According to ESPN draft analyst Kiley McDaniel, that’s exactly what might happen. In his recent mock draft, McDaniel predicts that the Yankees will use the 39th overall pick on Michael Oliveto, a high school catcher from Hauppauge, New York.
“Oliveto is a local pick who played on Long Island and rose up draft boards late,” McDaniel wrote. “He went from an unknown to a top prospect after a breakout performance last fall, eventually committing to Yale over bigger programs.”
Although Oliveto didn’t face elite competition this spring, scouts were impressed by his smooth left-handed swing and raw power, which McDaniel graded as a 65. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, Oliveto has a projectable frame and room to grow. McDaniel even compared his draft profile to Jackson Merrill, another left-handed hitter from a cold-weather state who rose quickly.
All of the Yankees’ current catchers also bat left-handed, suggesting they may have a preference. With the July 13 draft fast approaching, we’ll soon see whether the Yankees’ front office sees Oliveto as their next big swing behind the plate.
