Sometimes a change of scenery is exactly what a young ballplayer needs to turn his career around. Former New York Yankees prospect Anthony Hall is banking on that as he embarks on a fresh start in independent baseball.
The 25-year-old outfielder, who was released by the Yankees in August 2025, has signed with the Sioux Falls Canaries of the American Association, as announced by the league on May 7. It's a new chapter for a player who once showed plenty of promise but has struggled to find his footing in professional baseball.
Hall was originally a fourth-round draft pick out of the University of Oregon in 2022, but his time in the Yankees organization never quite lived up to expectations. Last season with the advanced Class-A Hudson Valley Renegades, he slashed just .222/.300/.306 across 48 games. The numbers tell a tough story: only nine extra-base hits among his 32 total hits, paired with 50 strikeouts in 144 at-bats.
Over four seasons in the Yankees' system, Hall posted a career slash line of .234/.333/.358. He came within three steps of the majors but never quite made the leap.
Interestingly, Hall was enough of a talent to be drafted twice. The Atlanta Braves selected him in the 35th round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of Point Loma High School in California, but he chose to attend Oregon instead. Three years and a pandemic-interrupted season later, the Yankees made him the 130th overall pick in 2022—a draft class that also included future big leaguers like Chase Meidroth and Troy Melton.
The Canaries play in the American Association, a 12-team independent league known for giving former major leaguers and prospects a second chance. For Hall, it's a chance to revive a career that never fully took flight with the Yankees, despite his high draft pedigree.
There was a time when Hall looked like a rising star. In 2023, he was ranked as the No. 21 prospect in the Yankees' system. That season, he slugged 10 home runs, posted a .353 on-base percentage, and showed off plus defense in the outfield across two levels. But injuries derailed his momentum. His 2024 campaign was interrupted by a two-month stint on the injured list—his third IL trip in three seasons since being drafted.
While Hall managed to stay off the IL in 2025, his limited playing time suggested he was either battling lingering health issues or struggling to produce when given the opportunity. That all changes in 2026. Sioux Falls opens its season on May 15, and Hall will have a chance to prove he still has the talent that made him a draft prospect twice over.
For a player who once had the tools to make it to the show, this independent league opportunity might just be the fresh start he needs to get his career back on track.