“Yankees’ Domínguez and Lombard Jr. Land on Top 100 Prospects List! Backup Catcher Battle Heats Up, Hall of Fame Ballots Revealed, and MLB Smashes Revenue Records!”

**The Athletic | Keith Law:** ($) In his annual preseason ranking of MLB’s top 100 prospects, Keith Law highlights two Yankees prospects. Jasson Domínguez lands at No. 22, with Law praising his potential for 30/30 production (30 home runs and 30 stolen bases) and his strong defensive skills in center field. However, Law notes a potential concern: Domínguez’s struggles against left-handed pitching. As a switch-hitter, he has struck out 29.3% of the time from the right side over the past two seasons. Meanwhile, George Lombard Jr. barely makes the list at No. 98. Law is impressed by Lombard’s ability to make hard contact as a 19-year-old last season, despite underwhelming overall results. While Law predicts Lombard will eventually move from shortstop, he believes the young infielder could excel defensively at second or third base, complemented by his speed.

**MLB.com | Bryan Hoch:** Bryan Hoch chronicles the rapid rise of Yankees catcher Austin Wells, who secured the starting role last season thanks to his standout defensive metrics. Manager Aaron Boone defended Wells’ lackluster postseason hitting performance, attributing it to the physical toll of catching in October. With backup Jose Trevino and third-stringer Carlos Narváez traded this offseason, the competition for Wells’ backup is wide open. Top internal candidates include Alex Jackson, acquired from Cincinnati in the Trevino trade, who impressed defensively with the Rays last year but struggled at the plate. Incumbents J.C. Escarra and Ben Rice could also be in the mix.

**FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe:** Jay Jaffe provides an early look at the next five Hall of Fame ballots. He predicts only two former Yankees will make the cut during that span: Carlos Beltrán (expected to reach the 75% threshold in 2026) and Andruw Jones (projected for 2027). Brett Gardner, however, is likely to fall off the ballot after his first appearance in 2027. Andy Pettitte is expected to drop off in 2028 without a significant surge in support, the same year Robinson Canó, whose career was marred by PED allegations, begins what Jaffe believes will be a lengthy and unsuccessful stint on the ballot.

**Forbes | Maury Brown:** Maury Brown dispels rumors of baseball’s decline, pointing to MLB’s record-breaking $12.1 billion revenue in 2024, the highest in league history. Franchise values have also skyrocketed, with the average team now worth $378 million, marking the largest increase since 2015. This financial success has been driven by a surge in sponsorships, higher attendance, and lucrative media rights deals.

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