Yankees lose top Mexican pitching prospect Jassel Bermúdez as international signing chaos deepens

Another blow has struck the New York Yankees international pipeline, as high-profile Mexican pitching prospect Jassel Bermúdez has officially withdrawn from his pre-agreement and re-entered the open market at just 17 years old.

The departure marks the latest in a growing list of international free agents backing out of verbal commitments with the Yankees, further spotlighting systemic instability within the franchise’s global scouting infrastructure.

The news was reported by journalist Wilber Sánchez, who revealed that Bermúdez—previously considered the top Mexican prospect in the 2026 IFA class—has already drawn renewed interest from multiple organizations after reopening negotiations.

Bermúdez, a 6-foot-5 right-hander with undeniable physical projection, initially had a preliminary deal lined up with New York but elected not to finalize it on January 15, the first day of the 2026 international signing period.

According to Sánchez, the young pitcher already features a 92 mph fastball, a sharp-breaking slider, and a swing-and-miss changeup, forming an advanced arsenal for a teenager just beginning his ascent in professional development.

However, a post from Top Velocity Boca Raton, the Florida-based training facility where Bermúdez works out, suggests his fastball has touched 95 mph—an explosive number for someone who only recently turned 17.

That kind of rapid velocity progression makes him arguably one of the most immediately appealing unsigned IFA pitchers currently available, intensifying the sting for a Yankees organization grappling with repeated prospect losses.

Bermúdez’s decision is part of a far larger exodus that has haunted the Yankees’ international operation since the franchise parted ways with longtime international scouting director Donny Rowland.

Rowland, who served the club for years and was widely respected, departed after his contract expired in November, a moment that appears to have triggered widespread instability across multiple signing classes.

At least six prospects from the 2026 IFA cycle alone have backed out of agreements with New York, including several high-value targets who were expected to headline the organization’s incoming talent pool.

Among the most notable defections was Dominican shortstop Wandy Asigen, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the entire class according to MLB Pipeline, who abandoned his agreement with the Yankees to sign with the New York Mets for a reported $3.8 million.

This particular loss was a dramatic warning sign, as it underscored the Yankees’ diminishing leverage and eroding reputation in international negotiations with elite teenage talent.

Other prospects chose similar paths, either reopening their recruitment process—like Bermúdez—or flipping to other organizations altogether in search of more stable development environments.

Another major defection involved Dominican pitcher Jorge Luis Jiménez, a 15-year-old right-hander who canceled his $950,000 Yankees agreement to instead accept a $1.5 million deal with the Minnesota Twins.

Each departure raises deeper questions about the Yankees’ operational security, organizational trust, and their ability to close on pre-arranged deals that historically formed the backbone of MLB’s international amateur market.

The Yankees attempted to respond to this wave of instability by promoting 44-year-old Mario Garza, their internal director of baseball development, to take over the international scouting department.

Garza brings extensive familiarity with the Yankees’ system, having managed three minor league affiliates and spent four years as a catcher in the Houston Astros organization, though he never reached Major League Baseball as a player.

His mandate is steep: restore credibility, rebuild relationships in Latin America, restructure a fractured scouting network, and halt the alarming pattern of teenage prospects suddenly severing ties with the club.

A recent report from Brendan Kuty of The Athletic emphasized that the Yankees’ front office is placing significant faith in Garza to restore order to a department currently characterized by uncertainty and erosion.

For Bermúdez specifically, the attraction stems largely from his extraordinary developmental acceleration, a detail highlighted in a video interview released by the Showtime academy in Mexico.

In the footage, Bermúdez explains that when he first arrived at the academy shortly after turning 15, his maximum fastball velocity sat at just 82 mph, a baseline typical for teenage pitchers still far from physical maturity.

Now, two years later, he has climbed into the 92–95 mph range with improved mechanics, increased strength, and a refined arsenal that features legitimate swing-and-miss potential across multiple pitches.

That type of leap—adding roughly 10 to 13 mph within a two-year span—is exceptional for a young international arm and reflects professional-grade dedication to structured development.

Bermúdez credited his progress to relentless work ethic, stating that the process was difficult but required unwavering focus, discipline, and persistence regardless of obstacles or training setbacks.

His mentality, paired with his velocity spike and projectable physical frame, makes him one of the most intriguing independent IFA pitchers currently available to MLB teams.

For the Yankees, however, the loss represents something much larger than losing one pitching prospect, because it signifies the continuation of an organizational trend that threatens long-term pipeline depth.

The international market is essential to building sustainable farm systems, especially for clubs like New York that draft late in every round due to consistent regular-season success.

Repeated failures to secure high-value international talent place disproportionate pressure on domestic drafts and free-agent acquisitions, both of which carry significantly higher financial costs.

If the Yankees cannot quickly regain footing in the international landscape, the long-term consequences could ripple through their minor leagues for years, weakening their ability to produce homegrown contributors capable of supporting championship-caliber rosters.

Mario Garza’s tenure therefore begins not with measured transition but with a crisis demanding immediate stabilization, structural repairs, and renewed trust-building across multiple countries and development academies.

For now, the headline is simple: another elite prospect is gone, the Yankees’ turbulence continues, and the international baseball world is watching closely to see whether New York can regain its long-lost dominance on the global scouting stage.