The Yankees selected shortstop Dax Kilby with the No. 39 overall pick in the first round of the 2025 MLB Draft.
Kilby, 18, is No. 62 in MLB.com's prospect rankings after he hit .495 with 11 doubles, four triples, five home runs and 42 RBI as a senior at Newnan High School in Georgia. He led Newman to the Class 5A championship, the school's first since 1991, and was named tournament MVP.
“Dax is a strong-bodied and athletic left-handed hitting shortstop,” Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees vice president of domestic amateur scouting, said in a team release. “We really like his potential and ability to swing the bat, plus, he’s an excellent runner.
"As a high schooler, Dax has already shown an accomplished bat, a great feel to hit, and on top of that, some pop, which is exciting for us.”
At June's MLB Draft Combine, he was clocked at 3.55 in the 30-yard dash, good for the fourth-fastest time.
Kilby signed with Clemson University's 2025 recruiting class before the Yanks took him with their first selection of the draft in the Competitive Balance Round A. The 103rd pick carries a $2,509,500 slot value. New York entered the draft with the smallest bonus pool at $5,383,600.
At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, he was described as one of the more polished high school bats in the draft.
"Kilby has a track record of producing against quality competition on the showcase circuit," said MLB.com's scouting report of Kilby. "There are questions about his long-term defensive home, but his hitting ability could land him as high as the second round if he's signable away from a Clemson commitment.
"… Kilby has a quick and relatively compact left-handed stroke and a mature approach. He doesn't stray from the strike zone too often and makes consistent contact while looking to drive the ball from gap to gap. He has plenty of room to add strength to his projectable 6-foot-2 frame and should grow into at least average power.
"Though Kilby has plus straight-line speed, he plays as more of an average to solid runner. Bothered by shoulder issues early in his high school career, he has a funky arm action and can't make all the throws necessary from shortstop. He'll get a look at second base and also could wind up in left field, though he still may provide enough offense to profile at the less challenging position."
The Yanks later grabbed Texas A&M infielder Kaeden Kent with the 103rd overall pick.
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