Trey Sweeney

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Detroit Tigers #8 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/Low.
  
  Track Record: Before he ever made it to the majors, Sweeney had been traded twice. The Yankees’ 2021 first-round pick, he went to the Dodgers for lefthander Victor Gonzalez and second baseman Jorbit Vivas in December 2023. Just eight months later, he was sent with catcher Thayron Liranzo to the Tigers for righthander Jack Flaherty. Sweeney was called up to the majors less than three weeks later. Javier Baez’s back injury meant that Sweeney became the Tigers’ everyday shortstop during their playoff run and in the postseason. He was challenged offensively, but immediately proved to be a defensive improvement over Baez.
  
  Scouting Report: Sweeney’s offensive upside remains a question, but his defense opened eyes during his time in Detroit. He has a long swing, which currently limits his contact skills despite above-average bat speed. There’s room for improvement there, and Sweeney’s ability to draw a walk and provide the occasional home run should work as long as he plays high-level defense. Sweeney’s defense is plus because he reads balls off the bat expertly and has above-average range thanks to quick feet and fast hands. His arm is below-average, but he makes up for it with a fast exchange and well-above-average accuracy. His average exchange time was fifth-fastest among MLB shortstops with 50 or more chances in 2024.
  
  The Future: Sweeney made the Tigers better the moment he took over at shortstop for Baez. His tools aren’t conventional for the position, but he makes enough plays to be an asset for a team with a quality pitching staff and defensive question marks at second and third base. His floor is as a versatile above-average utility infielder, but the Tigers have every reason to see if he can be the team’s everyday shortstop.
  
  Scouting Grades: Hit: 40 | Power: 40 | Run: 60 | Field: 60 | Arm: 40.
• 
  Ranked Los Angeles Dodgers #16 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: After an excellent career at Eastern Illinois, Sweeney was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2021 draft. He’s moved steadily through the system since then, reaching Double-A in 2022 for the team’s run to the Eastern League championship and spending 100 games at the level in 2023. He spent a month on the injured list late in the season with an unspecified injury. He was traded to the Dodgers during the offseason in exchange for Victor Gonzalez and Jorbit Vivas in a move that cleared 40-man roster space for Los Angeles.
  
  Scouting Report: The Yankees spent the season simplifying Sweeney’s mechanics, including eliminating a bat tip and reducing the movement in his load. Sweeney also opened his stance a little bit and set his hands higher in order to let his barrel travel through the zone on a higher plane. Sweeney saw a jump in his exit velocity data, moving from an 86.2 mph average in 2022 to 87.1 mph in 2023, and also lowered his miss rate year over year. The results, scouts noticed, was more authoritative contact and a much-improved bat path that was more direct to the ball. He had a noticeable issue against breaking balls, with miss rates of worse than 30% against both sliders and curveballs. He’s a fringy defender with fringy speed and an average arm which should allow him to play shortstop without standing out at the position.
  
  The Future: Sweeney will advance to Triple-A in 2024. He has the ceiling of a second-division shortstop.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #15 prospect in 2023
  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.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #7 prospect in 2022
  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

• Ranked #54 prospect in 2021 draft
  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.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  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.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  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.
  
  Scouting Grades Hit: 45. Power: 50. Speed: 45. Fielding: 45. Arm: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  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.
  
  
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  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.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  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.