This story was excerpted from Bryan Hoch¡¯s Yankees Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

NEW YORK -- Chase Hampton¡¯s introduction to Major League camp this spring came with a hearty helping of barrel-chested swagger, as the hard-throwing right-hander with a Texas twang acknowledged that his mindset on the mound consisted of ¡°honestly, trying to punch everybody out.¡±

Hampton¡¯s second professional season did not go as he might have expected, as his 2024 first half was wiped out by what was initially feared to be an injury to his right ulnar collateral ligament and later diagnosed as a flexor strain.

Rated as the Yankees¡¯ No. 6 prospect by MLB Pipeline, the 23-year-old returned to the mound with Double-A Somerset in August and made two starts before being shelved by a lower-body injury.

¡°I wanted to pitch and get some innings under my belt, make my way up to Triple-A and hopefully the big leagues,¡± Hampton said. ¡°But taking a step back and looking at things in the bigger picture, it¡¯s not bad.¡±

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The Yankees¡¯ sixth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech University, Hampton impressed in his debut season of 2023, when he posted a 3.63 ERA in 20 starts between High-A Hudson Valley and Somerset. Yankees evaluators circled his strikeout totals, as he fanned 145 batters against just 37 walks in 106 2/3 innings.

That earned Hampton a place in big league camp this spring, with managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner mentioning his name as one of the bright young talents who had garnered interest from opposing clubs in trade talks. Steinbrenner said he intended to keep Hampton and other prospects, like outfielder Jasson Dom¨ªnguez (No. 16 overall, Yankees' No. 1), outfielder Spencer Jones (No. 2) and right-hander Will Warren (No. 5).

¡°It was awesome, man,¡± Hampton said. ¡°Where my locker was, I had Gerrit Cole, Nestor [Cortes], [Marcus] Stroman, even Will Warren next to me. All those guys were big advocates for me in Spring Training. Getting to pick their brains was awesome and a great time.¡±

Hampton¡¯s stay at George M. Steinbrenner Field was interrupted by discomfort in his pitching arm, prompting him to move across the street to Minor League camp and -- eventually -- seek medical intervention. Hampton was relieved to learn that Tommy John surgery was not necessary, and he was thrilled to get back on the mound with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Yankees on July 1 before making his first start with Single-A Tampa on July 12.

¡°The way it felt, I was kind of concerned a little bit,¡± Hampton said. ¡°But after talking to the doctors and everything, it kind of eased my mind a little bit. It was more of a muscle issue than a UCL issue, so I feel good about it.¡±

Three starts in the Florida State League earned Hampton a promotion to Double-A, where he pitched twice before returning to the injured list. The Yankees will surely track his winter closely, hoping that Hampton can be part of their big league staff in the near future.

¡°I¡¯m definitely going to take my time with [the offseason], trying not to throw so early and come into Spring Training trying to light up the radar gun instead of actually just building up,¡± Hampton said. ¡°¡­ If I keep the path that I¡¯m going on, keep building and getting stronger and smarter on the mound, I think I could be there. I¡¯m not going to say I might be a big leaguer next year, but hopefully it happens.¡±