We’re counting several weeks towards the 2026 Major League Baseball draft. The New York Yankees will be making their selections to employ the farm system. Pitchers will be a huge part of the draft selection process. The Yankees don’t have a shortage of pitchers in their minor league ranks. 21 pitchers make up the club’s top 30 prospects to date. The fate of these pitchers will be determined by their value and pitch profiles.
Projections will either have them stay in pinstripes or depart in a deal as collateral. Pitchers come and go, but they’ll always be replenished in a 20-round draft selection process. The Yankees will have quite the menu of pitching prospects to select from. Who they prioritize in this year’s selection will be interesting. This is also based on their draft positioning, where they select 35th, due to a 10-spot penalty.
2026 Draft: Yankees Could Select a Big Left-Hander as Their First Arm Selection
The first arm the Yankees should bat an eye for is a big left-handed pitcher out of Arizona State. Cole Carlon has prepared himself well for the biggest audition of his career. His prep and showcase entailed three college seasons and two summer ball stints.
Carlon began his college career in 2024, working out of the bullpen. His 40 and 2 / 3 innings was a good icebreaker into the Pac-12 conference, which later became the Big-12. Improvements from freshman to sophomore were evident and natural.
Carlon’s body and physical presence developed, as he saw 54 innings of work, going from a 7.52 ERA in 2024 to a 3.33 ERA in 2025. He struck out 86 batters and walked only 25. His prep in the Alaska League was an important contribution to this development.
This season was his big break. Carlon pitched 77 innings, striking out a whopping 124 batters, only walking 29.
Pitch Profile and Physical Maturity
Carlon is a towering 6’5”, 230 lbs with long limbs and strong strides. He shows power and efficiency with consistent motion and fundamentals. The prospect’s delivery is repeatable, with good use of his athletic frame, and good show of power and rotation on both the upper and lower half.
The big left-hander works a fastball up to 98 mph, sitting 94-95 mph with a lot in the tank. He works a cutter ranging in the 86 – 88 mph range; this would be his put-away option, which escapes barrels, and he could throw it for fishing. Carlon also throws a changeup and a 12-6 curveball; the hook is the better option, and the changeup is a sinking “get me over” for a waste pitch.
If we’re asking what the issues are with Carlon in this draft, is the question of long term role and command. Will he fill a starter role eventually? This would determine whether he’s the top pitching selection or not. His command has been spotty, despite being a strikeout machine for his school. More command and more strikes will be a fair ask from Carlon. Carlon’s MLB comparisons from a strikeout ability, command consideration, and his put-away option would lead towards Blake Snell and Andrew Miller. Physical maturity, and pitching fundamentals which aim toward current Yankees Carlos Rodon.
Projections place Carlon in rounds one and two. The Yankees positioning could see him in round two, if they decide a position player would be their first pick option. The question is going to be simple; can this guy be shaped into a starter? Is he able to go the distance? Velocity consistency also will be considered along with his ability to utilize all of his options. Carlon is currently ranked the 25th top prospect on the Major League Baseball top 200 draft prospects list. The Yankees could take a stab at this option.
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