Tommy John surgery may have derailed a once-promising Yankees prospect’s career.
The Yankees designated Chase Hampton, a former top-100 pitching prospect, for assignment Tuesday to create a 40-man roster spot for Aaron Judge.
Hampton, 25, could remain with the organization but this move highlights how he’s fallen in recent years while battling injuries.
The Yankees drafted Hampton in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft and he rose swiftly in the system to become a top-100 prospect entering the 2024 season.
Baseball Prospectus ranked him 56th, Baseball America registered him 72nd and MLB Pipeline tabbed him as the No. 92 prospect after he posted a 3.63 ERA spanning 20 Single-A and Double-A starts in 2023.
That notable rise took a turn for the worse in 2024 when he suffered a flexor strain during spring training and ultimately logged just seven outings in which he posted a cumulative 2.89 ERA.
Hampton came to camp in 2025 healthy but suffered another flexor strain that led to him undergoing Tommy John surgery last year.
“He’s really talented and has got a chance to be a really good pitcher and this doesn’t stop that. This just puts a pause on it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said last year. “But I think in his mind, dealing with some of the things he’s had to deal with over the last year-plus, I think there’s a little bit of, ‘Let’s get fixed and get back on the trail.’… Long road back, but doesn’t change what a talented guy he is.”
That long road back provided more obstacles than Hampton surely wanted, with the righty posting an 8.18 ERA across 17 outings this season.
He logged a 9.84 ERA spanning 11 Double-A starts, allowing 48 hits and 28 walks across 35 ⅔ innings.
The struggles led to the Yankees deciding he did not warrant a 40-man roster spot anymore, potentially ending a career that once seemed destined for The Bronx.
