New York Yankees Top Prospect Dominates in First Outing For High-A Affiliate

Ben Hess, ranked as the No. 4 prospect in the New York Yankees organization by MLB Pipeline, put together quite a debut at High-A Hudson Valley on Wednesday. The right-hander, who is the top pitching prospect in the organization, went 4.2 innings, striking out nine. He gave up just two hits and one walk.

A first-round pick in last year's draft, Hess played his college ball at Alabama. He did not pitch after getting drafted last year, so this was his first professional appearance.

What a pro debut from @Yankees top pitching prospect Ben Hess with the @HVRenegades!

4 2/3 IP
2 H
0 R
1 BB
9 K pic.twitter.com/OSL3K0J2vT
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 9, 2025

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Hess can overpower hitters with a four-seam fastball that parks at 92-96 mph and peaks at 99 with armside run, and the flat approach angle and extension in his delivery make it more difficult to barrel. While his curveball sits in the mid-70s, it gives him a second plus pitch with its ability to fool hitters thanks to its depth and sweep coming out of a low arm slot. His mid-80s slider can feature two-plane depth at times but lost some sharpness last year, and he no longer trusts a fading mid-80s changeup that once looked like a potential solid offering.

MLB.com projects him to make his debut in 2027, which would mean he'd still have an opportunity to join a rotation with Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodon.

The Yankees are in action on Wednesday against the Detroit Tigers and the Renegades will play again on Thursday against the Brooklyn Cyclones, who are affilated with the New York Mets.

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