How one Ardrey Kell and Queens alum is faring inside New York Yankees’ system

Dillon Lewis picked up his phone one afternoon in July 2024 and saw his name flash across the screen. The New York Yankees had just selected the Queens University outfielder in the 13th round of the MLB Draft.

For a moment, he couldn’t process what was happening.

“I think I lied (to my agent) and said I didn’t know,” Lewis said, laughing. “I was still in shock.”

The Charlotte native had just been drafted by his childhood favorite team. Now, more than a year into his professional career, the former Ardrey Kell standout is methodically building his path from west Charlotte diamonds to pinstripes.

From Queens to Yankees’ system

Lewis blossomed while at Ardrey Kell before staying local to star at Queens University. His junior season produced the numbers that caught New York’s attention: He was one of just two Division I players to hit 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in 2024.

“I think toward the end of the spring, it was clear that the Yankees were probably one of the favorites and saw me the highest, but there’s no guarantees going into draft day,” Lewis said. “That day and that whole weekend, you’re just kind of waiting, trying to enjoy the time best you can.”

The Yankees signed Lewis and assigned him to Low-A Tampa. He earned a promotion to High-A Hudson Valley during his first professional season, and currently ranks as the organization’s No. 16 prospect.

Defense becomes calling card

Lewis arrived in Tampa with raw power and speed but quickly discovered gaps in his game.

“I’d barely scratched the surface of understanding what, if you catch the ball, like, hey, you’re good, but there’s so much more that goes into it that really can separate defenders,” Lewis said. “That was a big one. I think it was something that I think they found out, and I found out at the same time, how good of a defender I can be.”

The Yankees provided tools for self-evaluation that didn’t exist even five years ago. Lewis has access to video analysis, advanced metrics and coaching feedback at every level.

“It’s watching film. It’s breaking film down with coaches. It’s breaking it down myself,” Lewis said. “It’s staying up late at night. It’s getting up early in the morning on certain days. Some days you just don’t want to do any of that. Some days you do it too much.”

Managing baseball’s daily grind

A typical game day starts around 9 or 10 a.m. for the 6:30 p.m. first pitch. Lewis eats breakfast, disconnects from baseball for a few hours, then arrives at the park around 2 p.m.

The schedule includes hitting groups, defensive work and pregame preparation with built-in downtime between sessions. About 30 minutes before game time, advanced meetings start. Then Lewis gets to play.

“You get to turn all that stuff off, you get to be really, really free,” Lewis said. “Once the game comes, hey, I get to go out there, I get to play, we get to compete, we get to have fun and have the highs and the lows.”

After games end around 10 or 11 p.m., Lewis gets home and takes an hour to wind down before bed. Then he does it again the next day.

Finding mental balance

Lewis developed a mantra for baseball’s inevitable failures: One day doesn’t define the next.

“You have a day you strike out three times that has no impact on what tomorrow looks like,” Lewis said. “In the same breath, if you hit three homers that day, it has no impact on what tomorrow’s going to look like either. So it’s, all right, well, how can you ride out the highs, enjoy it so you’re in a good headspace? But then when you hit the lows, understanding you can flip.”

That mindset carried him through adjustments to his swing path and the elevated strikeout rates that come with attempting to lift the ball more consistently. Lewis credited former roommate Marshall Toole, who signed with the Yankees in the same 2024 draft, with helping him stay grounded in Tampa.

“We would always just have little sayings that just kind of kept us going,” Lewis said. “It was big to just shrug things off when they weren’t going well and then also acknowledge what things were.”

Charlotte training base

Lewis returns to Charlotte during the offseason to train. He currently works out locally before ramping up at X2 Baseball as spring training approaches.

He also gives back at the Stick Williams Dream Fields on Tuckaseegee Road through the Knothole Foundation, the same field where he found a place to play when he moved to Charlotte during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’ve had a lot of people helping me on my path, and I wouldn’t be able to do it by myself,” Lewis said. “To know I can be in the corner with those kids and those that need it, it feels great.”

His parents made multiple trips during his first professional season, traveling to Florida, New York and the New Jersey shore to watch him play. His mother, Charmain, and father, T.J., supported his baseball dreams through Ardrey Kell and Queens University.

Eyes on MLB goal

The Yankees organization instilled an important reality early: Lewis plays for all 30 teams, not just New York.

“All I can do is be the best version of myself so, hey, maybe the team has to make a decision whether it’s with us or it’s with somebody else, but that’s all I can control,” Lewis said.

That approach keeps Lewis from worrying about Aaron Judge or the crowded Yankees outfield picture. He focuses on improving at each level of competition.

“My goal is to be a major league baseball player and to play for a long time,” Lewis said. “So I think the next step for me is another step up in competition next year. I expect to be improving in competition the rest of my career.”

Lewis won’t know his 2025 assignment until late spring training. The Yankees haven’t communicated specific roster plans. He’ll report to Tampa, work out, and wait for his name to be called on a roster.

“There’s really no pressure or thought to it,” Lewis said. “It’s about how can I just go and improve now where, no matter where I’m going in the spring, whatever opportunities happen during the spring, after the spring, I’m ready for it.”

The 13th-round pick from Queens University has already climbed to No. 16 in the Yankees prospect rankings. He set a baseline with his power-speed combination in 2024.

“I think I set a good baseline on how I envision myself being as a ballplayer, but I think I was also just scratching the surface,” Lewis said.

For now, Lewis sticks to his daily routine in Charlotte. Wake up. Eat well. Get to the gym. Work on his craft. Then do it again tomorrow.

Somewhere in that daily grind between film sessions and batting practice and quiet moments away from baseball, the Ardrey Kell alum is building his foundation for the big leagues.