Getty

New York Yankees

It was the perfect capper to a whirlwind few months for Dax Kilby.

An 18-year-old shortstop out of Newnan High School, about 45 minutes southwest of Atlanta, Kilby had helped lead the Cougars to a Class 5A state championship, the school’s first in 34 years, during his senior season, batting .495 with 11 doubles, five home runs, 42 RBIs, 53 runs scored and 15 stolen bases, while slugging .838. He was named Georgia’s Male Athlete of the Year by ITG Next and rated the No. 23 overall recruit Perfect Game, earning a baseball scholarship from Clemson University.

But first, there would be visits, workouts and interviews leading up the MLB Draft in mid-July. One of those pre-Draft meet-and-greets took place at the New York Yankees’ complex in Tampa, and Kilby came away thinking he might look pretty good in pinstripes.

“I felt like I was very welcomed,” Kilby said. “I really loved everything about the Yankees organization while I was down here.”

Yankees Thrilled Dax Kilby Was Available for Their First Pick of the 2025 Draft

The Yankees really loved everything about Kilby as well, and with fingers crossed on July 13 as they watched 38 other players get selected through the first round and the start of Competitive Balance Round A, New York wasted no time in snatching Kilby with its first pick at No. 39 overall.

“We were holding our breath that it would be Dax on our board,” said Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting.

Kilby was likewise thrilled with how it worked out.

“Leading up to the Draft, I knew that I just wanted to be a part of this organization,” he said. This was the team I was hoping for.”

In the months following the Draft, the Yankees got everything they could have been hoping for from Kilby, who joined the Single-A Tampa Tarpons in early August.

Dax Kilby Makes Immediate Impression With Eye-Opening Pro Debut

After going hitless in his first three games, Kilby went on a roll that lasted for the remainder of the season, getting hits in 13 of the final 15 games, including eight multi-hit efforts. He finished his first stretch of professional baseball with a slash line of .353/.457/.441, walking 13 times compared to 11 strikeouts and stealing 16 bases in 17 attempts.

Kilby’s introduction to pro ball made quite an impression on Baseball America, which gushed over Kilby, stating “he looks like a potential steal” for the Yankees. The publication put the left-handed swinger at the top of its list of standout debut performances among players taken in the 2025 MLB Draft:

“Kilby is the clear winner among 2025 draftees to debut this summer. He slashed .353/.457/.441 with more walks than strikeouts, a 159 wRC+ and terrific batted-ball data. His surface-level performance and batted-ball data stands out among all hitters, but when factoring in his age, too, it creates an exciting picture of a talented and well-rounded young shortstop.

“Kilby showed an approach advanced beyond his years and led all hitters with 50+ plate appearances with a 7.6% chase rate. While he did swing at just a 34.1% rate, it wasn’t entirely the product of passivity, as his 26.5% chase-minus-swing rate was good for seventh among 50+ PA hitters.

“Kilby also hit the ball hard. His 91.9 mph average exit velocity was fourth among 50+ PA hitters. On top of his hitting exploits, he went 16-for-17 on the bases and finished third behind only Mitch Voit (20, Mets) and Nolan Sailors (17, Royals) in total stolen bases.

“There were only eight teenage hitters from the 2025 draft to hit the 50 plate appearance threshold, and Kilby essentially topped them all in every meaningful offensive category—both traditional and under-the-hood batted-ball data. Perhaps most impressive is his .385 xwOBA, which was the top mark by any hitter in our data set.”