3 surprise players who've dominated early at Yankees spring training

Ian Hamilton, RHP

To call Ian Hamilton an afterthought in the Yankees' projected bullpen prior to camp breaking is an insult to afterthoughts.

The 27-year-old right-hander, recently of the Guardians and Twins, flew entirely under the radar after signing a minor-league pact with the Bombers this offseason.

But one look at Hamilton in action Monday night, and it was immediately obvious why the Yankees wanted to get him under Matt Blake's tutelage. Some pitchers struggle to find their rhythm in their spring debuts. Some pitchers battle the newfound urgency of the pitch clock. Hamilton? He was locked in from the start, thriving under the new time constraints, and repeatedly rocking and firing in a quick dismissal of the Tigers.

8 pitches, 8 strikes, 3 outs, 2 whiffs.

If he plays his cards right, there'll be another Hamilton in New York who refuses to throw away his shot.

Last season, Hamilton was only given one big-league cameo with the Twins, allowing two earned runs in 2.2 innings. He also scuffled at Triple-A Columbus after switching organizations, posting a 6.27 ERA in 18.2 innings.

But with Triple-A St. Paul, he shined, whiffing 36 batters and walking just 8 in 28.2 innings, posting a sterling 1.88 ERA and a .158 opponents' average.

If there's one thing the Yankees have in droves, it's bullpen depth, and we won't con you into keeping your eyes peeled for Hamilton this summer (unless you, like, really want to keep your eyes peeled). It's tough to be more dominant than he was in his first spring cameo, though. Excited for more -- and more at that impressive tempo, too.