Here's the Yankees' player pool for their Spring Breakout game

TAMPA, Fla. – Carlos Lagrange provided a glimpse of the future in the Yankees’ Spring Breakout game a year ago, glancing beyond an outfield wall in Sarasota, Fla., to check the velocity of the fastball he’d just thrown: 100 mph.

Lagrange grinned. It was exactly what the young right-hander had hoped to showcase, in what he described as “a really big opportunity” – one that has helped vault him into position as the club’s top pitching prospect entering the 2026 season.

“You feel good,” Lagrange said recently. “You know you’ve worked so hard for something, and then you see the results.”

What is Spring Breakout?

In 2026, MLB Spring Breakout will again be a four-day event showcasing baseball’s future -- the current stars of Minor League Baseball – in 16 exhibition games played between teams composed of each MLB organization’s top prospects. The third edition will be held from March 19-22 at Grapefruit and Cactus League stadiums during Spring Training.

In 2027, Spring Breakout will be expanded into a single-elimination tournament format, with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus leagues.

When is the Yankees’ game?

The Yankees’ Spring Breakout game will be played under the lights at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 21 against a team of top Braves prospects.

How can I tune in?

MLB.TV, MLB.com, MLB App, YES, Gameday

Notable position players

George Lombard Jr. is MLB Pipeline’s No. 32 overall prospect, having already flashed sharp defensive plays at three infield positions (shortstop, third base, second base) in Grapefruit League action this spring. Lombard turns 21 in June, and the Yankees believe he could already excel defensively in the Majors, but they’re content to give his bat more time to develop.

Dax Kilby was the Yankees’ first-round selection in the 2025 MLB Draft. He's a 19-year-old shortstop who is ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 94 overall prospect after beginning his professional journey with Single-A Tampa last season.

Spencer Jones has been garnering headlines for years with his light-tower power, and general manager Brian Cashman acknowledges Jones might already hold a starting outfield spot with some other organizations. Jones, who turns 25 in May, is also a strong defender with the potential to play center field in the Majors.

Notable pitchers

The 6-foot-7 Lagrange has opened eyes this spring with his triple-digit heat, including a 102.1 mph fastball in a relief appearance against the Twins. Yankees manager Aaron Boone has compared Lagrange to a young Dellin Betances, another farm system product who found big league success at a young age.

Elmer Rodríguez, MLB’s No. 82 overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline, could make his big league debut this year after impressing with his poise and polish. The right-hander features a fastball, slider, curveball and splitter. He was also selected to Puerto Rico’s roster in the World Baseball Classic.

Ben Hess was the Yankees’ first-round selection in the 2024 MLB Draft. Appearing last season at High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, the right-hander has been described as a future starter with high strikeout potential, spinning an effective sweeper and curveball to complement a fastball that rides in the mid- to upper 90s.

Bryce Cunningham was the Yankees’ second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Vanderbilt. A right-hander with a workhorse build who pitched last season at Hudson Valley and in the Arizona Fall League, Cunningham features a fastball in the mid-90s that occasionally touches 99 mph, with a high-spin changeup and a sweeping slider.

Roster details

Spring Breakout rosters are being constructed in two phases in 2026. Clubs initially submit a preliminary 40-man player pool on Thursday, March 5, which will then be pared down to the official 23-27 man rosters on March 18. The preliminary rosters were assembled using MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Prospects lists plus additional prospects submitted by the club.

Preliminary 40-man player pool (Yankees Top 30 Prospects list):

PITCHERS (21)
Brendan Beck, RHP, No. 22
Kyle Carr, LHP, No. 11
Jack Cebert, RHP, No. 25
Harrison Cohen, RHP, No. 27
Bryce Cunningham, RHP, No. 7
Allen Facundo, LHP, No. 26
Rory Fox, RHP, No. 21
Chase Hampton, RHP, No. 8
Ben Hess, RHP, No. 5
Mac Heuer, RHP, No. 24
Thatcher Hurd, RHP, No. 9
Pico Kohn, LHP, No. 10
Henry Lalane, LHP, No. 14
Carlos Lagrange, RHP, No. 2/MLB No. 79
Eric Reyzelman, RHP, No. 28
Xavier Rivas, LHP, No. 23
Elmer Rodríguez, RHP, No. 3/MLB No. 82
Tony Rossi, RHP, No. 30
Luis Serna, RHP, NR
Brock Selvidge, LHP, No. 15
Cade Smith, RHP, No. 16

CATCHERS (2)
Ediel Rivera, C, NR
Engelth Urena, C, NR

INFIELDERS (9)
Roderick Arias, INF, NR
Core Jackson, SS/2B, No. 12
Kaeden Kent, SS, No. 13
Dax Kilby, SS, No. 4/MLB No. 94
George Lombard Jr., INF, No. 1/MLB No. 32
Jackson Lovich, SS, NR
Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek, SS, NR
Dexters Peralta, SS, NR
Enmanuel Tejeda, 3B, NR

OUTFIELDERS (8)
Jace Avina, OF, No. 20
Jackson Castillo, OF, NR
Eric Genther, OF, NR
Spencer Jones, OF, No. 6
Brando Mayea, OF, NR
Willy Montero, OF, NR
Coby Morales, OF, NR
Wilson Rodriguez, OF, No. 18