After the first weekend of play, Yankees top pitching prospects Elmer Rodriguez and Carlos Lagrange were (rightfully) the talk of New York fans following their impressive starts on Friday and Saturday. The two right-handers are the organization's top pitching prospects.
Right behind them, though? None other than Ben Hess, who hasn't gotten nearly the amount of attention despite finishing the 2025 season strong at Double-A Somerset (2.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 45 strikeouts in seven starts totaling 36 2/3 innings).
Hess was the Yankees' first-round pick in 2024 after his rocky final season at the University of Alabama.