Today we continue our Yankees Top-30 Prospects Countdown for the 2020 season with RHP Yoendrys Gomez.
Signed out of Venezuela during the 2016 IFA signing period for only $50,000, Yoendrys Gomez had shown signs of promise but was going to be a long-term project. Luckily, the Yankees decided to take that chance to see what he has. After two years in professional ball between the DSL and GCL Gomez had already added 5 MPH to his fastball while also showing great fundamentals with his command across three very different pitches. He made it up to Class A in 2019, ahead of his prospect schedule, and could look move fast up the remaining levels now that he has a more solidified MLB projection and expectation to where he could be if he makes it to the top level. He won’t be a #1 or #2, but his future looks to be consistent and good.
(Screenshot From Pinstriped Prospect Video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tm1ok3ItHvY)
Yoendrys Gomez, RHP (#8):
Age/Date of Birth: 20 Years Old (10/15/1999)
2019 Team(s): Charleston RiverDogs (Class A), Pulaski Yankees (Rookie Advanced)
2019 MiLB Statistics: 4-5 Record, 3.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 56.1 Innings, 53 Strikeouts, 19 Walks, (12 Games, 12 Games Started)
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
Height/Weight: 6’3”/175 Pounds
Acquired: Signed by the Yankees during the 2016 IFA Class.
MLB ETA: 2022
Yoendrys Gomez Scouting Grades (20-80 Scale):
Fastball: 55
Curveball: 60
Changeup: 55
Control: 50
Overall: 50
What to Know:
Sometimes the best things comes to those who wait and are patient. While we’ve seen the Yankees be extremely aggressive in the promotion of some prospects throughout this series, that isn’t always the best procedure. Yoendrys Gomez is the perfect example of seeing this works, as he showed all the signs of a great future as early at 16 but was going to be incredible project to work with. The Yankees grabbed him for a bargain at only $50,000 out of Venezuela during the 2016 International free agent class.
Gomez would begin his first professional season that following summer in 2017 in the Dominican Summer League (DSL). Pitching in 10 games (8 starts) to a 4.78 ERA over 32.0 innings, a 32:12 K:BB rate and a fantastic GO/AO of 0.69, he pitched enough to break into American ball. While he only played one game in the GCL with the Yankees West, there was more going on behind the scenes.
In 2018, Gomez would begin the season again in the DSL, sticking around for only 2 starts and 9.0 innings before heading back to the GCL and this time the Yankees East. This stint he pitched in 10 games (9 starts) over 38.2 innings to a 2.33 ERA, continued his great K:BB (43:15) and kept his GO/AO under 1.00 (0.84). These first two seasons also brought about a 5 MPH increase to his fastball, a major change showing slow but promising improvements to his game.
Gomez’s stats in 2018 would help to place him on his first Yankees Top-30 prospect list, were at the preseason he was ranked #27 in the system. Now in 2019, Gomez was moved up to start the season with the Pulaski Yankees, for the first time in his career now in the Rookie Advanced league. While there he would start 6 games to a 2.12 ERA over 29.2 innings combined with always promising K:BB rates of 28:10. He did see an increase to WHIP for the first time above 1.10 since 2017 (1.21) and a GO/AO over 1.00 (1.24) but overall his game was producing good results. This helped him earn a big jump up to #7 in the Yankees at the middle of the season as well as a promotion to the Charleston RiverDogs (Class A). While there for 6 starts to the end of the season, Gomez did get hit hard to a 6.08 ERA over 26.2 innings, but it was promising that he was being moved quicker than previous seasons and was ahead of schedule to reach the level.
Overall, the biggest thing for Yoendrys Gomez is his balanced game which leads to his being one of the most polished arms in the farm. With a three-pitch offering available (with a 92-95 MPH fastball that reaches 97 MPH, a curveball with a good to great spin rate and his highest upside, and a fading changeup that keeps batters guessing) he has the background to stay a starter. His command and control are also solid which is great to already posses for a player of his potential, yet he’ll need to continue to refine the little things to keep his delivery consistent as he adds more strength which could continue to increase his speeds as he frames out more.
.What Will the Future Hold?
Gomez was not expected to make it up to Class A ball going into 2019 and was able to get ahead of his projections even if his numbers at the level were lackluster. This obviously should signal another season starting with the RiverDogs, but I wouldn’t expect a full season at the level. A move up to the Tampa Tarpons (Class A Advanced) will need to happen this in order for him to keep towards his 2022 projection of making the MLB. He was a player who was expected to take time to grow and then quickly shoot up the ranks. While he showed that a little in 2019, it will need to continue to happen as he should hope to pitch well to keep earning mid-season promotions.
As a prospect, Yoendrys Gomez essentially burst onto the scene out of nowhere and has taken a dominant position from being unranked to Top-10 in just about a years time. Even though he seems to be a pitcher who is expected to reach his potential given his great fundamentals, he’ll probably continue to sit near the #10 spot, because that potential isn’t as a #1 or #2 rotation piece. However, that stability will go a long way in keeping him as a name to watch to see if he continues to add velocity and refine his craft over these next few seasons.
