Alabama Pitcher Drafted in Round 1

Rob Vaughn and Alabama baseball may not have ended the season the way they hoped, but their efforts in 2024 paid off for one Crimson Tide pitcher.

Now former Alabama pitcher Ben Hess was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the New York Yankees with the No. 26 overall pick.

Hess, a 21-year-old, was highly praised by Damon Oppenheimer, the Yankees’ vice president of domestic amateur scouting, "He fits what we are looking for in a potential top-of-the-line Major League starter. Specifically, he’s a big, power right-hander that can throw two breaking balls and can reach up to 97 [mph]. We think there is even more to come from Ben with our player development program.”

The No. 26 pick carries a value of $3,332,900, and the Yankees bonus pool consists of $8,134,500.

Hess was finally healthy in 2024 and went 5-5 with a 5.80 ERA, striking out 106 against 35 walks in 68 1/3 innings.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.