Prospect Spotlight: Chris Veach
- Victor M.
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Signed by the Yankees as an Undrafted Free Agent in August 2024, Chris Veach has done nothing but deal in his roughly 70 innings at Single-A and High-A across the last two seasons.
Using his bread and butter changeup 57 percent of the time with Single-A Tampa in 2025, Veach was practically unhittable for the first two months of the year, posting a 1.21 ERA and a 37.6% strikeout rate. While he didn’t maintain that level of play for the entire season, he still finished the year with a 2.53 ERA and a 30.5% K rate. If there was a knock on Veach, it was his command. The right-hander walked just under 12 percent of the batters he faced.
His changeup sat at 77 mph from a 5.9 ft release height, getting 17” of arm side run and 2” of IVB on the pitch. The results on the offering were more than solid as well, generating a 38.8% whiff rate and a .254 xwOBA against it. His sinker and fastball, which he used about 18% and 15% of the time respectively, sat at 92 mph and did their jobs about as well as low-90s fastballs without outlier movement can. He also mixed in an 85 mph cutter about 9% of the time.
Veach made one appearance in Spring Training this year, and, despite throwing only eight pitches, did not disappoint. His velocity jumped 2-3 mph from 2025, averaging 94.2 mph on three sinkers and 80.4 mph on five changeups. Not only was he throwing harder, the movement on his changeup had improved too. He was getting four more inches of depth on the offering, now sitting at -2” IVB and with two more inches of arm side run, up to 19”. The increase in velocity may have been adrenaline boosted, but the improvements in pitch shape were not.
Not only have his pitches gotten better, his command has too. In 12.2 innings with High-A Hudson Valley so far this season, Veach has walked only two batters, striking out 21. Both of those walks came in the same game on April 18.
Among Minor League Pitchers with 10 or more innings this season, Veach is sixth in K-BB% at 41.3%. Veach is yet to allow a home run or a run of any kind, for that matter. Among pitchers who are yet to allow a home run, his K-BB% ranks first. K-BB% is a pretty strong predictor of future success, but what might that success look like for Veach, if he is to make the majors with the Yankees?
Devin Williams is an easy comparison to make, as lofty as those expectations might be. The movement profile on their changeups are pretty similar, both a few inches below the zero line with about 20” of arm side run, but Williams throws his about four mph harder, with far more extension, and from a much lower arm slot.
A better comparison is Eli Morgan. Morgan is similar to Veach in the sense that both throw high 70s to low 80s changeups from high arm slots with lots of arm side movement.
Morgan used his changeup 41.7% of the time with the Cubs last year. It averaged 79.4 mph with 18.9” of arm siderun. Morgan has had a solid career, posting a 3.27 ERA in 176 innings out of the Cleveland bullpen from 2022-2024. The 30 year old has a 2.61 ERA so far out of the Royals bullpen.
If Veach can maintain the improved stuff and command he’s shown this year, he should find himself in Somerset sooner than later. He’s an interesting pitcher to follow, not only because he’s good, but because there aren’t a whole lot of pitchers like him.
Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.
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