The Yankees farm received a major shakeup earlier this month, with several notable prospects earning promotions as they all vie to take the next step towards the big club. One prospect was Roc Riggio, who made his way to Double-A Somerset after a strong start to his season in High-A Hudson Valley.

The 23-year-old Riggio hit .264 through 20 games with the Renegades, reaching base at a .436 clip while also slugging six home runs. It was evident he had turned a corner after struggling throughout his first two professional seasons, and the Yankees moved him to Double-A on June 3.

Riggio has not only continued his success following the promotion, he has arguably been even better; He has five homers in his first seven games with the Patriots, boasting a .367 average and 1.333 OPS with three doubles and 10 RBI.

Currently ranked as the 24th prospect in the Yankees system, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy’s defining characteristic is his powerful, full-effort swing — one that has finally started to yield results in 2025. His season total of 12 home runs has already eclipsed the amount he hit last year, and he has played in 75 fewer games.

This power surge has come due to Riggio refining his approach at the plate. He has always controlled the strike zone well, but didn’t make as much quality contact as he needed to. He has kept his discipline while also being more aggressive on balls in the strike zone, accepting some added swing and miss in order to improve his batting prowess.

With the way Riggio is playing right now, he could be set to compete for a spot with the big league club as soon as next year, with the middle infield being incredibly competitive following the departure of Gleyber Torres in the offseason.

But don’t forget! Red-hot Roc Riggio almost said no to the Yankees in 2023

After his scorching start to the season, its easy to forget that Roc Riggio was very close to not signing with the Yankees at all.

The Yankees took Riggio, a then draft-eligible sophomore, with the 129th pick back in 2023.

In an interview with NJ.com, Riggio said that he did not expect to be wearing pinstripes. The Astros were planning on taking him with the 131st pick, and he initially denied the Yankees’ approaches as they offered him significantly less money than Houston.

However, the Yankees took a shot at him despite the rejected advance. What ensued was a bit of a contract standoff, as he did not sign with the team until there was only 14 hours left until the deadline.

The Yankees’ initial offer was the recommended slot value at around $505,000. He ended up signing for $700,000, a significant bump up from the initial offer but still a ways away from the almost $1 million Houston was planning on throwing his way.

All the drama seems to have worked out well for the Yankees, as they may very well have found their long-term second baseman in Riggio. And to think he was almost going to wear an Astros uniform. How about that.