4 potential breakout prospects we can't wait to watch at Yankees spring training

One of the most fun things about spring training is the chance to get a look at the next generation of players who have the chance to become stars. The high-profile youngsters who show they can hold their own against veterans and those fighting for a roster spot can carry the momentum through and make a name for themselves. The New York Yankees don't always have a ton of these guys in camp, but this year, we'll see a few on display.

The term "breakout" is subjective. One could think of it in terms of prospect rankings; however, those don't always tell the whole story. Those rankings are based on traits, not production. For example, Ben Rice was never a top-10 Yankees prospect, despite hitting at every level of the minors.

Another way to look at it is players who are on the verge of making a leap. They may have already "broken out" at lower levels, but now will be facing a tougher class of competition, and this could serve as a primer as to how they'll fare. History is littered with prospects who looked like can't-miss stars and then flamed out once they had to go against more experienced opponents.

Finally, some are youngsters we haven't seen in a while who could be put back on the map with a strong spring showing.

In this year's round of potential future stars, we've identified four who fit any of the above criteria, and who we can't wait to see take the field in Tampa.

Four breakout Yankees prospects we're excited to see take the field in spring training

Chase Hampton

It wasn't all that long ago that Chase Hampton was the top pitching prospect in New York's system. But at the same time, it feels like forever. After winning the pitcher version of the Kevin Lawn award in 2023 (Ben Rice was the position player recipient), Hampton looked to be on the path to superstardom.

However, injuries and misdiagnoses derailed the righty's 2024 campaign until it was revealed that the actual issue required Tommy John surgery. The recovery cost the 24-year-old the entire 2025 season. In that time, he's been lapped by several other young arms and is now considered the farm's fifth-best hurler, behind Carlos Lagrange, Elmer Rodriguez, Bryce Cunningham, and Ben Hess.

That might not be the case for long. He might need some time to knock off the rust, but we're excited to see him take the mound again, and hopeful that he can get back to being the dominant force that he was back in 2023.

George Lombard Jr.

Hard to say that a guy who is near-universally ranked as the Yankees' top prospect and a consensus top-100 talent hasn't already broken out, but George Lombard Jr. has some refining to do. Last season, the youngster annihilated High-A competition at Hudson Valley, slashing .329/.495/.488 over 24 games. He played the next 108 in Somerset, but failed to produce the same magic against Double-A hurlers, hitting .215/.337/.358.

The 20-year-old ranks as high as he does because of his smooth swing mechanics, elite physical tools, and mature approach at the plate, as evidenced by his 13.6% walk rate in Double-A despite the overall lack of production. With an offseason of work under his belt, it will be fascinating to see how he fares now against guys ticketed for big league roster spots and Triple-A stashes.

Ben Hess

The Yankees' 2024 first-round pick has that throwback, burly, hoss-type look to him that's reminiscent of Roger Clemens. Making his pro debut last year, the Alabama product dominated High-A hitters with a 33.9% K-rate and a 3.51 ERA. He then made his final seven starts of the year at Somerset, and was somehow even better, lowering his ERA to 2.70 and cutting his walk rate from 11.9% to 9%, all while still striking out hitters at a 31.3% clip.

His inclusion on the spring training invites list was already enough to get fans' engines revving, then Matt Blake dropped the hammer and declared him ahead of where Cam Schlittler was at this time last year. Every pitch he throws could be a preview of what's to come later on this season, and an impressive performance could launch him to the bigs later on this year.

Carlos Lagrange

Carlos Lagrange is six-foot-seven and can hit 103 miles per hour on the radar gun with ease. What's not to be excited about? After years of injuries, the 22-year-old finally put together a healthy year and really turned heads. It's not just the fastball, either. Lagrange has a pair of wicked breaking balls and a changeup in his bag as well.

Walk rate has been an issue, ticking up to 14.9% during the course of his work at Somerset. Will the command look better this time around? Will his stuff, which was ranked as the best in the minors period, put him on track to crack the Yankees' bullpen as a reliever this year? We'll hope to glean at least some of those answers during his spring showing, but no matter what, we'll be glued watching every high-octane heater and wipeout slider he uncorks.