The Yankees are promoting right-hander Randy Vásquez to the majors, with the righty telling reporters such as Bryan Hoch of MLB.com that he’ll be starting tomorrow’s game. That will be his major league debut. He’s already on the 40-man roster but will require an active roster spot between now and then.
Vásquez, 24, was an international amateur out of the Dominican Republic, signing with the Yanks in 2018. He started his professional career in rookie ball in 2018 and 2019, before the minor leagues were canceled by the pandemic in 2020. He followed that up with a strong 2021 wherein he shot from Single-A to High-A and then Double-A. He tossed 107 1/3 innings across those levels with a 2.52 ERA, striking out 28.6% of opponents while walking 8.4%. That showing caused Baseball America to rank him the #12 Yankee prospect going into 2022.
Last year, he spent the entire season at Double-A, making 25 starts and tallying 115 1/3 innings. He had a 3.90 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate and 48.3% ground ball rate. In November, the club gave him a spot on the 40-man roster to prevent him from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. That solid showing got him bumped to #9 on the BA list of top 30 farmhands in the system.
This year, he’s been in Triple-A, making nine starts on the year so far with a 4.85 ERA in 42 2/3 innings. He has a healthy 25.5% strikeout rate and 46% ground ball rate but is walking 11.7% of batters faced on the year.
It’s possible that this will be just a spot start for Vásquez, as Domingo Germán’s 10-game sticky stuff suspension will be over in a couple of days. Once he’s able to return, he should slot back into the rotation next to Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, Luis Severino and Clarke Schmidt. Schmidt has an ERA of 6.00 so far this year and still has an option, so there’s perhaps some chance Vásquez bumps him out. However, Schmidt has solid peripherals but an unlucky .386 batting average on balls in play and 62.7% strand rate. His 4.39 FIP and 3.82 SIERA suggest that regression to the mean might push his ERA down a bit.
Let’s get Randy, yall
So what your saying is… Randy has a chance.
ARRRRRRIGHT!
Blue Baron’s overhyped alarm is going off.
His stats don’t scream out anything other than #5 at best or middle relief
And that’s probably all they need. I mean, sure, it would be great if they could get a #2 to sub in for Rodon but that’s not realistic. Also, theyve gotten this far without Rodon. They just need a bridge to German and/or a replacement for Schmidt. So, a #5 or a reliever should be enough.
“Schmidt has an ERA of 6.00 so far this year and still has an option, so there’s perhaps some chance Vásquez bumps him out. However, Schmidt has solid peripherals but an unlucky .386 batting average on balls in play and 62.7% strand rate. His 4.39 FIP and 3.82 SIERA suggest that regression to the mean might push his ERA down a bit.”
Oh good! Should be at 5.25 or so before long!
):+(
I just saw Vazquez’s stats. Is this MLB’s version of The Addams Family?? 1-5 with an ERA closer to 5 than 4 in AAA.
Cashman has to be kidding.
I’m going to the game tomorrow, let’s see how he does
Clarke Schmidt is a waste of a roster spot. If it was up to me (and it ain’t) I would dump Schmidt for whatever I could get. This guy has done nothing but fail for two consecutive years. Bring on Vasquez and let’s see what he’s got.
Two consecutive years? Last year he was a very good reliever, though he was very bad in a couple of starts.
No reason to think he can’t still be a good reliever. Why would you ever dump him without trying him back in the role in which he has succeeded?
Yankees have gone all in with international prospects over the past decade and it has failed miserably for them.
Well, there’s plenty of sticky stuff to go around, so he’ll likely be unexpectedly effective, wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Add in a little extra sign stealing for offensive support and he will cruise to victory. And the opposing team’s manager will surely be tossed out of the game. Good times.
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone.
Say no more!!
Memorial Day isn’t a “happy” event considering what the holiday is supposedly about.
Though it has become more about mattress sales, Toyotathons and the beginning of summer than anything else.
I have thought at times that some of the Yankee faithful were a bit harsh on you at times. Also, at times I thought you showed your colors quickly and very strongly such as today.
I have considered muting you except there are times where I enjoyed your insight as it related to baseball in general, So I guess my reasoning to mute you after I post this comment stems from your consistency of disparaging the Yankees team that I happen to love despite being a Canadian. So Whyhayzee, keep up the good work though you won’t be bothering or helping me anymore.
whyhayzee has one note. RS thread after RS thread I’ve scanned for a single turd from a NYY fan and not a one to be seen. But you can at least count on one from whyhayzee in every single NYY thread. It’s uncontrollable. He is an unhinged, inveterate troll. What a sorry excuse for an adult human being. Such a sad life.
Same to you, whyhayzee.
Though Memorial Day is indeed a somber remembrance, spending weekends with friends and loved ones under free skies is exactly what brave men and women fought to defend. When I was deployed overseas, the news wires with baseball scores were often the highlight (the only light) of long dog days.
All gave some. Some gave all.
bronxmac77, or my whimsically renamed bringsnac, you are right, it is somber. My brother has played taps every year in my home town for decades. Many veterans in my family. Latest was my nephew in Iraq with the 3rd Infantry. Came back a changed man but he is doing well in life. One of the lucky ones, for sure.
Yes, I’m a total jerk when it comes to the Yankees and yet many friends are Yankee fans. I just can’t help myself, I guess Utah cornelius is right, I can’t seem to leave well enough alone. I accept the criticism and name calling, it comes with the territory. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll actually grow up.
Glad he’ll get his chance. Hope he s just not parked at the end of the bullpen bench. Hope he gets to show his stuff.
Schmidt is not a starter. He’s a bullpen arm and probably a good one. Anyone with eyes can see that.
But lets ignore the obvious and keep trying to make him something he’s not.
You’re not wrong. His opponent’s OPS goes from .714 through the first time through the order to 1.013 after the second time.
He will get ass blasted in the show.