New York Yankees: 3 prospects primed to make an impact
By Manny Gómez
3 Yankees prospects poised to make an impact
Luis Medina
At 20-years-old, Luis Medina has caught the attention of the New York Yankees and could potentially see time in the big leagues sometime this season. It’s not his stats that have impressed the team. In fact, his MiLB numbers are rather pedestrian and have resulted in him not being promoted beyond A-ball.
His stuff, on the other hand, shows great potential, and with the Yankees upgrading their pitching coaches, we could see a much-improved secret weapon in Medina.
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According to Baseball America, on a 20-80 scale, Medina has an 80-grade fastball. That is, he can touch 100 mph with ease throughout an entire game. The rest of his pitching repertoire consists of an excellent curveball and an average-grade curveball.
This type of stuff, under the right coaching, can result in elite pitching. Medina’s problems arise in control. In 4-seasons, across all levels, Medina averages a 7.1 BB9. This has resulted in a 1.650 WHIP in his career in MiLB.
This isn’t unlike someone like Dellin Betances, who faced similar struggles at the start of his career. Eventually, Betances rose up to become arguably the best middle reliever in the game. Medina could face a similar fate.
Don’t be surprised if you see Medina coming out of the bullpen at some point this season.