3 Yankees prospects whose hot starts you probably haven't noticed

These days, all of the discourse surrounding the New York Yankees' minor league system focuses on three things: how high can George Lombard Jr. rise? Can Spencer Jones cut down on the strikeouts and realize his full potential? And why don't the Yankees have more high-end pitching depth in Triple-A to call up as injuries ravage their starting rotation?

But beneath the surface, a handful of lesser-known players are off to hot starts that may change the way we, and the industry, think about them going forward. We're still very early on in the minor league season, so it's too early to call these players breakout successes just yet, but they are prospects to watch.

If they continue to string along consistent performance above expectations, they could be the next risers through the farm system, and in the case of one, perhaps even threaten to snatch a role with the big league club sooner rather than later.

These three Yankees' prospects are players to watch as potential breakout candidates as the season unfolds

Note: All prospect rankings are courtesy of MLB.com. All stats are as of April 19th.

As Will Warren's struggles continue, it can feel as if the Yankees' minor league pitching is in dire straits. Warren, who is turning 26 in June, is one of the Yankees' top pitching prospects and needed to be bailed out by the bullpen after just 1.2 innings in his last start against Tampa. It certainly feels as if the entire system, at least on the pitching side, is rotten.

However, at Double-A Somerset, righty Cam Schlittler has been on fire to start the season. Ranked just outside of the Yankees' top 10 prospects, sitting at No. 11, Schlittler has all the tools that can make you drool.

At 6-foot-6 with a four-pitch repertoire that features a fastball that can touch 98, a pair of breaking balls, and a fringy changeup, Schlittler is making huge strides in the early going. Upon his promotion to Double-A last season, he struggled, posting a 4.45 ERA in 32.1 innings. This season, he's off to an incredible start, pitching to a 1.80 ERA through 15 innings, while averaging a strikeout per inning and posting an impressive 48.6% ground ball rate.

A significant big-league role might not be in the cards for Schlittler yet, but he can dramatically improve his status within the organization and prime himself for a key spot on the 2026 roster if he keeps this up all season.

Yankees infielder Jorbit Vivas has started hot down at Triple-A

After being acquired in a minor trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, infielder Jorbit Vivas struggled in his first year in the Yankees system. While his batting line, .225/.348/.358, was good for just a 93 wRC+, the youngster did show at least one advanced skill in the form of his plate discipline, walking 13.8% of the time.

Ranked No. 20 in the Yankees' system, Vivas had a short but impressive spring training showing in which he hit .423/.444/.500 over 27 plate appearances. That hot start has carried over to the regular season. At Triple-A, the 24-year-old has authored a .364/.443/.530 line while maintaining his eagle-eye at the plate, posting a walk rate of 11.3%.

Vivas' power production has improved as well, with two homers on the season and an acceptable .167 ISO number. If he keeps this up while Oswald Peraza continues to struggle, he may force his way into the third base conversation again at the big league level.

Unheralded 2024 Yankees draft pick dominating in pro debut

Finally, at the lower levels, a 2024 draft pick is starting to show out during his first taste of professional action. Drafted in the sixth round last year out of LSU, left-handed starting pitcher Griffin Herring has been dominant in the early going.

Ranked 26th in the farm system, Herring has posted a sparkling 0.55 ERA over three starts and 16.1 innings pitched. Featuring a wipeout slider that is effective against both righties and lefties, he's recorded an eye-popping 12.12 K/9 so far on the young season in A-Ball.

Very much an unfinished product, Herring will need to work on finding some more juice on his fastball, which sits in the low-90s, and/or improving his very fringy changeup. However, the early returns show that he could quickly rise up the ranks as he establishes himself as a professional.

All three of these youngsters currently reside outside of the top 10 of the Baby Bombers rankings. If they can build on these hot starts, that might change sooner rather than later. In the meantime, all three are names to watch as the season kicks into full gear.