The Yankees spent the eighth round of the 2026 MLB Draft on a name that should ring a bell in the Bronx: Luke Pettitte, the son of Andy Pettitte.
New York took Pettitte with pick No. 248 out of Dallas Baptist, a Division I program in Texas, and listed him as a two-way player. That doesn’t mean the Yankees are expecting a Shohei Ohtani type overnight, but it does show they’re open to exploring him on both sides before deciding where he fits best.
Luke is a right-hander, which already sets him apart from his father. MLB.com’s draft writeup described him as “The son of five-time World Series champion Andy Pettitte, Luke was a prospect as right-handed pitcher with a quality mid-80s slider and a low-90s fastball,” and noted that he underwent Tommy John surgery after injuring his elbow as a sophomore in 2025. That injury kept him off the mound this spring.
Dallas Baptist still found a way to get his bat in the lineup, using him as a designated hitter. He made the most of it, hitting .337/.403/.693 with 16 homers in 42 games.
Because only a handful of players are tagged as two-way prospects each year, the Yankees’ choice stands out. How much pitching he’ll actually do again will depend on how his arm comes back, but the bat gives him another path forward if the rehab doesn’t go perfectly. And for the Yankees, there’s the obvious bonus of adding Andy Pettitte’s son to the organization.
In Other News...
Rangers Fans Now Face A Real Taylor Raddysh Decision
Taylor Raddysh arrived with a two-year deal ahead of the 2025-26 season and gave the Rangers exactly the kind of early jolt that made the move look smart. He came out hot, settled into a bottom-six role and finished with nine goals and 10 assists over 68 games, offering a useful blend of offense and defensive responsibility while the lineup around him kept shifting.
The second half of the season told a different story, though, as his ice time slipped and younger forwards kept pressing for opportunities. Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora both made their case for more work, and Raddysh eventually found himself on the outside looking in late in the year, leaving the Rangers with a familiar camp question: whether his early value was enough to hold off the next wave. [Read more 🡒]
Braden Schneider Deadline Could Reveal Rangers' Real Blue Line Plan
Braden Schneiders arbitration case now has a date attached to it, with his hearing set for July 29 and a contract deadline looming before both sides have to make their arguments. For the Rangers, that makes the next stretch less about summer housekeeping and more about how they value a young defenseman whose place on the blue line has become a real talking point.
The numbers are likely to be where the gap shows up, since arbitration often forces a team and player to settle on very different views of worth. Schneiders recent performance, along with the Rangers roster moves, has only added to the uncertainty around his fit, and the broader question is whether New York sees him as part of its long-term core or as someone who could be squeezed into a smaller role if he stays. [Read more 🡒]
Vincent Trocheck Finally Addressed Why He Agreed To Leave Rangers
Vincent Trochecks exit from the Rangers brought a little more clarity to one of the more notable moves in the organizations recent stretch. After being dealt to Utah, the veteran center pointed to the Mammoths young core, their chance to win and the way owner Ryan Smith treats players as the factors that helped him decide to waive his no-trade protection and accept the move.
For the Rangers, it was a significant roster shakeup that brought Sean Durzi and Cole Beaudoin back in return, but Trochecks comments also underscored why Utah has become an appealing landing spot for established players. He also noted his familiarity with Logan Cooley and the excitement around the chance to play together, a small but telling detail about how the Mammoth are trying to build around both talent and momentum. [Read more 🡒]