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A late-round selection by the New York Yankees in the 2025 MLB Draft is making waves in the Arizona Fall League. First baseman Kyle West, taken in the 13th round out of West Virginia University, recently launched the longest home run of the 2026 AFL season.
The left-handed-hitting slugger turned on a pitch and sent it 462 feet to right-center field, a blast that ranks as the fifth-longest homer in AFL history according to the league's official X/Twitter account. Through 13 games this fall, West is hitting .282 (11-for-39) with three home runs, 10 RBIs, and seven runs scored.
The soon-to-be 24-year-old is tied with seven other prospects for the fourth-most home runs in the 2026 AFL season, a group that includes the Chicago White Sox's Caleb Bonemer, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Chase Harlan, and the Baltimore Orioles' Vance Honeycutt. His fall performance could help the 2025 draft pick build on a productive minor league campaign.
Key Analysis
West's power display adds intrigue to a Yankees farm system that has recently produced late-round success stories. Right-handed pitcher Cam Schlittler, a seventh-round pick in 2022, and first baseman Ben Rice, a 12th-round selection in 2021, were among New York's biggest contributors in 2026. While comparisons to those names are premature, West looks like a prospect worth monitoring heading into 2027.
The 6-foot-2 slugger played 11 Single-A games in 2025 before spending his first full professional season at High-A, where he hit .226 with 20 home runs, 75 RBIs, and 20 stolen bases in 124 games. However, he struck out 160 times in the minors this year. In a smaller sample this fall, he has 10 strikeouts and seven walks in 13 games, an area to watch as he develops.
Either way, Yankees fans might want to keep an eye on the 13th-rounder's development in 2027 and beyond.