The New York Yankees are defending their controversial draft pick, Core Jackson, after it was revealed he once scrawled a swastika on a Jewish student’s dorm room door.
The New York Yankees are at the center of a storm after drafting shortstop Core Jackson, whose past misconduct has resurfaced with explosive impact.
Jackson, selected in the fifth round of the MLB Draft, admitted to drawing a swastika on a Jewish student’s dorm room door in 2021 while a freshman at the University of Nebraska. He told The Athletic that he had been “blackout drunk” and had no memory of the act until confronted later. “I felt like the worst person in the world,” he recalled.
The University of Nebraska fined Jackson and assigned community service but did not suspend him from the baseball team. The incident, however, has reignited debate on accountability and second chances in professional sports.
Despite widespread criticism, the Yankees are standing by their pick. Damon Oppenheimer, the team’s amateur scouting director, insisted the organization carried out the most thorough background check in his 23 years. The final decision was signed off by owner Hal Steinbrenner and had backing from Jewish officials within the Yankees, including team president Randy Levine.
Jackson signed for $147,500, notably below his draft slot value, and has already reported to the Yankees’ High-A affiliate.
His agent, Blake Corosky, nearly cut ties with him after the incident but agreed to continue under two strict conditions: that Jackson disclose the offense to every MLB team before the 2024 draft and that he work with Jacob Steinmetz, the Arizona Diamondbacks prospect and first practicing Orthodox Jew ever drafted.
Raised in a Christian household, Jackson admitted his ignorance of Judaism and the historical weight of the swastika. “That doesn’t excuse it,” he said, “but it shows how much I had to learn.”
Now 21, Jackson insists he wants his painful past to serve as a platform for growth and redemption. “I think it’s important that this is part of my story,” he said. “God has given me this platform, and I want to use it to show forgiveness and growth.”
The controversy leaves the Yankees walking a fine line — between defending their choice and addressing the outrage of fans and Jewish groups who see the draft pick as a dangerous precedent.
