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Yankees' 2024 MLB Draft picks on full display with Spring Breakout roster reveal

Adam Weinrib
Adam Weinrib

Yanks Go Yard

Miami v NC State / Eakin Howard/GettyImages

The New York Yankees have presented fans with plenty of prospect showcases at spring training already. Now, though, they'll be conveniently confined to one game, as the return of Spring Breakout is on the horizon.

The Yankees' roster, in conjunction with the rest of MLB, was announced on Thursday, and while the lineup will be highlighted by some familiar names, the pitching staff will give fans a first-time look at many hurlers who've been shrouded behind the curtain.

Last March, left-hander Brock Selvidge crashed the party by showing off in the event. This year, 2024 draftees Ben Hess (first round), Bryce Cunningham (second round), Gage Ziehl (fourth round), and Greysen Carter (fifth round) will get an opportunity to unveil their arsenals for a mass audience. Yankees fans will also get a peek at Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, acquired from the Red Sox this offseason and already ranked No. 8 in MLB Pipeline's team-specific Top 30 list.

Fresh off taking Cy Young runner-up Zack Wheeler to the woodshed, top offensive prospects George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones will also be appearing in the event, even if they remain active in big-league camp.

Yankees Spring Breakout Roster: 2024 MLB Draft picks complement Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr.

While inclusion among the Spring Breakout participants is a rock-solid hint that a player isn't being actively considered for a spot on the Opening Day 26-man roster, that should come as no great surprise here. It's phenomenal that Jones has begun lifting the ball in the air again after a difficult, whiff-filled year. Lombard Jr. has looked remarkably comfortable and Carlos Correa-esque in his big-league reps so far. Eric Reyzelman very well could be a relief weapon by end of season. None of them will have a big-league lane to begin the season, though, and that's perfectly alright.

Spring Breakout is all about getting acquainted, and taking momentum from a public showcase into an all-important regular season. Hess, Cunningham, Ziehl and Carter will hopefully all be given an inning after being counted on to overhaul the team's pitching stockpile last summer. Right now, they're all relative unknowns with massive upside. Spring Breakout represents the first opportunity for them to become something more (and, with Chase Hampton depressingly out, the door to acclaim is wide open).

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib

Adam Weinrib is a Content Director on the FanSided network, and has been the co-editor at Yanks Go Yard for 6 years. He also co-hosts The Baseball Insiders Podcast thrice weekly, alongside FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray, as well as the Yanks Go Yard Podcast. Previously, he was a Senior Editor at 12up.com, and has been covering MLB and NFL for 10 years. He was also a headline and features contributor at ClickHole and Onion Sports, as well as the Associate Producer of the ESPN 30 for 30 film "Believeland". An avowed fan of the New York sports teams -- specifically the Yankees -- as well as the North Carolina Tar Heels, you can find Adam complaining mid-game on Twitter, as well as on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn if the game goes really poorly.