Yankees Could Have Surprising Reliever Starting to Rise

Yankees relief pitcher prospect Hueston Morrill dominated the high-A this past season, throwing a 0.42 ERA and 0.62 WHIP through 33 games and 43.1 innings with the Hudson Valley Renegades. But the craziest part of Morrill's stats? He used to play shortstop.

Morill, who was a two-way player in high school, made the switch to pitching full time after college at Oklahoma State University, per MLB.com's Jesse Borek.

“I’d always wanted to be a hitter,” Morrill said. “But the Yankees came to me and said, ‘Hey, we think you’ve got a good enough arm and let's see if you can transition.’”

Morill's rise is good news for the Yankees' pipeline. Relief pitching was one of the most woeful parts of the Pinstripes' 2025 season. While they acquired the hottest reliever on the market in David Bednar, the team continued to drop games due to weak bullpen performances.

Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees relief pitcher David Bednar (53) reacts after the final out of the game for the win over the Toronto Blue Jays in the ninth inning during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The Yankees are predicted to drop right-handed reliever Mark Leiter Jr. in the offseason, and could lose Devin Williams and Luke Weaver both to free agency. Both Williams and Weaver were inconsistent at best this season, while New York's two other trade deadline acquisitions, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird, were also disappointing. Morill's performance as a prospect is a small silver lining.

Hueston Morrill's Future with the Yankees

Of course, Morrill will need more time to develop before he's remotely ready for the big leagues. He's not ranked in the top 100 MLB prospects, or even the top 30 Yankees prospects, and only made the transition to the AA in 2025 for three games. Morill knows he will have to keep growing if he hopes to make it to the big leagues.

"For me, it's more just trust in the process, just enjoying being out there playing baseball,” he said. “Each time I go out there, I'm trying to do something a little different to grow as a pitcher. It's still pretty new to me, so I just want to make sure that I'm honed in on the little things and trying to make those as best as they can.”

Still, Morrill, who is playing in the 2025 Arizona Fall League on the Mesa Solar Sox, is one to watch for Yankees fans concerned about the future. If his performance in the minors can keep pace in 2026 with where he was at in 2025, the Pinstripes might just have their reliever of the future: and he used to play shortstop.

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