User blog comment:TheTobarMethod/Yorick, Top Lane's Version of Satan/@comment-5263329-20130122192929

I used to main yorick. Its the fact that his harass is ranged and he has decent sustain and a nasty passive that gives him extra durability and damage combined with his slow, haste and especially his ultimate that makes him really strong. He pushes/shoves a lane very well and can easily knock down a tower, especially if he uses his ultimate.

His abilities do a lot even without items (I think Akali mentioned that below already) so he can afford to build tanky and still do damage. He can also be behind but still do a lot for this very same reason. In teamfights, no matter how behind he is, ulting your ADC usually results in a win for your team since it makes the fight a 6v5.