Yankees promote breakout pitching prospect to High-A after hot start

Across eight starts, Herring has recorded 44.2 innings pitched with 58 strikeouts, as the left-hander has done a good job pitching deep into games while racking up whiffs.

The Yankees selected him out of LSU, where he was used in a long relief role, with the organization shutting him down for the remainder of 2024 to have him go through their pitching development program.

He has come out of said program with an excellent three-pitch mix, throwing a fastball between 90-92 MPH with good extension and vertical ride that gets whiffs at the top of the zone.

It’s a pitch he used nearly 50% of the time in Single-A, and despite its lower velocity, he feels comfortable attacking the zone and getting ahead of hitters with that pitch.

Herring’s best pitch in college has remained his best at the professional level, as his tight slider is a high-spinning breaking ball with tons of vertical drop and bullet spin.

Batters hit just .155 against that slider with a .182 wOBA and 41% Whiff%, as it is effective to both righties and lefties especially when he’s ahead in the count.

While this slider is his signature pitch, he’s added a new weapon to his arsenal that has transformed him from a two-pitch reliever to a three-pitch starter who’s carved through professional hitters.

Griffin Herring added a changeup that has immediately become one of the best offspeed pitches in the organization, generating 13-14 inches of vertical separation off his fastball.

This new changeup has held hitters to a .080 average with zero extra base hits, as they’re whiffing 35.8% of the time against this pitch.

It’s an elite weapon against right-handed hitters and helped him earn a rather swift promotion to High-A, where he can prove himself even more.

A strong summer in Hudson Valley could lead to a promotion to Somerset, as his strike-throwing abilities and elite swing-and-miss stuff are enticing qualities for a left-handed starter to possess this early in their pro career.