Mets Minors: Building from the bottom up – Gabriel Ynoa

Gabriel Ynoa:  Ynoa has been on the radar for a while.  He pitched in the DSL back in 2010 and while he only had a 4.4 K/9 he managed a .982 WHIP and a 1.99 ERA.  Last year in Brooklyn he led a squad of pitchers who used their exemplary control to dominate the league.  Ynoa managed a 7.5 K/9 with a .926 WHIP and a 2.23 ERA.  All of these stats are REALLY good but they don’t blow me away.  He will be hard pressed to earn a mid-year promotion… only because he’s in a SUPER crowded field but the real challenges lie ahead in A+ and AA.

Scouting: At 6’2” and only 158 pounds I am pretty sure he needs a snack.  He’s only 19 and while he could add some muscle to his lean frame I’m not sure he’s got much more than 1 MPH extra to squeeze out of his body.

Fastball: The fastball sits between 89 and 92 MPH and has decent movement.  It’s said he can touch 94 MPH but none of this is truly exceptional.  It’s a solid MLB pitch but like many pitchers who lack that 97+ MPH heat, he will be defined by his control and his secondary offerings.

Secondary Pitches: Currently, Ynoa is armed with a changeup and a slider.  Both pitches project to be at or above MLB level offerings.  The changeup is a usable pitch right now which probably led to his success in Short Season A baseball.  The slider is termed “Filthy” but is also far too inconsistent to be used effectively.

ETA: Ynoa will be starting the year in the ridiculously stacked Savannah rotation.  He will be pitching with Steven Matz, Luis Cessa, Hansel Robles and Rainy Lara and I wouldn’t be shocked if they all pitched well.  Of the 5 pitchers to watch on the Full Season A team, Ynoa is one of the lower ceilings.  He is not a very “Powerful” pitcher and doesn’t have the K-Rate to project above a #5 starter.  He should be factoring into spring training by 2016.

Mets Top 20 Prospects:

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15. Gabriel Ynoa, RHP (Full Season A) [2016 Rotation Race]
16. Aderlin Rodriguez, 3B (A+) [2016 1B or DH]
17. Jack Leathersich, LHP (AA) [2014 Bullpen… 2015 Closer?]
18. Cory Vaughn, OF (AA) [AAAA]
19. Jacob deGrom, RHP (AA) [2014 Bullpen]
20. Steven Matz, LHP (Full Season A) [2016 Bullpen]