This New York Yankees’ Draft Decision Has Turned Toxic Fast

The 2025 MLB Draft occurred a few months ago, and it’s a time when teams like the New York Yankees take a look at the future. Sometimes prospects come in and make a positive impact, but sometimes that impact is negative and super controversial. The level of controversy can turn the situation toxic super fast. It seems like that just happened with the New York Yankees’ selection of Core Jackson.

Who Is Core Jackson?

Core Jackson is a baseball player who plays at the shortstop position at the University of Utah. He was one of the many prospects available to select during the 2025 MLB Draft. He dropped to the 5th round of the draft, and with the 164th pick, the Yankees thought he was too good to pass on. Well, after what has recently come out, there is a reason he fell out of the draft. It is because of the character.

The Swastika Incident

In 2021, Jackson got himself in a boatload of controversy. Jackson, at the age of 17, decided to draw a swastika on the dorm room door of a Jewish student in 2021. This occurred when he was a freshman at the University of Nebraska. Jackson admitted that he was “Blackout drunk, made a stupid mistake, and is not the same person that he was.“ Jackson called every MLB team to apologize for the incident and showed remorse for the incident.

His DUI Arrest

Hold up, there’s more. It has also been revealed that Jackson was also charged with a DUI in 2024. Jackson did complete community service and substance abuse training, thus resulting in him not serving time in jail.

In an article from The Athletic, he claims that “he hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol” since the arrest in 2024. Which is great, and hopefully, he is getting that issue taken care of. There should be a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to athletes getting DUIs. There is no excuse anymore for how easy it is to get an Uber or other form of transportation. 

Who In The Yankees Organization Gave The Okay To Draft Him?

Something weird is that while the Yankees did their due diligence, they did not even contact Nebraska. The organization felt drafting him was a good idea. Especially when top-ranking Jewish members of the team supported the decision to draft him. Hal Steinbrenner gave the okay to make the pick, and thus Jackson became a New York Yankee. They need help at shortstop as Anthony Volpe has not panned out this year.

Final Thoughts

It has become clear that Jackson has tremendous issues. He has a ton of baggage, and this selection, thanks to this reporting, has already been toxic for the Yankees. While he has the talent in the ballpark, for this pick to pan out, the issues outside the ballpark need to be addressed.