Yankees take 6-foot-6 LHP Dietz with 35th overall pick

NEW YORK -- The Yankees believe strongly in their ability to develop pitchers and keep them healthy, which made University of Arkansas left-hander Hunter Dietz a compelling choice for their first selection in the 2026 MLB Draft on Saturday.

Dietz was MLB Pipeline’s No. 17 overall prospect for this year’s Draft, but as recently as last summer, it was hard to imagine he would end up being taken this early.

The southpaw barely pitched over his first two seasons with Arkansas due to injury issues and was coming off a largely discouraging stint in the Cape Cod League. But after turning heads in fall practice, Dietz cemented himself as one of the country’s premier college pitching prospects.

The 21-year-old finished the 2026 season with a 3.57 ERA, 131 strikeouts and 31 walks over 85 2/3 innings for the Razorbacks -- quite a statement for a pitcher who was limited to just 1 2/3 college innings before this year.

Dietz underwent elbow surgery in the fall of 2023 to repair a fracture in his left ulna, then suffered a setback in '24 that sidelined him for 13 months. He began to turn a corner by the end of the summer as he started to regain his velocity, then fully took off after returning to campus in the fall.

Dietz’s fastball sits in the mid-90s and touches 98 mph, with life that varies from backspin and carry to natural cutting action depending on the pitch.

Both his slider and cutter grade as plus pitches -- Cole Hamels, who was participating in Draft coverage for MLB Network, said that Dietz should move quickly through the Minors and that the hurler’s slider is “reminiscent of Clayton Kershaw.”

Dietz’s curveball has a chance to get there too, if he can tighten up its consistency. He rarely turns to his changeup, though it shows solid depth when he does.

Dietz also presents an unusual look for hitters, delivering pitches from a 6-foot-6 frame with a high three-quarters arm slot. He benefits from an unusually high release height of 6.7 feet, a steep angle that creates ground-ball contact.

Although he didn’t take a linear path, Dietz always possessed big potential. He was a touted prospect coming out of Cavalry Christian High School in Clearwater, Fla., where he shared a rotation with fellow 2026 Draft prospect Liam Peterson (taken 19th overall by Cleveland) and Landen Maroudis, a fourth-round pick by the Blue Jays in ’25.

The Yankees will have four total picks on Day 1. Their next selection was set for No. 63 to be followed by No. 99 and No. 127. The Blue Jays, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies and Yankees received a 10-pick penalty on their first picks for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

New York’s first-round selection last year was shortstop Dax Kilby, taken 39th overall from Newnan (Ga.) High School. Kilby is currently on the injured list with Low-A Tampa in the Florida State League.

Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting, said before the Draft that he sees this class as one with depth.

“There’s going to be a lot of options for anyone to take,” Oppenheimer said. “Picking at 35, it’s tricky trying to figure out what’s going to get to you. The staff we have is really tapped into people in the business, and some publications. We get an idea for what has a chance to get to us.

“We blend pitchers and hitters, and we take it 300 deep on a Draft board. Hopefully the next man up is the right guy and that guy is signable for where we pick, because we’ve put it together and we’ve had the arguments.”