The New York Yankees went local with their seventh-round pick in Major League Baseballâs First-Year Player Draft, selecting college outfielder Richie Bonomolo Jr. 224th overall.
Bonomolo, 21, attended Cardinal Hayes High School in the Bronx, N.Y. He played two seasons at Wabash Valley College in Mount Carmel, Ill., before attending the University of Alabama.
In his lone season with Alabama, the Nyack, N.Y., native slashed .311/.416/.526 with eight home runs, 52 RBI and 16 stolen bases. The 5-foot-11 junior made the SEC All-Tournament Team after going 4-for-7 (.571) at the plate with two doubles and four RBI in two games.
The projected slot value for the 224th overall pick is $252,010.
Yankees Draft Pick Billed as Capable Outfielder With “Sneaky Pop”
Prior to transferring to Alabama, Bonomolo was a junior college star for Wabash Valley. He batted .436 over two years and stole 62 bases in 2024, most in the nation. An MLB.com scouting report says that Bonomolo âoffers solid speed with some sneaky pop and is a capable center fielder.â
Bonomolo described himself as an âunselfish player,â adding that his goal is to âget on base every at-bat.â
Leading up to the draft, Adam Busack of the Daily Sentinel highlighted Bonomolo as a former JUCO standout who could be selected on Day One.
âAt just 5-foot-11, Bonomolo doesnât exactly profile as a traditional center field prospect, but he can produce, and he has done that since his freshman season with 2023 JUCO World Series runners up Wabash Valley,â Busack wrote.
As a freshman, Bonomolo hit .449 with seven homers and 43 stolen bases and earned Second Team All-America honors from Prep Baseball Report.
Richie Bonomolo Played at Nearby Cardinal Hayes
Bonomolo gained notoriety in high school playing for Cardinal Hayes, located less than a mile from Yankee Stadium. He was Prep Baseball Reportâs 16th-rated outfielder and the 96th overall prospect from New York in the 2022 class.
He also ranked as the No. 16 outfielder and No. 138 overall player in the state by Perfect Game USA.
Four Cardinal Hayes alums have gone on to reach the majors, according to Baseball Reference: outfielder Billy Ott (1962-64) and pitchers Bill Froats (1955), Steve Dillon (1963-64) and Bob Chlupsa (1970-71).
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Yankees Draft College Star Who Grew Up in the Bronx appeared first on Heavy Sports.