New York Yankees outfield prospect Jared Wegner is pushing forward with a solid display of tools and statistics to back up his profile.
Wegner is not ranked on the club’s top 30 list, but is slowly making a name for himself through his recent performance. Primarily a right fielder, he has shown recent success at the dish and is making his case for promotion to higher levels.
Profiling Yankees Outfield Prospect Jared Wegner
College and Draft Overview
Wegner has five seasons of college baseball under his belt. His college career started with Creighton University in the Big East Conference. Then, with an extra year due to COVID-19, his career pushed to a fifth year in college ball, with a stint in the SEC with Arkansas. With a successful college showing, the Yankees outfield prospect grabbed scouts’ attention in his graduate year in 2023 with the Razorbacks.
The righty bat put up numbers that highlighted his name for the draft, putting up his most home runs in a single college season at 15, the second most RBI in his college career at 51, drew a high of 33 walks, and scored a high of 46 times. The Yankees selected Wegner in the 2023 Major League Baseball amateur draft in the ninth round, 282nd overall.
Wegner Displaying Impressive Progress in the Minors
The Yankees successfully signed Wegner in the draft, and from there the Arkansas graduate could not sit still in one place. Starting in Rookie ball and navigating through Low-A, and High-A, Wegner appeared in 24 games to end his abbreviated 2023 season.
In 2023 he saw 80 at-bats, with 22 hits, 14 RBI, four home runs, and slashing .275/.341/.513. Right out of the gate to start the 2024 season, the Yankees organization saw Double-A Somerset as the best fit for the Yankees outfield prospect.
So far in 91 at-bats in 2024, he has 21 hits, 14 RBI, and an eye-opening three home runs. These bombs were recorded at 116-117 mph exit velocity.
Jared Wegner Scouting Synopsis
Although Wegner only stands an even six feet tall, his 220-pound athletic frame translates to the power behind the lumber. As a result, Wegner has showcased two sides to his hitting profile: contact hitter with streaky raw power.
Wegner pushes a contact-based swing with the ability to hit to all fields and is a proven gap hitter. His spray chart covers a diverse portion of the field and extra-base hits are a big part of his stats.
The right fielder loads up an open stance, pushing the barrel through the zone with inside hands and good bat speed. He’s also able to sit back on the offspeed stuff and read the breaking pitches. He likes the fastball middle-in, and he can do damage in that wheelhouse.
Jared Wegner extends his hitting streak to 13 straight games with the go-ahead two-run single in the 7th. pic.twitter.com/90tIswqy4R
— Somerset Patriots (@SOMPatriots) May 1, 2024
Although Wegner has struck out a fair amount between 2023 and 2024, his trigger tendencies prove to be more effective when he’s aggressive. The Yankees outfield prospect also fields his position with great athleticism, showing an above-average arm and covering a fair amount of green.
Photo Credit: © Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK
