Jorbit Vivas

Jorbit Vivas is the kind of prospect who doesn't blow you away with any one tool but somehow finds a way to get on base, make the right play, and keep the line moving. The Venezuelan-born infielder worked his way through the Yankees system with patience and contact skills that scouts kept circling back to, and when he finally got his shot in the Bronx, he didn't waste it. Vivas might not be the sexiest name on the New York Yankees roster, but he's earned every bit of his spot.

Path to the Bronx

Here's the funny part about Vivas's path -- he wasn't even a Yankee originally. The Dodgers signed him as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2017, and he spent six years in the Los Angeles system, quietly putting together solid minor league numbers at every level. Then the Yankees acquired him in a December 2023 trade, sending Trey Sweeney to the Dodgers for Vivas and reliever Victor Gonzalez, adding him to a farm system that was heavy on high-ceiling toolsy guys but light on the kind of disciplined, contact-oriented hitter that Vivas represented.

He kept hitting. At Somerset, Vivas posted on-base percentages north of .370 and showed an advanced understanding of the strike zone that belied his age. He didn't have the power numbers that light up prospect rankings -- and that's probably why he flew under the radar for so long -- but the bat-to-ball skills were elite. The dude just didn't strike out. (In an era where everybody's swinging for the fences, a guy who puts the ball in play feels almost radical.)

The Yankees gave him a brief look in July 2024, optioning him back before he ever got into a game, then called him up for good in May 2025, when he stuck around into the 2025 season.

Yankees Career

Vivas's MLB debut came without much fanfare -- a May 2025 call-up after Jazz Chisholm Jr. landed on the injured list with an oblique strain, the kind of opportunity that happens to dozens of prospects every year. He didn't hit his way into a permanent everyday job, batting .161 with a .266 on-base percentage over 29 games as a rookie, but he showed the contact-first approach that got him to the majors and held his own defensively all over the infield. No panic at the plate, no chasing sliders in the dirt, just controlled at-bats from a kid who looked like he belonged.

In 2025, Vivas has carved out a role as a utility infielder, filling in at second base, third base, and occasionally shortstop. He's not an everyday starter -- the Yankees have Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Anthony Volpe locked into the middle infield -- but Vivas provides the kind of depth that matters over 162 games. Guys get hurt, guys need rest, and when they do, you need someone who can step in and not tank the lineup. That's Vivas.

The power is still developing. He's hit a handful of home runs but he's never going to be a 20-homer guy. His game is getting on base, moving runners, and playing steady defense. In a lineup full of big swingers, sometimes the best thing a bottom-of-the-order hitter can do is turn the lineup over and get Judge to the plate with someone on base.

Key Moments

The Contact-First Approach

The modern game is all about launch angle and exit velocity. Everybody wants to hit the ball 110 mph at 25 degrees. Vivas is the opposite -- he wants to put the ball in play, use the whole field, and let his on-base skills do the work. That approach doesn't generate Instagram highlights, but it generates runs. And runs are kind of the whole point.

His plate discipline numbers in the minors were consistently elite. He walked more than he struck out at multiple levels, which is almost unheard of in today's minor leagues where every hitter is selling out for power. The Yankees value that approach, especially in the bottom third of the lineup where productive outs and high on-base percentages can set the table for the big bats at the top.

(Will he ever be a star? Probably not. But the guy who bats eighth and gets on base for the top of the order is a freakin' valuable piece on a good team.)

Not every guy on a championship roster needs to be a star. Some guys just need to do their job, get on base, and not screw things up when their number's called. Vivas does all three. And in a game that's increasingly obsessed with the big swing, there's something refreshing about a hitter who just wants to put the ball in play and figure out the rest.