After a long wait, the Yankees added to an organizational strength Sunday night by using their first pick in this year’s MLB Draft on Georgia prep shortstop Dax Kilby at No. 39 overall.
The left-handed hitter is a 6-foot-2, 190 pounder out of Newman High, the alma mater of former big-league outfielder Jerome Walton and country music artist Alan Jackson.
As a high school senior this year, Kilby hit .495 with five homers, 42 RBI and five strikeouts in 99 at-bats over 37 games leading his school to a Georgia 5A state championship.
Kilby, who was ranked the 62nd-best prospect by MLB.com and the 75th best by Baseball America, joins an organization that already has two shortstops ranked among its top five prospects by MLB Pipeline, No. 1 George Lombard Jr. (Double-A Somerset) and No 5 Roderick Arias (Low A Tampa).
The Yanks didn’t draft until 39th because they received a 10-pick penalty on their first selection for surpassing the second threshold of the competitive balance tax.
The pick has a $2,509,500 slot value.
The Yankees have the smallest bonus pool in the majors, $5.38 million.
Here is MLB.com’s scouting report on Kilby:
One of the more polished high school bats available, Kilby has a track record of producing against quality competition on the showcase circuit. There are questions about his long-term defensive home, but his hitting ability could land him as high as the second round if he’s signable away from a Clemson commitment. He led Newnan HS to the Georgia state 5-A championship this spring, the Cougars’ first title in 34 years.
Kilby has a quick and relatively compact left-handed stroke and a mature approach. He doesn’t stray from the strike zone too often and makes consistent contact while looking to drive the ball from gap to gap. He has plenty of room to add strength to his projectable 6-foot-2 frame and should grow into at least average power.
Though Kilby has plus straight-line speed, he plays as more of an average to solid runner. Bothered by shoulder issues early in his high school career, he has a funky arm action and can’t make all the throws necessary from shortstop. He’ll get a look at second base and also could wind up in left field, though he still may provide enough offense to profile at the less challenging position.
The first three rounds of the draft are playing out Sunday night, then it will conclude on Monday with rounds four through 20 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The Yankees forfeited their second-round pick for signing a free agent who received a qualifying offer, left-hander Matt Fried. They pick next-to-last in the third round, 103rd overall.
The Washington Nationals had the first pick and selected 17-year-old Oklahoma high school shortstop Eli Willits, son of former big-leaguer Reggie Willits, who was the Yankees’ first-base coach on Aaron Boone’s staff from 2018-21.
YANKEES 1ST-ROUND PICKS
1965: Bill Burback, RHP, Wahlert High; Dickeyville, Wisc., 19th overall.
1966: Jim Lyttle, OF, Florida State, 10th overall.
1967: Ron Blomberg, 1B, Druid Hills High, Decatur, Ga.; 1st overall pick.
1968: Thurman Munson, C, Kent State, 4th overall.
1969: Charlie Spikes, 3B, Central Memorial High; Bogalusa, La. 11th overall.
1970: Dave Cheadle, LHP, Asheville High; Asheville, N.C., 12th overall.
1971: Terry Whitfield, OF, Palo Verde High; Blythe, Calif, 19th overall.
1972: Scott McGregor, LHP, El Segundo High; El Segundo, Calif., 14th overall.
1973: Doug Heinhold, RHP, Stroman High; Victoria, Texas; 13th overall.
1974: Dennis Sherrill, SS, South Miami High; Miami, 12th overall.
1975: Jim McDonald, 1B, Verbum Dei High; Compton, Callif., 19th overall.
1976: Pat Tabler, OF, McNicholas High; Cincinnati, 16th overall.
1977: Steve Taylor, RHP, Delaware, 23rd overall.
1978: Rex Hudler, SS, Bullard High; Fresno, Calif., 18th overall.
1978: Brian Ryder, RHP, Shrewsbury High; Shrewsbury, Mass.; 26th overall.
1979: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent LHP Tommy John).
1980: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent LHP Rudy May).
1981: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent OF Dave Winfield).
1982: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent OF Dave Collins).
1983: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent OF Steve Kemp).
1984: Jeff Pries, RHP, UCLA; 22nd overall.
1985: Anthony Balabon, RHP, Conestoga High; Berwyn, Pa., 28th overall.
1986: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent LHP Al Holland).
1987: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent OF Gary Ward).
1988: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent OF Jack Clark).
1989: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent 2B Steve Sax).
1990: Carl Everett, OF, Hillsborough High; Tampa, 10th overall.
1991: Brien Taylor, LHP, East Carteret High; Beaufort, N.C., 1st overall.
1992: Derek Jeter, SS, Kalamazoo Central High; Kalamazoo, Mich., 6th overall.
1993: Matt Drews, RHP, Sarasota High; Sarasota, Fla., 13th overall.
1994: Brian Buchanan, 1B, Virginia, 24th overall.
1995: Shea Morenz, OF, Texas, 27th overall.
1996: Eric Milton, LHP, Maryland, 20th overall.
1997: Tyrell Godwin, OF, East Bladen High; Elizabethtown, N.C., 24th overall.
1998: Andy Brown, OF, Richmond High; Richmond, Ind., 24th overall.
1998: Mark Prior, RHP, University High; San Diego, 43rd overall.
1999: David Walling, RHP, Arkansas, 27th overall.
2000: David Parrish, C, Michigan, 28th overall.
2001: John-Ford Griffin, OF; Florida State, 23rd overall.
2001: Bronson Sardinha, SS, Kamehameha High; Honolulu, Hawaii, 34th overall.
2001: Jon Skaggs, RHP, Rice, 42nd overall.
2002: No first-round pick. (Lost for signing free agent RHP Mike Mussina).
2003: Eric Duncan, 3B, Seton Hall Prep; West Orange, N.J., 27th overall.
2004: Phil Hughes, RHP, Foothill High; Santa Ana, Calif., 23rd overall.
2004: Jon Poterson, C, Chandler High; Chandler, Ariz., 37th overall.
2004: Jeffrey Marquez, RHP, Sacramento City College, 41st overall.
2005: Carl Henry, SS, Putham City High; Oklahoma City, 17th overall.
2006: Ian Kennedy, RHP, USC, 21st overall.
2006: Joba Chamberlain, RHP, Nebraska, 41st overall.
2007: Andrew Brackman, RHP, North Carolina State, 30th overall.
2008: Gerrit Cole, RHP, Orange Lutheran High; Orange, Calif., 28th overall.
2008: Jeremy Bleich, LHP, Stanford. 44th overall.
2009: Slade Heathcott, OF, Texas High; Texarkana, Texas; 29th overall.
2010: Cito Culver, SS, West Irondequoit High; Irondequoit, N.Y., 32nd overall
2011: Dante Bichette Jr., 3B, Orangewood Christian High; Maitland, Fla., 51st overall.
2012: Ty Hensley, RHP, Sante Fe High; Edmond, Okla., 30th overall.
2013: Eric Jagielo, 3B, Notre Dame, 26th overall.
2013: Aaron Judge, OF, Fresno State, 32nd overall.
2013: Ian Clarkin, LHP, James Madison High; San Diego, 33rd overall.
2014: No first-round pick (Lost for signing free agent RHP Rafael Soriano).
2015: James Kaprielian, RHP, UCLA, 16th overall.
2015: Kyle Holder, SS, San Diego, 30th overall.
2016: Blake Rutherford, OF, Chaminade College Prep; West Hills, Calif., 18th overall.
2017: Clarke Schmidt, RHP, South Carolina, 16th overall.
2018: Anthony Seigler, C, Cartersville High; Cartersville, Ga., 23rd overall.
2019: Anthony Volpe, C, Delbarton School; Morristown, NJ., 30th overall.
2020: Austin Wells, C, Arizona, 28th overall.
2021: Trey Sweeney, SS, Eastern Illinois, 20th overall
2022: Spencer Jones, OF, Vanderbilt, 25th overall.
2023: George Lombard Jr., Gulliver Prep; Pinecrest, Fla., 26th overall.
2024: Ben Hess, RHP, Alabama, 26th overall.
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Randy Miller may be reached at [email protected].
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