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Yankees infield prospect, shortstop Jackson Lovich, has been on an absolute tear to begin the season in Low A Tampa. Lovich is 22 years old and drafted in the 16th round, 494th overall in the 2025 MLB draft out of the University of Missouri. The right-handed hitting shortstop is listed at 6’3 192 lbs. Lovich made his professional debut last summer, appearing in only six games, but collected 14 hits in 22 at-bats.

Lovich Has Been On Tear In Low A Tampa

He’s carried over his impressive start into 2026, where in 27 games he’s hitting .286 with 7 home runs, 23 RBI, and a .950 OPS. Lovich’s biggest component of his game is power, and he’s been on a recent surge, hitting four home runs in his last three games. With his hitting ability demonstrated in Low A, Lovich can move up rather quickly in the Yankees’ farm system. Lovich is currently unranked in the Yankees’ top 30 prospects list, but that could very well soon change if he keeps up this kind of performance.

The one thing Lovich needs to work on, however, is his strikeout rate. In 112 at-bats up to this point, he’s struck out 39 times, which puts his strikeout rate at roughly 34.8%. With his large frame, impressive power and exit velocity, but the high swing and miss, he’s almost like the latest Spencer Jones type of hitting prospect, except he’s a middle infielder. Lovich has a tall yet lean frame and is still trying to figure out how to hit at the professional level despite the power surge. Lovich’s second home run last night had an exit velocity of 108.9 mph, according to Cai Rogers. His first home run was an estimated 429 feet to center field, reported John Brophy.

Lovich Has Played Multiple Infield Positions

Lovich has played eleven games at shortstop and eleven at third base so far in 2026, along with one game at first base. In his professional debut last year, he played all six games at first base, but the Yankees are now trying him on the left side of the infield, between shortstop and third base. Lovich has been slightly below average defensively according to the metrics with a .929 fielding percentage to start this year, and he’s looked more fundamentally sound defensively speaking at first base, hinting maybe in the future he’d be better in the corner infield at first long term.

But for the time being, there’s a lot to like about this Yankees prospect. When you consider the fact that the Yankees drafted him late in the 16th round, a draft in which there are only 20 rounds, is impressive. It’s only a matter of time until Lovich climbs up the Yankees farm system, and likely soon enough, will earn himself a promotion to the Yankees High A Affiliate in Hudson Valley, New York.

As things currently stand, this draft pick is looking like a massive steal for the New York Yankees in their farm system and prospect development pipeline. And with Lovich’s skillset and raw power, the sky is the limit for this young guy, and he is a name Yankees fans and prospect gurus should keep an eye on in the coming months and years ahead.