Back in 2016, the New York Yankees signed a top pitching prospect out of the Dominican Republic that has turned into one of the highlights of their farm system. That prospect was right-hander Roansy Contreras. Since signing with the Yankees and making his professional debut, Contreras has been very consistent for the Yankees. Contreras has a good arsenal of developing pitchers but currently relies heavily on his best pitch, his fastball. His fastball normally sits in the 92-95 range, but he’s incredibly accurate with that pitch. One of the things that scouts love about Contreras is his ability to control the strike zone. I’ve rewatched a few of his outings from last year, and it just seemed like batters were always behind in the count when Contreras was on the mound. His breaking pitches are still a work in progress, but they do show promise. He’s a three-pitch pitcher, with his two best pitches currently being his fastball and changeup. His curveball is the one he’s been working on the most, and if he can perfect it, that will take him to another level.
Consistent & Impressive 2019
In 2019, Contreras had a very good year with Single-A Charleston. In 24 starts, Contreras posted a 12-5 record with a 3.74 ERA. In those starts, Contreras pitched 132.1 innings where he struck out 113 and walked 36 batters. His numbers were extremely solid for a pitching prospect that is only 19 years old. One of the things about Contreras is he’s not an overpowering pitcher. His fastball can get in the mid-90s, but it can lack movement at times which at times can make it hard to put batters away when his breaking pitches aren’t on. The one thing that Contreras really has going for him is his command that I alluded to above. What he lacks in nasty movement, Contreras makes up for with incredible control. If Contreras can learn to add more movement to his three-pitches, he could become a very dangerous pitcher.
Moving Forward
Whenever the season does get started, I want to see Contreras take the next step up to AA. I want to see how he does against better competition as he continues to develop his secondary pitches. Contreras to me could be a reliever when you look long-term. To me, it will come down to the development of his other pitches. If he can develop those secondary pitches to be consistent plus pitches, you move forward developing him as a starter. If not, I think the New York Yankees should pivot him to the bullpen. As a reliever, Contreras is the type of guy who is not going to give out a walk often. He can learn a lot on that consistent fastball then perfect one of those offspeed pitches to be his out pitch. Either way, I’m excited about Contreras as a prospect, and if he continues to develop on the track he’s on now, I don’t see why he won’t be making an impact for the Yankees in a couple of years.