Young Yankees pitcher clearly punished for injury on latest Top 100 Prospects update

The New York Yankees' farm system continues to be appraised better by expert-run publications than by fans roaming the wasteland formerly known as Twitter, crafting trade packages that no one will hear. And that's good! But one prize Yankee received a cold dose of recent reality when Baseball America released its May 2024 Top 100 Prospects update on Thursday.

Earlier this winter, Baseball America impressed (and surprised?) Yankees fans by both respecting Jasson Dominguez (shoutout) and seeming disinterested in bumping players who scuffled in 2023 from the rankings, like Everson Pereira, whose big league cameo other publications found disqualifying.

May's update features a number of changes for the Yankees, who still managed to sneak five names into the discussion. Pereira has moved out; 2023 first-round pick shortstop George Lombard Jr. has vaulted up to No. 99. Teenaged shortstop Roderick Arias, hitting .207 with a ..692 OPS to begin the year (drat), continues to receive recognition. Austin Wells? Baseball America seems to lend credence to the bad batted ball luck, too; he moved up to No. 59.

But, predictably, the Yankees' purported "mini-Cole" ace in waiting is nowhere to be found. Chase Hampton, who's been laid up since the spring with a shoulder issue ... or maybe an elbow, per later reports ... has been bumped into the runoff pool.

Yankees place five in Baseball America's Top 100 Prospects update -- but not Chase Hampton

Add in the real Gerrit Cole also being laid up long-term with an elbow issue -- and still faraway from throwing off a mound while slow-playing his return -- and ... Will Warren and Clayton Beeter, it's your pitch!

The Yankees have gotten impressive work from their pitching depth thus far in 2024, but could use more swing-and-miss across the board. The focus of Thursday's update should've been continued respect for a rehabbing Dominguez and surging Spencer Jones, and those are both positive trends; the Yankees' outfield of the future might be in an impressive number of good hands.

But it hurts to lose Hampton, especially since fans still have no idea how long they can expect to lose him for in reality -- or where the pain even lies.