The New York Yankees likely weren’t viewing Chase Hampton as an option for the Opening Day rotation, but they were hoping for him to make the strides necessary to be big-league-ready at the end of the season.
After feeling healthy and fresh this winter, Hampton had some UCL issues during camp, and the Yankees immediately shut him down and sent him to NYC to further examine the ligament. What they found must have been a tear, as the right-hander underwent Tommy John Surgery this morning, according to Greg Joyce, which will put him out of commission for 12-18 months.
He’s not the only prospect undergoing TJS this week, as 2024 third-round pick Thatcher Hurd finds himself under the knife later this wee,k according to Geoff Pontes of Baseball America. A crushing blow for the LSU right-hander, the Yankees will lose two of their 15 best prospects before a single pitch is thrown in the MiLB season.
Chase Hampton and Thatcher Hurd Suffer UCL Injuries, Yankees Farm Takes a Hit
Things looked promising for Chase Hampton, who was healthy and ready to go at the start of camp, hoping to try and build back up his status as one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Instead, the right-hander finds himself with a murky future, as he could miss the next two professional seasons.
UCL surgery is a crushing blow for a pitcher, and by undergoing it in February, a 12-18 month recovery could have him returning as late as October 2026. Hampton is one of the more talented pitchers in the organization and I ranked him as the fifth-best prospect in the Yankees’ farm system, as his fastball has good riding action at the top of the zone to pair with a wide array of attractive secondary weapons.
The Yankees had a top-100 prospect in Hampton at the end of 2023, but just 18 months later, he’s back on the IL and this time it’ll be for the long run.
Thatcher Hurd will also undergo Tommy John Surgery, according to Geoff Pontes of Baseball America, and while the right-hander hasn’t thrown a pro pitch yet, he was expected to be one of the better prospects in the Yankees’ organization as well. A power pitcher with a good fastball and slider, he’ll have to wait until 2027, most likely, in order to make his professional debut, which is a crushing blow to the Yankees.
They’ve drafted a ton of pitchers to help supplement the mass exodus of arms in the organization, but the loss of two prominent prospects is tough for any organization to stomach. Hurd ranked as the 11th best prospect in the Yankees’ organization on my top 30 list, and both were consensus top 30 prospects in the farm system.