Yankees draft two shortstops with Anthony Volpe under scrutiny

Watch Yankees draft two shortstops with Anthony Volpe under scrutiny - New York Post on Dailymotion

Transcript

00:00The Yankees grabbed two shortstops on the first day of the Major League Baseball Draft.

00:0518-year-old Dax Kilby and Caden Kent are going to start their journey to one day make it to Yankee Stadium.

00:11So here's what we think you guys need to know about both these first eight draft picks.

00:16Dax Kilby heard his name called with the 39th pick in the first round.

00:20It's actually the second time in three years the Yankees used their first round pick on a high school shortstop.

00:26He bats left and he's only 18, but scouting reports have him as one of the best high school bats in this year's draft.

00:35And according to MLB Pipeline, he rarely chases outside the strike zone and makes consistent contact.

00:42Now there are questions on if he could be switched to another position later on in his career.

00:48Due to some shoulder injuries or issues that he dealt with in high school,

00:53he has a funky throwing motion and scouts say that that impacts his throw velocity from shortstop.

01:00So that's something to keep an eye on.

01:02And with the 103rd pick, they grabbed another shortstop, Caden Kent out of Texas A&M.

01:08He bats left and throws right.

01:10And that name may sound familiar to you because he comes from baseball pedigree.

01:14He's the son of former National League MVP and five-time All-Star infielder Jeff Kent.

01:20MLB.com calls him an offensive-minded infielder, best suited for second base.

01:26But during the 2024 College World Series, he showed that he could come up clutch in some big moments.

01:32He hit a grand slam in the Super Regionals and went 10 for 24 with a 417 batting average while in Omaha.

01:39Now, of course, drafting two shortstops on day one had everybody questioning what this meant for the future of Anthony Volpe,

01:47who, as you guys know, was drafted in the first round back in 2019.

01:51But now all eyes are on these two young prospects as they try to make it to the show.