By: James Vlietstra
Published: January 24th, 2024
Fans of Major League Baseball teams support their favorite teams. They see the 26 active players and occasionally hear about a 40 man roster. But does the typical fan realize exactly how many moving parts are part of fielding the team and its affiliates?
Because of various reasons, including injuries and trades, most teams use close to 50 players in any given year. In 2023, the Yankees fielded 55 players.
Some information on minor league players is difficult to obtain, especially on injured players. But, as best as I can figure, overall, the Yankees employed 412 different players during the calendar year. Some may not have even played a single game for the organization. Many may not ever make it to full season affiliated ball.
Please look through the spreadsheet and become familiar with some of the names.
I have gone through and tallied some information together for you. You can find the full data set here and in full at the bottom of this article.
How Were They Acquired?
International Free Agent: 178
Drafted: 96
Free Agent: 54
Trade: 40
Undrafted Free Agents: 30
Rule 5: 5
Claimed: 5
Bought: 2
What Positions Do They Play?
Right Handed Pitchers: 191
Outfielder: 64
Left Handed Pitcher: 41
Shortstop: 40
Catchers: 32
First Baseman: 14
Third Baseman: 13
Second Baseman: 10
What Year Were they Born?
2000: 53
2001: 43
1998: 37
1997: 35
2004: 32
2002: 31
2003: 27
1996: 23
2005: 22
1997: 18
1994: 16
1995: 15
2006: 9
1993: 9
1992: 8
1991: 5
1989: 5
1990: 4
1988: 2
1987: 2
1985: 1
There’s 128 of these players that are no longer on the team. Here’s how they left:
Released: 71
Free Agent: 32
Traded: 16
Rule 5: 7
Retired: 1
Restricted: 1
