Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Believe First-Round Pick Trey Sweeney Will Stick at Shortstop

The New York Yankees envision first round pick Trey Sweeney staying at shortstop within the organization. Sweeney was picked 20th overall in the 2021 MLB Draft

Max Goodman

Eastern Illinois University

NEW YORK — Picking in the first round of the MLB Draft, each team has an endless list of talented prospects to choose from. 

When the Yankees were on the clock on Sunday, set to pick 20th overall, New York had no trouble making their selection, a testament to how much this organization has faith in Trey Sweeney.

"A 6-foot-3, left-handed hitting shortstop with power that does things easy with tools made it a pretty simple pick for us," said Damon Oppenheimer, Yankees Vice President of Domestic Amateur Scouting.

Yankees' First-Round Pick Trey Sweeney Poised to be 'Impact Player' at Next Level

Oppenheimer, assessing the draft in a Zoom call with reporters on Wednesday, added that even with several high-upside shortstops within the Yankees' farm system—namely former first-round pick Anthony Volpe—the plan was to take the best player available. 

That player was Sweeney, who just wrapped up his tremendous redshirt sophomore season at Eastern Illinois University, showcasing why he was viewed as one of the best collegiate hitters in this year's draft class. 

Even if scouting reports indicate that Sweeney doesn't necessarily profile as a shortstop in the future, Oppenheimer is confident that the first-rounder will stick at the position. After all, the Yankees drafted him to play the position.

"We really see him as being able to play shortstop," Oppenheimer added. "He's smooth, he's got good hands, he runs well enough, his range is good and he's got a plus arm. So realistically he has all the tools and the intangibles to be a shortstop."

Trey Sweeney Latest Lefty Hitter Drafted By Yankees

Volpe was picked in the first round in 2019, making Sweeney the second shortstop picked in the first round by the Yankees in the last three years. Factor in Kyle Holder (a first-rounder backs in 2015) and New York has added a trio of talented shortstops with their first-round selection in the last seven drafts. 

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Max Goodman
MAX GOODMAN

Max Goodman covers the New York Yankees for Sports Illustrated and FanNation. Goodman has been on the Yankees beat for three seasons. He is also the publisher of Sports Illustrated and FanNation's Jets site, Jets Country. Before starting Inside The Pinstripes, Goodman attended Northwestern University and the Medill School of Journalism. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Broadcast Journalism and Master’s Degree in Sports Media, graduating in 2019. At school, Goodman was an anchor and reporter with NNN SportsNight and played on the club baseball team. While at Northwestern, Goodman interned with MLB.com as an associate reporter covering the Miami Marlins. He also interned with ESPN, working as an associate reporter on Mike Greenberg's Get Up. Goodman is from New York City. He grew up in Hell's Kitchen. Follow Goodman on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. You can connect with him via email by reaching out at maxgoodmansports@gmail.com.

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