Tampa Bay Rays: Sandy Gastón is preparing for a season of progress

Sandy Gaston was one of the most heralded prospects when he left Cuba in 2018 and signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for $2.8M in 2019.

HIALEAH,FL-The Tampa Bay Rays prospect Sandy Gaston hurled a fastball nearly 100 mph at the age of 16. This caught the eye of various organizations in his various showcases before he signed with the Florida club.

The hard-throwing RHP combines his fastball with a good slider, a tricky changeup, and a splitter. With maturity and this repertoire, he could be a front line starter in the future.

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I spoke with Gaston about his fastball velocity. This is what he had to say: “I’ve  maintained my velocity at 97and 98, in the instructional league I even hit 99.”

Although he isn’t assigned to a level within the organization the ultimate goal is to reach the Majors.

“We are working hard every day. An extended Spring Training is around the corner,” Gaston said about his training this Spring, “at this moment we are doing bullpen sessions and next week we will start throwing BP live. We are working hard to prepare when I’m assigned to a league ”

Many compared the “Baby Hurricane,” as he is known to the Cuban fan base, to a young Jose Fernández. About this, Gaston says, “I have great admiration for José Fernández, although he was young he was still one of the clubhouse leaders in Miami.”

Baseball America rated Gaston as the #24 ranked international prospect and stated that he was possibly the hardest throwing 16-year-old in baseball history.

In 2015 he pitched in the Sub-15 tournament in Cuba and posted an ERA of 1.22 while striking out 77 batters in 66 innings. His last season in Cuva which was 2016 he struck 47 in 47 innings during the Sub 18 league in his native Matanzas.

When he arrived in DR he was throwing 91 mph but with a steady workout plan, he was throwing in the mid to high 90’s.

“When I came to the Dominican, I was throwing 91 and my trainers told me if I bought-in I could add miles to my fastball,” Gaston commented about his fastball velocity, “they were 100% right I added seven miles an hour to my fastball within months.”

He confessed to me in person what his workout plan consisted of during his time on Dominican soil, “we worked hard with the use of very few weights and a lot of resistance training. We also worked with a lot of agility drills and sprints.

Being that Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Sandy Gaston is from Matanzas, he looked on proud as his Crocodiles won the National Series, “It was my dream to play for Matanzas and play for the national team.

When I asked him about playing for the Cuban national team he replied, ” If it was possible in the near future I would love to represent Cuba an international events.”