We’re at one of the more exciting times of the Major League Baseball calendar.
June is here and the 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline will come on July 31st. Now, is the time when teams start to figure out where they are at. The New York Yankees, unsurprisingly, are among the top teams in baseball and have the talent to make another deep run.
On top of this, the 2025 MLB Draft will kick off on July 13th. New York’s first selection will be at No. 39. Baseball America’s Carlos Collazo shared a mock draft and predicted that New York will use this pick to take Texas outfielder Max Belyeu.
“No. 39. Yankees — Max Belyeu, OF, Texas,” Collazo said. “Range: 39-40+. If Belyeu were healthy, he would probably be solidly locked into first-round territory. He hasn’t played since March 28 because of a thumb injury, but when healthy, he displayed one of the better hit tools in the class to go with a plus throwing arm in right field. I don’t see a huge difference in this profile and that of Arizona outfielder Brendan Summerhill, who is mocked at No. 17—which perhaps speaks to the lack of separation throughout this year’s class.”
MLB.com has Belyeu as the No. 31 overall prospect in the draft class.
“One of the best all-around offensive players in the college crop, Belyeu hits for average and power while controlling the strike zone and making consistent hard contact,” MLB.com said. “He has a quick left-handed swing geared for line drives, showing the ability to pull pitches for home runs or backspin them out of the park to the opposite field. His ability to put the bat on the ball cuts into his walk totals a bit and he struggled against non-fastballs last summer with the U.S. collegiate national team and in the Cape Cod League after crushing them during the spring.
“Belyeu is a good athlete with average-to-solid speed but doesn’t stand out with his instincts on the bases or in the outfield. He’s inconsistent with his reads and routes, which precludes him from playing center field. His arm is both strong and accurate, so he fits nicely in right.”
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