The Yankees selected left-handed pitcher Hunter Dietz with the No. 35 pick in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Dietz, 21, made 20 appearances over three seasons with the Arkansas Razorbacks. He dealt with some injuries during his time in college, undergoing elbow surgery for a stress fracture in 2024 after throwing just one inning as a freshman before a setback ended his second year after 0.2 innings.

He bounced back to make 16 starts in 2026, pitching to a 3.57 ERA and 1.191 WHIP over 85.2 innings, allowing 40 runs (34 earned) on 71 hits and 31 walks with 131 strikeouts. His 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings had him in the Top 10 in all of collegiate baseball.

Dietz was an All-SEC First Team selection and a Baseball America All-American Third Team honoree.

Measuring at 6-foot 6 and 235 pounds, he has a high release point and a fastball that tops out at 98 mph and averages between 94 and 96 mph. He adds a mid-80 mph slider and an upper-80 mph cutter that some believe is his best pitch.

The lefty pitched for Hyannis of the Cape Cod League in 2025, allowing 15 runs (11 earned) on 14 hits and 12 walks with 13 strikeouts in 11.2 innings over seven appearances.

The Yankees' first-round selection came at No. 35 as they received a 10-pick penalty for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax, putting their first-round pick technically in Competitive Balance Round A.

The Yanks weren't the only team dinged with the 10-slot penalty, as the Mets, Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Phillies were also penalized.

When the second round came along, they selected another southpaw. With the No. 63 pick, the Yankees selected Sean Duncan from Canada.

Duncan was highly-touted before suffering an elbow injury while pitching for Team Canada this spring in the Dominican Republic. Duncan would require Tommy John surgery. Duncan is ranked No. 66 in MLB's Top 250 draft prospects.

New York has two more picks on the first day of the draft: No. 99 (third round), and No. 127 (fourth round).

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