Yankees select RHP Ben Hess in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft
With the 26th overall pick, the New York Yankees selected RHP Ben Hess out of Alabama tonight in the first round of the 2024 MLB Draft.
The 6-foot-5 righty thrower owns the Alabama career record for K/9 at 13.34 (205 K/138.1 IP), and with a plus slider and fastball, that fits the mold for what the Yankees are looking for. His four-seamer sits mid-90s and reaches 99 with 18-22 inches of rise, and the mid-80s slider can become a cutter per Pipeline, but that’s not typically how the Yankees have operated. He also has a mid-70s curveball, and a mid-80s changeup
Hess has comps with Lance Lynn, and there are injury concerns as he had a stress fracture in his back in high school, an off-field injury as a freshman in 2022, a flexor strain in 2023, and he rolled his ankle walking his dog prior to the 2024 season. Pipeline says he could become a #2 starter down the road.
https://www.mlb.com/video/2024-draft-ben-hess-rhp
MLB Pipeline scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50