MLB Draft 2018: Yankees select pitcher Mick Vorhof 277th overall

After taking three straight position players to start the draft, the Yankees have now selected five pitchers out of their last six picks. The latest comes in the form of right-handed pitcher Mick Vorhof from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. While the senior does not rank among the Baseball America top 500, he is clearly a gifted pitcher.

At six-foot-one and 205 pounds, Vorhof is a relief pitcher with a real gift for throwing strikes and keeping the ball over the plate. In his senior season, he pitched to a 2.35 ERA with seven saves in 38 innings. What really stood out was his 11.27 K/9 with a minuscule 0.70 BB/9, giving the Yankees hope that he can become a legitimate weapon in the bullpen at the next level.

After heading into college as a starter, he transitioned to the bullpen. Over his college career, Vorhof was able to improve his fastball command to position himself as the team’s closer. The development of a curveball helped him cement his value with the team, saving 19 games in four seasons.

If you like to know more about the players in the Yankees organization, it’s nice to know that back in 2014 he was rooting for Derek Jeter. The face of the franchise had just finished out his career at Yankee Stadium with a walk-off hit, and Vorhoff was impressed.

Vorhof was a teammate of pitcher Jake Wong who was selected by the Giants in the third round of the draft. It is likely that the Yankees discovered him while scouting Wong, which is something that has helped them find success in the past. You might remember that this organization drafted Jonathan Holder after watching him while scouting Jacob Lindgren. Holder has worked out for them so far, and maybe Vorhof will too.