NEW YORK — Yankees GM Brian Cashman made a choice. He protected three prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. A fourth was left exposed. That decision could come back to bite the Yankees for years.
The name is Harrison Cohen. The 26-year-old right-handed Yankees reliever from Syosset, New York, has been virtually unhittable in the minor leagues. His numbers demand attention. His status demands concern.
When the Rule 5 Draft takes place Wednesday at the Winter Meetings in Orlando, Cohen could be wearing a different uniform by sundown.
The numbers that make Cohen a prime target
Cohen posted back-to-back seasons with sub-2.00 ERAs. In 2025, he finished with a 1.76 ERA and 1.10 WHIP while striking out 59 batters in 51 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
At Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the Yankees rookie arm pitched to a 1.57 ERA in 28.2 innings. Opposing batters hit just .151 against him. That is not a typo.
MLB Pipeline’s Sam Dykstra and Jesse Borek named Cohen the Yankees’ most likely candidate to be selected in the Rule 5 proceedings.
“Once undrafted out of George Washington, the 6-foot reliever has posted back-to-back seasons with sub-2 ERAs,” they wrote. “He ran pretty even splits by relying on a tight mid-80s cutter against righties and mid-80s changeup with good armside fade against lefties, all while sporting a more mundane 92-94 four-seamer from a low arm slot.”
What makes Cohen dangerous on the mound
His fastball velocity sits in the low 90s. Nothing special. But the Yankees rookie’s delivery creates deception that makes hitters look foolish.
Cohen works from a low arm slot with a herky-jerky motion. It delivers a frisbee effect on his slider that has right-handed batters scratching their heads.
“The deception can be an issue for his control,” Dykstra and Borek noted, “but it also could make him a plug-and-play option in an MLB bullpen.”
MLB.com talent evaluators Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis called his mid-80s slider and cutter “unhittable.” The average exit velocity against him was just 84.4 mph. That number ranks among the best for minor league relievers.
Why Cashman left Cohen unprotected
The Yankees had only four available slots on their 40-man roster heading into the deadline. They had to make choices.
Spencer Jones, the team’s 2022 first-round pick, got protection. So did pitchers Elmer Rodriguez and Chase Hampton. All three ranked higher in the Yankees’ prospect hierarchy.
Cohen, ranked 30th in the system, did not make the cut. At 26 years old, he was viewed as expendable. His ordinary fastball velocity worked against him in the evaluation.
“On one hand, Cohen is a 26-year-old former nondrafted free agent out of George Washington with an ordinary low-90s fastball,” Mayo and Callis wrote. “On the other, his mid-80s slider and slightly harder cutter have been unhittable.”
The Garrett Whitlock warning
Yankees fans know what happens when unprotected pitchers land with rivals. Garrett Whitlock taught that lesson.
In 2020, the Yankees chose not to protect Whitlock. The Boston Red Sox selected him in the Rule 5 Draft. The results have been painful.
In 22 head-to-head appearances against the Yankees for Boston, Whitlock has posted a 1.77 ERA with 47 strikeouts. He owns five wins against just one loss when facing his former organization.
Cohen could follow that same path. His deceptive arsenal and proven track record make him a prime target for teams seeking bullpen help.
Who are the other two losses
Brock Selvidge, the Yankees’ 2021 third-round selection, posted a 4.92 ERA alongside an increased walk frequency across 75 Double-A frames.
Despite these setbacks, the Yankees rookie arm maintains a dependable foundation built on his quality slider and reliable strike-throwing ability. Questions remain about his ultimate role—whether he develops into a fifth-starter type or transitions to a southpaw relief specialist—and health concerns complicated efforts to secure him a spot on the organization’s packed 40-man. A different franchise might value his near-MLB-ready status as a lefty and offer an opportunity.
Selected in 2021’s second round, Brendan Beck has battled injury setbacks throughout his development—at 27, he only recently completed his inaugural full professional campaign, dividing 2025 between the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
While his performance showed promise (though diminished at the higher tier), Beck demonstrates refined pitch location and control across a four-pitch arsenal. Without a dominant offering in his repertoire, his upside appears limited, yet rebuilding clubs might view the Yankees rookie as an affordable rotation piece worth pursuing.
Yankees bullpen needs make Chen decision puzzling
The timing could not be worse. New York’s bullpen posted a 4.37 ERA in 2025. That ranked 11th among 15 American League teams.
Devin Williams signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Mets. Luke Weaver remains unsigned and will land elsewhere. The relievers Cashman assembled last winter have scattered.
David Bednar and Camilo Doval arrived at the trade deadline. But the Yankees still need more arms. Cohen could have provided exactly what they lack.
MLB Pipeline noted that Cohen “has been one of the most unhittable relievers in the Minors over the last two seasons.” His success at the upper levels suggested a big league opportunity in 2026.
Now that opportunity might come elsewhere.
The Rule 5 Draft begins at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Teams with bullpen needs and open roster spots will be watching. Cohen’s name will almost certainly be called.
Cashman has gambled that the reward of keeping roster flexibility outweighs the risk of losing Cohen. History suggests that bet does not always pay off.
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