The New York Yankees snatched up left-hander Hunter Dietz with the 35th pick in the 2026 MLB Draft, and if Keith Law from The Athletic is on the money, other teams are gonna be kicking themselves for years over this one. The dude's already signed, so it's a done deal. Law went as far as saying getting Dietz at pick 35 is "crazy," suggesting a major fumble by other clubs.
This Lefty Is "Absolutely Electric"
So, who is Hunter Dietz? He’s a 21-year-old lefty out of Arkansas, and despite a stress fracture in his elbow back in 2023 that limited him to just 1.2 innings over his first two SEC seasons, he absolutely balled out this past year. Dietz made 16 starts, racked up 131 strikeouts, and was throwing a mid-90s fastball, a cutter, and two breaking balls. Law raved about him, saying he was "absolutely electric this spring, going wire to wire, sitting 94-96 with a plus cutter and two more breaking balls, with clear ability to spin just about any pitch." Apparently, that cutter is the best pitch in his whole arsenal. What's more, Law thinks Dietz might be "not that far off" from the Majors, pointing out he threw a "ton of strikes and showed excellent command for a guy who’d barely pitched in two-plus years." Sounds like a legit stud coming off the board later than he should have!Why Did Everyone Pass?
Yeah, there's a flag, right? The guy threw 85.2 of his 87.1 college innings in one season. That’s a lot of mileage in a short time after an injury. But Law, who called him the "best left-handed starter in the class," also mentioned Dietz's most recent season proved he’s "far removed from the surgery." So the comeback is real. It looks like the Yankees, according to Law, "may have done a tremendous job" snagging him at 35. While all this prospect talk is flying around, there’s also whispers about our own squad, with a trade idea floating around that would send Mariners hurler Luis Castillo to the Cubs for Seiya Suzuki. But back to Dietz, it really makes you wonder what MLB teams were thinking letting this guy drop. The Yankees have him signed, but General Manager Damon Oppenheimer isn't sure if Dietz will even pitch in the minors this season. Regardless, this kid's potential is through the roof, and we'll be watching closely to see when he makes his debut, because if Law is right, the Emerald City's ball clubs might be facing this guy soon enough.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.