Drafted in the 1st round (20th overall) by the New York Yankees in 2021 (signed for $3,000,000).
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Sweeney is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound infielder who ranks among the top of the bat-first, tweener profile players in the draft. He’s been a shortstop at Eastern Illinois and was previously viewed as a player who would not stick at the position and would eventually move to a corner or become more of a utility player, but he showed improvements this season at the position. He’s an average athlete with a plus arm, and he’s shown the ability to get to power, but the hit tool is what has most impressed. Sweeney controls the zone, has good bat-to-ball skills, and makes hard contact. For the Panthers this year he slashed .382/.522/.712 with 14 homers in 48 games, walking 46 times with just 24 strikeouts. Scouts have wondered what he might do against tougher competition on a consistent basis, but he continued to show up when he did come across tough arms. He has a big leg kick and a big bat tip in a noisy swing, but if he’s able to quiet it down, what he does at the plate could translate to the next level. He showed fewer holes in the swing on the outer half this season and he’s done a better job of keeping his barrel in the zone. Sweeney has been an impressive college shortstop and has a long track record of production and steady play.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: In 2021, Sweeney was the Yankees' first-rounder out of Eastern Illinois, the same school that's produced big leaguers Tim Bogar, Kevin Seitzer, Randy Myers and Nick Maton. Sweeney spent his entire first season at Low-A Tampa, then moved to High-A Hudson Valley for most of the 2022 season. He reached Double-A for Somerset's run to the Eastern League championship.
Scouting Report: Sweeney doesn't wow with any one tool, but he's decent enough across the board to carve out a big league career. He improved his command of the strike zone in the second half of the season and has begun hitting balls higher and with more authority. He posted solid exit velocity data as well, with an average of 86.2 mph and a whiff rate of just 24%. Scouts see a player who will eventually be power over hit because of excellent bat speed, solid bat speed and contact skills but with a lofted path geared toward trying to take balls out of the yard. Though the swing itself is fine, some evaluators worry about Sweeney's overall adjustability because of stiff hands and actions. Defensively, he's should move around among shortstop, second and third and handle just about any routine play, though he is unlikely to stand out at any spot. He's a fringe-average runner.
The Future: After finishing the year in Double-A, Sweeney will return to the level in 2023. He's got a ceiling as an offensive-minded utilityman who sees a lot of playing time.
Track Record: Undrafted out of high school, Sweeney showed enough improvement during his time at Eastern Illinois for the Yankees to draft him 20th overall in 2021. He signed for $3 million and reached Low-A Tampa in his pro debut, where he showed the same hitting ability and plate discipline that were his hallmarks in college.
Scouting Report: Sweeney earns praise for his polished offensive skill set and ability to command the strike zone and get pitches to drive. He blasted three home runs during the regular season with Tampa, then added one more during the playoffs. The Yankees have identified areas for improvement, including smoothing out his bat path and working to make his exit velocities more consistent. If he makes those adjustments, he could be a plus hitter with average power. Sweeney has fringe-average pure foot speed, but his advanced instincts make him a plus baserunner. Defensively, Sweeney’s athleticism, above-average arm strength and solid baseball IQ could allow him to stick up the middle even if he has to move off of shortstop.
The Future: Sweeney will likely begin 2022 at High-A Hudson Valley. He’s behind Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza on the organization depth chart, but has a chance to surface as an everyday infielder in the Bronx.
Draft Prospects
Sweeney is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound infielder who ranks among the top of the bat-first, tweener profile players in the draft. He’s been a shortstop at Eastern Illinois and was previously viewed as a player who would not stick at the position and would eventually move to a corner or become more of a utility player, but he showed improvements this season at the position. He’s an average athlete with a plus arm, and he’s shown the ability to get to power, but the hit tool is what has most impressed. Sweeney controls the zone, has good bat-to-ball skills, and makes hard contact. For the Panthers this year he slashed .382/.522/.712 with 14 homers in 48 games, walking 46 times with just 24 strikeouts. Scouts have wondered what he might do against tougher competition on a consistent basis, but he continued to show up when he did come across tough arms. He has a big leg kick and a big bat tip in a noisy swing, but if he’s able to quiet it down, what he does at the plate could translate to the next level. He showed fewer holes in the swing on the outer half this season and he’s done a better job of keeping his barrel in the zone. Sweeney has been an impressive college shortstop and has a long track record of production and steady play.
Scouting Reports
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
Track Record: In 2021, Sweeney was the Yankees' first-rounder out of Eastern Illinois, the same school that's produced big leaguers Tim Bogar, Kevin Seitzer, Randy Myers and Nick Maton. Sweeney spent his entire first season at Low-A Tampa, then moved to High-A Hudson Valley for most of the 2022 season. He reached Double-A for Somerset's run to the Eastern League championship.
Scouting Report: Sweeney doesn't wow with any one tool, but he's decent enough across the board to carve out a big league career. He improved his command of the strike zone in the second half of the season and has begun hitting balls higher and with more authority. He posted solid exit velocity data as well, with an average of 86.2 mph and a whiff rate of just 24%. Scouts see a player who will eventually be power over hit because of excellent bat speed, solid bat speed and contact skills but with a lofted path geared toward trying to take balls out of the yard. Though the swing itself is fine, some evaluators worry about Sweeney's overall adjustability because of stiff hands and actions. Defensively, he's should move around among shortstop, second and third and handle just about any routine play, though he is unlikely to stand out at any spot. He's a fringe-average runner.
The Future: After finishing the year in Double-A, Sweeney will return to the level in 2023. He's got a ceiling as an offensive-minded utilityman who sees a lot of playing time.
Track Record: In 2021, Sweeney was the Yankees' first-rounder out of Eastern Illinois, the same school that's produced big leaguers Tim Bogar, Kevin Seitzer, Randy Myers and Nick Maton. Sweeney spent his entire first season at Low-A Tampa, then moved to High-A Hudson Valley for most of the 2022 season. He reached Double-A for Somerset's run to the Eastern League championship.
Scouting Report: Sweeney doesn't wow with any one tool, but he's decent enough across the board to carve out a big league career. He improved his command of the strike zone in the second half of the season and has begun hitting balls higher and with more authority. He posted solid exit velocity data as well, with an average of 86.2 mph and a whiff rate of just 24%. Scouts see a player who will eventually be power over hit because of excellent bat speed, solid bat speed and contact skills but with a lofted path geared toward trying to take balls out of the yard. Though the swing itself is fine, some evaluators worry about Sweeney's overall adjustability because of stiff hands and actions. Defensively, he's should move around among shortstop, second and third and handle just about any routine play, though he is unlikely to stand out at any spot. He's a fringe-average runner.
The Future: After finishing the year in Double-A, Sweeney will return to the level in 2023. He's got a ceiling as an offensive-minded utilityman who sees a lot of playing time.
Track Record: Undrafted out of high school, Sweeney showed enough improvement during his time at Eastern Illinois for the Yankees to draft him 20th overall in 2021. He signed for $3 million, about par for his draft slot. Sweeney got his feet wet in pro ball, mostly at Low-A Tampa, where he showed the same hitting ability and plate discipline that were his hallmarks in college.
Scouting Report: In his first test as a pro, Sweeney lived up to his billing. Scouts both inside and outside the organization praised his polished offensive skill set and ability to command the strike zone and get pitches to drive. He blasted three homers during the regular season with Tampa, then added one more during the playoffs. The Yankees have identified areas for improvement, including smoothing out his bat path—amateur scouts pointed out a bat tip and a big leg kick, too—and working to make his exit velocities more consistent. He shows fringe-average speed but scouts believe his instincts make his overall run tool closer to plus. On defense, there are areas to improve but his average athleticism and baseball IQ could allow him to stick up the middle.
The Future: Given his pedigree, Sweeney will likely begin 2022 at High-A Hudson Valley. He's now firmly part of a part of impressive middle-diamond Yankees prospects, including shortstops Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza.
Track Record: Undrafted out of high school, Sweeney showed enough improvement during his time at Eastern Illinois for the Yankees to draft him 20th overall in 2021. He signed for $3 million and reached Low-A Tampa in his pro debut, where he showed the same hitting ability and plate discipline that were his hallmarks in college.
Scouting Report: Sweeney earns praise for his polished offensive skill set and ability to command the strike zone and get pitches to drive. He blasted three home runs during the regular season with Tampa, then added one more during the playoffs. The Yankees have identified areas for improvement, including smoothing out his bat path and working to make his exit velocities more consistent. If he makes those adjustments, he could be a plus hitter with average power. Sweeney has fringe-average pure foot speed, but his advanced instincts make him a plus baserunner. Defensively, Sweeney’s athleticism, above-average arm strength and solid baseball IQ could allow him to stick up the middle even if he has to move off of shortstop.
The Future: Sweeney will likely begin 2022 at High-A Hudson Valley. He’s behind Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza on the organization depth chart, but has a chance to surface as an everyday infielder in the Bronx.
Sweeney is a 6-foot-4, 200-pound infielder who ranks among the top of the bat-first, tweener profile players in the draft. He's been a shortstop at Eastern Illinois and was previously viewed as a player who would not stick at the position and would eventually move to a corner or become more of a utility player, but he showed improvements this season at the position. He's an average athlete with a plus arm, and he's shown the ability to get to power, but the hit tool is what has most impressed. Sweeney controls the zone, has good bat-to-ball skills, and makes hard contact. For the Panthers this year he slashed .382/.522/.712 with 14 homers in 48 games, walking 46 times with just 24 strikeouts. Scouts have wondered what he might do against tougher competition on a consistent basis, but he continued to show up when he did come across tough arms. He has a big leg kick and a big bat tip in a noisy swing, but if he's able to quiet it down, what he does at the plate could translate to the next level. He showed fewer holes in the swing on the outer half this season and he's done a better job of keeping his barrel in the zone. Sweeney has been an impressive college shortstop and has a long track record of production and steady play.
Career Transactions
Somerset Patriots placed SS Trey Sweeney on the 7-day injured list retroactive to August 4, 2023.
SS Trey Sweeney roster status changed by New York Yankees.
SS Trey Sweeney roster status changed by New York Yankees.
SS Trey Sweeney roster status changed by New York Yankees.
SS Trey Sweeney roster status changed by New York Yankees.
SS Trey Sweeney assigned to New York Yankees.
SS Trey Sweeney roster status changed by New York Yankees.
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