Long before Aaron Judge started collecting American League MVP Awards and Anthony Volpe became the first Yankees rookie to win a Gold Glove, each player got his start on the road to Major League stardom in the organization’s farm system. But even back then, before reaching the bright lights of The Show, both players received recognition for their efforts on the diamond that foreshadowed great things to come. As past winners of the Kevin Lawn Award — given annually to the Yankees’ top Minor League pitcher and position player — Judge and Volpe are just two of the many homegrown talents whose early performances were highlighted before they matriculated to the Majors.
Bestowed during Spring Training, the honor is named for Kevin O’Brien Lawn — the son of longtime Yankees vice president and chief of operations Jack Lawn — who passed away in 1999. It recognizes exceptional players in the Minor League system from the previous season, but the award can also be an indicator of things to come.
Before making their big league debuts, Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, fan-favorite Brett Gardner and present-day contributors such as Ben Rice and Will Warren were among those who captured the Kevin Lawn Award. And while no prospect’s future is certain, the momentum gained from receiving the honor can serve as further fuel along the road to the Bigs.
For the 2024 Kevin Lawn Award winners, current Somerset Patriots catcher Rafael Flores and pitcher Cam Schlittler, the names that came before them are well known. But with feet firmly planted on the ground and their sights set only on the here and now, both prospects are working diligently to ensure that the honor is only their latest (and not their greatest) achievement.
***
When the Yankees reported to Tampa, Fla., for Spring Training in mid-February, Flores, a non-roster invite, was a long way from Somerset. The 24-year-old catcher was even farther away from his home in Anaheim, California, where he was born 12 days after the Yankees won their third straight World Series in 2000. From junior college stops at Cypress and Rio Honda in his home state, Flores made a name for himself in summer ball, standing out for the Goldpanners of the Alaska Baseball League before signing with New York as a non-drafted free agent in July 2022.
While Flores’ journey to professional ball has been different from some of his peers’, the numbers do not lie. In 2024, across 124 games between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-handed hitter batted .279 with 21 home runs, 68 RBIs, 31 doubles, 52 extra-base hits and 215 total bases. Among all Yankees Minor Leaguers, Flores ranked second in home runs, doubles, extra-base hits and total bases.
That offensive profile is one of the reasons Flores went from relative unknown to shadowing some of the biggest names in baseball during his first taste of big league camp.
“The opportunity was awesome,” Flores says of his 2025 Spring Training experience. “I was able to be around veteran guys like [Paul] Goldschmidt and [Cody Bellinger], Judge and all of those guys. They were super friendly, super nice and had an answer for every question I had. It was definitely an important piece of my development this year, for sure. I went into this season with a lot of really valuable information from guys that are really successful in the big leagues, so I’m pumped.”
It’s not just those within the organization who have taken notice of Flores’ abilities. After his productive 2024, Flores was ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Yankees organization by Baseball America and was also that publication’s pick for Yankees Minor League Player of the Year. Ranked the No. 15 Yankees prospect by MLB Pipeline, Flores has caught the attention of his peers and coaches, as much for his intangible qualities as any quantitative statistics.
“He’s a really, really smart kid,” Somerset manager Raúl Domínguez says of the player affectionately known as Rafa. “The way that he runs the pitchers and the way that he handles those advanced meetings with them [is a strength]. He can also speak Spanish, so he’s a very good communicator.
“He asks a lot of questions. He’s a really good teammate, a really good player. He creates that good environment in practice and in the clubhouse.”
Along with his hitting and communication skills, Flores has worked to become a complete player. He has focused on his defense, with the intention of becoming the latest well-rounded catcher to emerge from the Yankees’ farm system, following Austin Wells in recent years and J.C. Escarra this past spring, among others.
“I worked on it a lot in the big league camp with Wellsy and all of those guys,” Flores says of his time training with another former Patriot. “I feel like my throwing has gotten a lot better. I’m getting more carry on the ball; I’m getting more velo up to second. And just the blocking, it’s been a drastic change for me. It was fun.”
***
An imposing presence on the mound, the 6-foot-6, 210-pound Schlittler has been showing promise ever since the Yankees selected him out of Boston’s Northeastern University in the seventh round of the 2022 MLB Draft. After battling minor injuries in 2023, the right-hander bounced back in 2024. In 25 appearances that included 23 starts with Hudson Valley, Somerset and a stop in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Schlittler led all Yankees prospects with 154 strikeouts, posting a 3.36 ERA in 120.2 innings pitched.
His efforts earned the Weymouth, Massachusetts, native a spot on the South Atlantic League Postseason All-Star team and the honor of South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year. The 24-year-old continues to rack up accolades, the Kevin Lawn Award representing another confidence-booster for a player who has never lacked in that department.
“There’s some really good guys who have received that award. That’s a good feeling, and it shows a lot of promise seeing what they’ve been able to do after getting that award,” Schlittler says. “It gives me a boost in confidence to see that alley is definitely open. When I get those opportunities, I’ll definitely take full advantage of them, but for now I’m not worrying about it too much and trying to do my thing week by week.”
Confidence comes easy from a guy with a fastball that tops out at 98 mph and is currently ranked No. 10 in the Yankees system by MLB Pipeline. Domínguez has seen Schlittler channel that confidence into a focus that makes the manager excited for what could follow.
“He was a little quiet with me last year here, and maybe because I know him and he knows me a little bit more, we talked a lot about his expectations and the way that he’s feeling,” Domínguez says. “During practice we’ve been talking a lot, and he’s so excited. He’s been asking me a lot of questions, like what I think about the team. It seems like he really cares about the players who are going to play with him here in Double-A.”
The foundation for this season, just as any other, began before the first pitch on opening night. Schlittler was also among the non-roster invites to Yankees camp in Tampa. He not only used that opportunity to add a splitter to his arsenal, but also to watch and learn from the Major Leaguers and get valuable experience pitching against big league hitters.
“It was great to be invited, to be around those guys and to share a locker room with them,” the pitcher says. “I definitely learned a lot there and had some great conversations with some of those guys who have a lot of experience in the big leagues. I was able to watch them from a distance and pitch a lot of innings on the Major League side. I think that helped me prepare for the season.”
***
The relationship between pitcher and catcher is inarguably the most important one on the field. Everyone needs to be on the same page, whether in the clubhouse or on the team bus, but as far as on-field dynamic, nothing compares to what positions Nos. 1 and 2 endure together. Agreeing on pitch selection, knowing the tendencies of batters — it only becomes second nature through communication and trust. In that regard, Schlittler and Flores’ relationship has grown into one of the Patriots’ strengths.
“They know each other pretty well, and I think it’s going to be good for them to start here in Double-A ball this season,” Domínguez says. “The way that they communicate, and that skill that Rafa has to communicate with the pitchers and knowing a little bit more about Schlittler, he’s going to be good. When you have two players like that as a manager, there’s not too much that you have to do. You just give the information and you know that they’re going to use that information, have fun, and they’re going to play hard no matter what.”
The relationship that Flores and Schlittler enjoy, one built on a mutual respect and admiration, could provide the foundation for a strong season and beyond.
“Me and Cam, we’ve gotten pretty close over the past few years,” Flores says. “Anytime he’s on the mound, we’re so locked in. We’re on the same page, we’re thinking the same things, we’re executing things together. That’s what you want on the mound. You want a guy that’s on the mound that can trust you with anything you put down. He has your back; you have his back. I’m excited to catch him this year. He’s going to show up this year, for sure.”
As such, winning the Kevin Lawn Award together made for a special moment for Flores and Schlittler. It certainly represented a successful partnership to date. But the future is even more exciting for these two promising prospects.
“I’ve worked with Rafa a lot, and we’re great teammates and good friends,” Schlittler says. “He aspires to be a big leaguer. I get a lot of work with him during the week before starts, whether that’s bullpens, game planning, execution stuff. He works really hard, and we definitely have the same mindset. It’s been really good to work with someone, especially a catcher, where we have the same goals. I’m very excited for him and to see what he’s going to do this year, and he definitely put the work in last year to earn that award.”
Robert Hudson is a publications assistant with Yankees Magazine. This story appears in the May 2025 edition. Get more articles like this delivered to your doorstep by purchasing a subscription to Yankees Magazine at www.yankees.com/publications.