Yankees select Alabama pitcher Ben Hess in first round of MLB Draft

The Yankees didn’t come up in the order until the 26th pick of the first round Sunday night in the MLB Draft. And after they did go on the clock, it ended with them going for pitching.

The Yankees selected Alabama righthander Ben Hess. The Illinois native is 6-5, 255 pounds and owns the Crimson Tide’s career record for strikeouts per nine innings (13.34). Hess had 205 strikeouts in 138 1⁄3 innings across three seasons.

This past season, the junior went 5-5 but with a high ERA of 5.80 in 15 starts. He held batters to a .234 average, struck out 106 and walked 35 in 68 1⁄3 innings.

“He fits what we are looking for in a potential top-of-the-line major-league starter,” Yankees vice president of amateur scouting Damon Oppenheimer said in a statement. “Specifically, he’s a big, power righthander that can throw two breaking balls and can reach up to 97 [mph]. We think there is even more to come from Ben with our player development program.”

Tennessee coach Tony Vitello was impressed with Hess. “We saw him early in the year and the stuff was dynamite at times,” he said, speaking as an analyst on the MLB Network telecast of the draft. “ . . . I think what they’re looking for here is a big, physical starting pitcher and a guy that’s not afraid to compete.”

There indeed is some toughness here. “Talking with the coaching staff at Alabama, new coach Rob Vaughn, I know deep into the year, they had a game where he had food poisoning and he decided to take the ball anyway against Mississippi State,” Vitello said. “Gritted through that effort and went on to have his best starts following that. So I think his best days are ahead of him.”

It was the third time the Yankees have selected a collegiate pitcher in the first round of the draft since 2009, joining Clarke Schmidt (2017, University of South Carolina) and James Kaprielian (2015, UCLA).  

The Yankees took Vanderbilt righthander Bryce Cunningham in the second round. The 6-5, 230-pound Alabama native went 7-4 with a 4.36 ERA in 16 starts as a junior last season.

“We love Bryce because he’s another pick that could have top-end starter potential and has already been tested in the SEC,” Oppenheimer said. “He’s a quality pitcher and a powerful righthander with a big fastball that can reach up to 99 [mph], a good changeup and a slider that continues to improve.

“Bryce has continued to get better, and credit to him on what he has done on his own, his performance in the Cape Cod Baseball League and the support he received at Vanderbilt.”