The New York Yankees have defended their decision to select University of Utah shortstop Core Jackson in the fifth round of last month’s MLB draft, after reports emerged that Jackson drew a swastika on a Jewish student’s dormitory door in 2021. The incident occurred when Jackson was a 17-year-old freshman at the University of Nebraska. He told The Athletic he was “blackout drunk” and had no memory of the act, adding, “I felt like the worst person in the world.”
The university fined him, assigned community service and required online sensitivity training, but did not suspend him from the baseball team. Jackson said he wanted to apologise directly but was advised by campus police not to contact the victim. Yankees amateur scouting director Damon Oppenheimer said the club carried out the most extensive background check of his 23-year tenure before selecting Jackson, with the decision approved by owner Hal Steinbrenner and supported by Jewish officials within the organisation, including team president Randy Levine.
“We were looking for accountability,” Oppenheimer said. “We believe his actions since the incident show remorse and growth.” Jackson signed for $147,500, well below the slot value of $411,100 for the 164th overall pick, and has reported to High-A Hudson Valley. His agent, Blake Corosky, initially considered dropping him but reconsidered under two conditions: that Jackson disclose the incident to every MLB team before the 2024 draft, and that he work with Diamondbacks prospect Jacob Steinmetz, the first practising Orthodox Jewish player ever drafted.
Jackson, who grew up in a Christian household in Wyoming, admitted he knew little about Judaism or the historical weight of the swastika. “That doesn’t excuse it,” he said. “But it shows how much I had to learn.” The swastika incident is not Jackson’s only off-field trouble. In September 2024, while playing at Utah, he was charged with DUI. The case was reduced to misdemeanour impaired driving after he completed community service, substance-abuse training and paid fines. Jackson says he has not had a drink since.
His college career took him from Nebraska to South Mountain Community College in Arizona and finally to Utah, where he hit .363 with four home runs and 41 RBIs in 2024. Scouts praised his arm strength, power and athleticism. For the Yankees, those tools—along with Jackson’s willingness to confront his past—were enough to outweigh concerns. But in New York, home to the world’s largest Jewish community outside Israel, the decision remains polarising.
“I think it’s important that this is part of my story,” Jackson said. “God has given me this platform, and I want to use it to show forgiveness and growth.”
