Is He More Than Just a Fastball?
Next up is Domingo Acevedo (3.25/1.20/133), who will be a big-time factor in the Yankees bullpen this season. I thought he would get some innings last September, but that deep system destroyed my prediction.
However, Acevedo continued to improve his command and now commands the Yankees’ attention.
He finished with strong indicators for future success as not only were his ERA/WHIP solid for a still developing pitcher, but also his strikeout to walk ratio was perhaps more than encouraging (142/34).
Those were balanced with some discouraging signs, at least for 2018. Acevedo started the season at High-A Tampa and quickly advanced to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre…and was just as quickly returned to Double-A Trenton.
And that’s because, In his two-game tryout in Pennsylvania, Domingo ended with a 4.38 ERA and 1.62 WHIP, as well as a flat SO/BB ratio with eight of each. That only increased the Yankees real concerns that this big 6’7″ man won’t be able to repeat his delivery consistently.
Timing is the real key here, though.
If this were 2016 or ’17, Acevedo would probably get another full year in the minors. But not in 2018, and not with his power arm. It’s a resource too valuable to wait on.
A Baseball Tradition
This is not meant to consign him to reliever status ad infinitum. Instead, it means he could follow in the footsteps of many excellent starters by learning how to pitch at the big league level a few innings at a time.
For instance, here is a piece by an Orioles fan, Jeff Long, writing for SB Nation back in 2014. He is speaking about Dellin Betances, but the comments are applicable here:
"Several young pitchers are making their names as relievers this season despite being a top prospect because of their potential as a starter. Even Mariano Rivera was once a starter. Zach Britton, Wade Davis, Dellin Betances, Brett Cecil, Randall Delgado; these are just some of the names that once lived on prospect lists before ultimately finding homes in the bullpen."
And, if he is successful out of the Yankees pen, he will get more chances to prove himself a starter.
I will be in Spring Training and am sure to see Domingo get a chance to start a few games. If he can keep the command he showed in the final two months of last year; he might put himself in the Justus Sheffield category.
But the fact that his best pitch by far is still his fastball probably means he spends his time in the Bronx this year working out the pen.