Yankees Showcase Promising Pitcher at All-Star Futures Game

PHILADELPHIA — The New York Yankees have a knack for developing hard-throwing relievers—a trend that often goes hand in hand with the flurry of trades during the deadline.

While discovering hidden talent late in the draft isn’t rare for the Yankees, their organizational depth was on full display this week with the selections of first-time All-Stars Ben Rice and Cam Schlitler.

Then there’s Ben Grable, an 11th-round pick from Indiana University last year. After impressing at both High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset, he made his way to the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday. Perhaps he’s just another player, or—

but honestly, there’s no pitcher quite like him.

Grable noted that his four-seam fastball averages 96.1 mph and generates about 20.5 to 21 inches of induced vertical break, which is basically how the ball’s spin impacts its movement. A higher vertical break often leads to the ball appearing to rise, causing batters to swing lower.

Interestingly, there are three major leaguers, Alex Bashear, Tobias Meyers, and Dylan Lee, whose four-seamers show 20 inches of vertical break, yet none hit 94 mph.

Many pitchers can throw as fast as Grable, but few have a four-seamer that can resist gravity like his. Jeremiah Estrada from the Padres is a close reference point; this year, his fastball averaged 95.8 mph with a vertical break of 19.8 inches, leading to an impressive 3.26 ERA in San Diego over the past three years.

This makes Grable’s unique combination of fastball speed and spin compelling.

“When we got to Indiana, we had metrics and data presented to us,” Grable remarked before making brief appearances in the Futures Game. “I didn’t fully grasp how effective I could be until I got to New York.”

The 6-foot-4 righty wasn’t the initial pick to represent the Yankees at Citizens Bank Park—his absence was due to injuries to George Lombardo Jr. and Carlos LaGrange—but he certainly made his presence felt this season.

Grable’s 2.61 ERA stands out, especially when considering he ranks highly among other minor leaguers: fourth in WHIP at 0.77, 16th in strikeout rate at 40.2 percent, and eighth in opponent batting average at .127, allowing just 2.90 walks per nine innings across his 31 innings in 28 relief appearances.

A Southern California native, Grable previously played at Northwestern for two years before transferring to Indiana, where he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2024. After a comeback season with a 4.31 ERA, he drew the Yankees’ attention as one of 10 pitchers they picked up last year.

He’s transformed into a distinctly different pitcher since his college days, improving his fastball speed from an average of 92 mph and aiming to refine his slider.

“I cleaned up my mechanics,” he said, emphasizing how he now pitches exclusively from the stretch to enhance his fastball’s potential, which has significantly improved under Yankees’ coaching.”

James Cooper, manager of Somerset, commented, “His fastball has a unique profile compared to others.” Just when hitters were starting to adapt, Grable began to develop his secondary pitches—an aspect that makes him special, in a way.

While his slider may not be extraordinary at face value, it’s part of his evolution. About a month and a half ago, Grable watched an online interview with Reds All-Star Chase Barnes and picked up a new slider grip. He decided to experiment with it during a bullpen session and, lo and behold, it led to striking out three batters in his next game.

“It was clear he dominated with those two pitches,” Cooper stated.

The standout performance culminated in a thrilling seventh-inning matchup against Brewers prospect Luis Peña, where Grable struck him out on his second pitch, which was indeed his newly adopted slider.

So, what to take away from Grable’s journey so far?

“It’s just a lot of fun to pitch in a big league ballpark,” he added with a smile.