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The Yankees remain very dedicated to their quest to acquire all of the right-handed pitchers in this year’s MLB Draft, going with another righty with their seventh round pick. They selected Dallas Baptist right-hander Dalton Higgins with the 212th overall pick.
At 6’2”, 180, Higgins has served as Dallas Baptist’s setup man with a fastball that sits 92-93 mph. He had a 3.15 ERA this season in 40 innings, striking out nine per game and walking 3.83 per nine. Higgins’ secondary offering, a slider, needs some work in order to be more consistent at the next level. It is average at it’s best, making it a less-than-stellar option most of the time.
The Yankees have had success with pitchers out of Dallas Baptist in the form of Chance Adams. They took him from the bullpen and put him into the rotation where he has flourished. Maybe the team believes they can have similar good fortune with Higgins, although a move to the rotation doesn’t sound very likely.
Making it at the next level is going to require definite work. Having just one above-average offering isn’t the best recipe for success, but there is time for him to turn his slider into a decent go-to. He may not have the stuff to make it as a starter professionally, but a decent relief option isn’t necessarily a bad thing.