Over the past few years, the Yankees have built their farm system to be strong up the middle. Using high draft picks and convincing international bonuses, they’ve stockpiled talented middle infielders who are regularly ranked among their top prospects. The organization has prioritized depth up the middle, but right now the Yankees have a middle-infield log jam at the High-A level and some of the organizations best prospects are using the opportunity to develop their defensive versatility.
Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith are no strangers to playing side-by-side. After Smith was drafted in the second round of the 2019 draft, the two players formed the top double-play combination in the New York-Penn League over the second half of the season.