Watch: New York Yankees pitcher Hayden Wesneski registers second strikeout with a Matrix-style flamethrower

New York Yankees pitching prospect Hayden Wesneski had a strong Spring Training appearance today that included three shutout innings of work. Wesneski spent the better part of last season with the New York Yankees' Triple-A affiliate in Scranton.

Hayden Wesneski is one of the New York Yankees' top pitching prospects and is poised to break out as a potential part of the Yankees pitching staff. Here is a preview of what Wesneski brings to the Yankees' future.

"Yankees #15 overall prospect Hayden Wesneski has a ridiculous slider" - @ Talkin' Yanks

New York Yankees prospect info

Hayden Wesneski was drafted by the New York Yankees in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB June Amateur Draft out of Sam Houston State University. Wesneski began his Minor League career in 2021 across three different leagues.

Wesneski started in 24 of his 25 games while compiling an 11-6 record with an ERA of 3.25. Wesneski pitched 130-1/3 innings for an average of 5.2 innings per start. Look for Wesneski to start the year in Triple-A given the Yankees' current depth chart.

The Yankees would greatly need a pitcher of Wesneski's skills to help bolster the back end of a rotation that has had trouble with health over the past several years.

Gerrit Cole pitching during the Wild Card Round - Yankees v Boston Red Sox

Yankees Current rotation options

The Yankees' current pitching rotation is led by ace Gerrit Cole and also includes star Luis Severino. Beyond them, the Yankees have had trouble with the health of players in the rotation. The Yankees need to find more depth after these two starters. The Yankees are hoping that Jordan Montgomery can give them reliable innings alongside Domingo German. It will be interesting to see how their rotation holds up during the course of a 162-game season.

Domingo German during a Tampa Bay Rays v Yankees game

Jordan Montgomery has been one of the more consistent starters for the Yankees, but outside of the pitchers mentioned, the Yankees are in dire need of depth and durable pitching. Hayden Wesneski could be the back-end starter the team needs.

Expect Wesneski to start in the Minors. If the Yankees continue to have issues with health and performance from the rotation, then Wesneski will likely make his Major League debut. Watch for Wesneski to break out in 2022.