In early January, the New York Yankees were still grappling with the loss of second baseman Gleyber Torres, who signed a one-year, $15 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. However, the Yankees quickly considered several options to fill the void, with one of the most exciting proposals involving a trade for Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa.
This potential trade, which ultimately did not materialize, would have sent top Yankees pitching prospects Will Warren and Chase Hampton to the Twins in exchange for the three-time All-Star and 2015 American League Rookie of the Year.
The trade never happened, but now another blow has hit the Yankees: Hampton’s season is over before it even began. The 23-year-old right-hander from Texas underwent Tommy John surgery on Friday morning in New York City. Just two days earlier, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had mentioned concerns over Hampton’s ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow, prompting further medical evaluation. Unfortunately, the results revealed a tear in the ligament, requiring immediate surgery, which will sideline him for the entire 2025 season.
Boone shared that Hampton’s decision to go ahead with surgery stemmed from his desire to resolve the issue and begin his recovery, especially after dealing with a series of injuries over the past year. “Hopefully, there’s comfort in knowing he can put this behind him,” Boone said. “It’s a long road back, but he’s still a talented guy.”
Typically, recovery from Tommy John surgery takes about a year, which means Hampton’s 2025 debut is no longer a possibility. Last season, he struggled with injuries that limited him to just seven starts across three minor league levels.
Hampton, selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2022 draft from Texas Tech, made his professional debut in 2023, posting a 2-1 record and 2.68 ERA with the Hudson Valley Renegades in the South Atlantic League. He was quickly promoted to Double-A, where he posted a 4.37 ERA and struck out 68 batters in 59 2/3 innings for the Somerset Patriots in the Eastern League. Despite the injury setbacks in 2024, MLB.com ranked him as the Yankees’ sixth overall prospect and second-best pitching prospect, behind only Will Warren, who made his MLB debut last season.
Fangraphs also placed Hampton sixth in the Yankees’ system. The site’s prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen wrote that Hampton has the potential to be a mid-rotation starter with a low-90s fastball. However, if he returns to the form he showed in 2023, Hampton could become a more valuable piece in the rotation.
Ultimately, while MLB teams often rely on internal pitching options to reinforce their roster throughout the season, the Yankees will now have to make do without Hampton for at least another year.
