Yankees may have found latest pitching prospect gem in overlooked 2025 draftee

The New York Yankees' minor league system is making a name for itself as an incubator for great young arms. At the major league level, Cam Schlittler and Will Warren have shown out and proven that the approach yields fruit, while down on the farm we eagerly await the (true) arrivals of Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange.

Those are far from the only notable young hurlers to keep an eye on. In the lead-up to spring training, Matt Blake tabbed Ben Hess as the next pitcher to make a Schlittler-like rise. Others gaining clout were 2024 second-round pick Bryce Cunningham and once-promising Tommy John surgery returnee Chase Hampton. Many others were worthy of consideration for being the next big thing.

But the youngster slicing and dicing opposing lineups and generating loud buzz down on the farm is ... none of those candidates. Instead, he's an overlooked Texas Tech product who signed for a measly $150,000 bonus after being selected with the 29th pick of the 15th round of the 2025 draft. His name is Jack Cebert.

Jack Cebert's 2026 rise from unknown to legitimate Yankees' prospect has been stunning

Cebert wasn't even the first Texas Tech arm the Yankees went after in the 2025 draft. That honor went to eighth-round selection Mac Heuer, who was an intriguing participant on New York's Spring Breakout roster. Heuer is now in Tampa, struggling to throw strikes while posting a 17.5% walk rate.

Cebert got his feet wet at High-A Hudson Valley last season, and put together an impressive performance with a 2.84 ERA and 44% strikeout rate against a 4% walk rate over a small 6 1/3-inning sample. He returned to Hudson Valley to begin this season and dominated to the tune of a 0.98 ERA over 18 1/3 innings. That raised enough eyebrows for New York to aggressively send him to Double-A Somerset.

In Somerset, Cebert has truly begun to garner attention. He's made five starts at the level and recorded six strikeouts or more in each appearance. He was looking great until Friday night's stinker where he allowed nine earned runs on 10 hits and a walk over four innings. He still struck out seven, though.

All in all, he's been good for a superb 30.6% strikeout rate against a decent 8.3% walk rate and .265 batting average against.

As you can see, he can put hitters away in a variety of ways. Cebert possesses a four-seam fastball that sits in the mid-90s and can run up to 98. He also has a two-seamer that is a low-to-mid 90s offering. He pairs those two heaters with a lethal slider and a cutter, as well as the occasional changeup to lefties.

MLB Pipeline, which still has Cebert ranked as New York's No. 25 prospect, noted that it was the Yankees that introduced the four-seamer into his repertoire and helped him improve his velocity. Baseball America (subscription required) named the right-hander as one of the biggest risers in the system, moving him from No. 17 to No. 7 (one spot ahead of Cunningham) in its May update.

One area that Cebert has to clean up is his command within the strike zone. The 24-year-old throws a lot of strikes, but he doesn't always locate well within the zone, which can negate the effectiveness of his impact stuff. This has manifested itself most via the home run, with him allowing one homer in each of his five Double-A starts (and three in his most recent).

Still, the development of his velocity and stuff as an afterthought pick in the late rounds is reminiscent of Schlittler. He's already made a name for himself as a serious prospect, and could leapfrog his way over more established names and continue his rapid rise if he refines his command.

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