Starting for the Hudson Valley Renegades tonight was RHP Ben Hess, the Yankees‘ first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Alabama. Coming off of two rocky starts where he allowed nine total runs in 8.2 innings, the right-hander was hoping to rebound and get his season back on track after a blazing-hot start. Facing the Wilmington BlueRocks on the road, he would deliver his best start of the 2025 season thus far, striking out nine hitters and allowing just a walk and hit in his 6.2 innings of one-run baseball.
That lone run was unearned, and his ERA on the season dropped to a strong 3.24 ERA as he’s up to 25 innings pitched with 39 strikeouts and 12 walks.
Ben Hess Sets New Career-High in Innings Pitched, Yankees Have a Pitching Factory
It was a brilliant night for Ben Hess in Wilmington, as the right-hander pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his career, completing a new career-high with 6.2 IP. He had yet to pitch past the fifth inning in his pro career, but the right-hander had everything working as his fastball had more zip and was getting plenty of whiffs while the breaking ball and changeup were sharp as ever.
Ben Hess had a no-hitter going after six innings, as the only two blemishes on his line were an unearned run due to catcher’s interference and a walk in the sixth inning. A groundball would be swatted up the middle that unfortunately struck Hess in the foot, re-directing the ball into no man’s land and allowing a runner to reach on an infield single.
Manager James Cooper and the training staff quickly went out to check on the tall righty, but he stayed in the game to coax a double play that ended his night. He pleaded with his manager to let him face another batter, but through 6.2 innings and 88 pitches, the Renegades didn’t want to push their young starter any further. It was a brilliant performance for Hess, who now climbs into the top 10 for strikeouts among MiLB arms with 39 punchouts.
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The Yankees drafted Ben Hess a few spots ahead of where most scouts had him going in the 2024 MLB Draft, but the organization has helped the right-hander find a new gear. Standing at 6’5, Hess has lost some weight since being drafted to add some more functional weight and be more athletic in his stride to the plate. Despite his massive frame, Hess releases his fastball lower to the ground than most right-handed pitchers, but he generates tons of ride on it.
Ben Hess also gets plenty of extension on his heater, which allows it to appear firmer than the 92-93 MPH he’s been sitting at for most of the season. His heater had more zip tonight than most nights, and there was a belief that his fastball velocity had been down due to colder weather. In his outing in Hudson Valley against Jersey Shore, Hess had dialed it up to 95 MPH and hit that number a few times, so it seems his velocity is truly trending the right direction.
With a 37.9% K% through his first five starts, Ben Hess has eviscerated hitters in High-A, but his command has bitten him in the rear end at times. His 11.7% walk rate is higher than he’d like, but his Strike% isn’t utterly atrocious and the overall production has been remarkable. The new changeup he’s throwing is wicked, his curveball looks just as good as it did in Alabama, and his fastball is a plus pitch that could get even better as the season goes on.