The New York Yankees have several prominent players getting some run in winter ball this season. Because of the shortened 2020 and the absence of minor leagues, the Bombers want some of the best and youngest values to get some plate appearances and innings in Latin American baseball.
New York Yankees’ Gary Sanchez will make his debut for Dominican club Toros del Este on Friday, the first time he will play winter ball since the 2013 season. Miguel Andujar and Domingo German are playing in the same team.
And Deivi Garcia, one of the Yankees’ rookie revelations in the condensed 2020 campaign, made his presentation last night in the LIDOM (the Dominican circuit) with the most decorated club there, Tigres del Licey.
The Yankees’ righty had a good night
The Yankees’ prospect, according to Licey’s official page, was on a pitch count to begin the night, as he just pitched 1.2 innings. He didn’t allow any hits or runs, walked two batters and struck out one. All in all, it was an impressive showing for the young righty, but the walks are a bit worrisome.
As you can probably remember, the Yankees needed Garcia at one point in the season and he didn’t disappoint. In six total starts, he pitched 34.1 innings of a 4.98 ERA and a 4.15 FIP. He struck out 22.6% of the hitters he faced, and his BB% was an impressive 4.1.
The last number is the most important in his profile. The Yankees know that as long as Garcia can limit his walks, he will be successful at the major league level. He pitched at three minor league levels in 2019 (Class A-Advanced, Double-A, and Triple-A) and in all of them, his BB% was over 11%.
The Yankees are planning for Garcia to pitch some innings in the Dominican Republic and then get a few weeks of rest leading to Spring Training. He will be one of the top options to occupy a rotation spot in the 2021 campaign, especially if the Bombers fail to address starting pitching in the offseason.