The 2026 Major League Baseball amateur draft is underway. The New York Yankees selected 35th overall in the first round. Their first pick was Hunter Dietz, a left-handed pitcher out of the University of Arkansas.
The Yankees went with a pitcher in round one, specifically a southpaw. A big lefty with high ceilings and proven capabilities is never a bad go. Dietz is ranked 17th on MLB’s draft prospect rankings.
2026 MLB Draft: Yankees Select Hunter Dietz
Hunter Dietz statistics
The left-handed pitcher, Dietz attended Calvary Christian High School prior to taking on his college career at Arkansas. The Arkansas pitcher took to injury in the fall of 2023, only allowing his college debut to go last 1 2/3 IP between 2024 and 2025.
He then took to summer ball in 2025 with Hyannis in the Cape Cod Baseball League where he threw 11 and 2 / 3 innings. This prepped him for what was the biggest season of his amateur career.
In 2026, Dietz displayed all the marketable numbers needed to land in the first round. He threw 85 and 2 / 3 innings allowing only 40 runs on 71 hits. His Southeastern Conference ERA is a 3.57, striking out a whopping 131 batters, only walking 31.
Physical Maturity
The left-handed pitcher is built and displays with the eye test on the mound. Dietz stands upright at 6’6” weighing 235 lbs. He is athletic and strong, showing good movement from his lower half and his hips.
Arm strength for Dietz is obvious. His entire body assists his arm, along with violent rotation on the back-end. He works a leg kick and delays his front side well until his lead-leg lock is engaged, throwing a violent finish and release.
Pitch Selection and Grading
Dietz has a five-pitch repertoire, keeping his offers diverse and established. He puts up a lot of 60s on his 20-80 grade scale.
Fastball – 55
Curveball – 60
Slider – 60
Cutter – 60
Changeup – 45
Synopsis
The Yankees first round draft pick, Dietz is the definition of high leverage starter, from a college baseball standpoint. The left-hander takes command on the mound and carries a physical presence backed by a dominant repertoire.
His fastball is firm with bite, locating it very well and working the heater up to a maximum of 98; sitting 94-96 mph. Dietz definitely has more in the tank with that fastball. He establishes it well and doesn’t sway into the offspeed too early in the game.
Dietz works two very important pitches; let’s start with the cutter. This is a mid-80s pitch that has about a 10-11 mph differential on the minus side. He works this inside to lefties and inward to righties. This pitch darts well and causes chase.
His slider sweeps, and also sits mid-80s, causing batters to go fishing. Dietz also relies on the changeup, which the speed differentiates very well, and a curveball which is able to go for a strike, and misses barrels.
His ¾ arm slot is a difficult one to pick up. His pitch options keeps these hitters on their toes, and he doesn’t give a lot of gifts. Dietz pounds the zone, and is a strikeout pitcher. His overall pitch profile displays him as a starter in the minor leagues.
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