Newly minted Yankees top pitching prospect absolutely dominates in pro debut

Turmoil and a talent drain in the Yankees' prospect ranks certainly aren't a good thing, but they have opened up a vacancy atop the list, just waiting to be filled by dominance. That goes double for the pitching ranks; Jasson Dominguez is rightly in MLB, George Lombard Jr. is shooting up the rankings, and Spencer Jones is an enigma, but who's the Yankees' top pitcher? After Chase Hampton's injury and Will Warren's promotion, no one knows for sure.

MLB Pipeline's theory is that right-hander Ben Hess will soon emerge from the pitching-heavy 2024 draft class to rightfully claim the crown. The 6'5", 255-pounder with a powerhouse heater may not have wowed collegiately at Alabama, posting a 5.80 ERA in his junior season. Where he did excel was in striking batters out; his 13.34 strikeouts per nine innings is a Crimson Tide program record.

Possessing the filth to rack up strikeouts at an MLB S-tier rate is one thing. Now, the Yankees have to get enough data on Hess to determine whether he's a reliever, a starter, or someone who doesn't quite belong as much as they'd hoped.

The righty appeared in this year's Spring Breakout Game for his first taste of the action, then reported to High-A Hudson Valley for his first regular-season professional reps. Despite the unseasonable cold in Brooklyn on Wednesday afternoon, things seem to have worked out in Hess' favor; he blew through a collection of Mets prospects, striking out nine and allowing two hits in 4 2/3 shutout frames.

Yankees top pitching prospect Ben Hess has ridiculous High-A professional debut

For those wondering, that equates to 17.38 per nine innings, well ahead of Hess' record-setting 'Bama pace.

Hess, in addition to fellow 2024 picks Bryce Cunningham and Gage Ziehl, as well as the recently imported Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, are being counted on to help thicken out the Yankees' pitching prospect ranks after they've been decimated in recent years.

This organization traditionally props itself up on being able to uncover arms from sunken places, but they made it very obvious with their 2024 draft strategy that they believe their ranks were starting to thin out. Hess' debut allowed them to take a fundamental step forward in regaining that edge, and bringing in enough talent to meet the moment. Now, the organization has a positive first step to use as a basis for their rejuvenation.