Yoendrys Gomez is at a critical point in his career, the Yankees no longer possess the ability to option him down to Triple-A and will have to make a tough decision regarding his status on the team. If he doesn’t make the team, the Yankees will have to place him on waivers where the other 29 teams can claim him for free, which would almost certainly happen if the team waives him.
The other outcome is placing him on their 26-man roster, and with the sheer level of pitching talent on the Major League side, his road to being in that bullpen is difficult. Some injuries have opened the door for a more open competition between the various relievers on the outside looking in, and Gomez has twirled the ball well early on. With his fastball velocity creeping back up and his sweeper remaining as sharp as ever, he’s an interesting candidate to make the roster.
Can Yoendrys Gomez Crack the Yankees’ Loaded Bullpen?
Yoendrys Gomez’s fastball took a step back last season, one that was concerning given his extensive injury history throughout his pro career. The fastball looks sharp right now though, sitting 94.2 MPH with good movement from a lower release point and a flatter arm angle. His fastball is dangerous when located at the top of the zone, it’s more than capable of missing bats and getting weak flyballs for quick outs.
With his 6.8 feet of extension as well, the perceived velocity of the pitch is 95.2 MPH, a full MPH higher than the actual velocity of the pitch. I believe a good fastball is a strong foundation for a pitcher’s arsenal, and Yoendrys Gomez’s heater is the kind of pitch that he can rely on in-zone to get ahead in the count but also pick up some swings and misses. The signature pitch in his repertoire isn’t his heater though, it’s a vicious sweeper that has maintained its dominant form.
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Yoendrys Gomez gets good lateral movement on his sweeper, which makes it a devastating swing-and-miss weapon for him against right-handed hitters. It stays on plane and doesn’t dive too much, creating a tough look for hitters trying to keep their swing on plane with that pitch, which has resulted in Gomez getting tons of whiffs on that pitch. Last season we saw flashes of brilliance from the 25-year-old, but the lack of consistency kept him from establishing a role in 2024.
That sweeper paired with a four-seamer that’s regained a lot of its velocity could be a devastating combination out of the bullpen, and the curveball he has could help him a lot as well. Yoendrys Gomez’s curveball serves as a way to steal strikes and get weak contact, which it did at both the Minor and Major League levels last season. His changeup has been a work in progress but I do believe it’s a capable offering, and those four pitches are more than enough to succeed in a reliever role.
Injuries to JT Brubaker, Jake Cousins, and Scott Effross open the door for pitchers like Yoendrys Gomez to make the Yankees’ bullpen, and his nasty stuff could give him a second life as he stares down a potential DFA.