New York Yankees 2023 Top 30 Prospect Wraps: Randy Vásquez

Randy Vásquez was on a yo-yo all season between Triple-A and the New York Yankees, but he may be ready for a full-time role in the show.

InsideThePinstripes.com will review each of the New York Yankees’ Top 30 prospects, as ranked by MLB.com at the end of the 2023 season.

No. 14: RHP Randy Vásquez, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Triple-A)

Statistics for 2023: (17 games, all starts): 3-8, 4.59 ERA, 80.1 innings, 78 hits, 45 runs (41 earned), 10 home runs, 40 walks, 96 strikeouts, .257 opponent batting average, 1.47 WHIP.

Season Transactions: Vásquez started the season with S/W-B. The Yankees called him up on May 26 and sent him back to S/W-B on May 27. The Yankees called him up on June 8 and then sent him back to S/W-B on June 9. The Yankees called him up on July 5 and sent him back to S/W-B on July 6. The Yankees called him up on Aug. 11 and sent him back to S/W-B on Aug. 11. The Yankees called him up on Sept. 1 and sent him back to S/W-B on Sept. 30, before finally recalling him on Oct. 2.

Season Summary: Vásquez was on a yo-yo all season between Triple-A and the Yankees. That might have resulted in him not putting together one of his best minor league seasons. But the Yankees liked his stuff and kept calling him up for help before giving him a full spin in September when the Yankees clearly weren’t in the playoff race. The result was a 2-2 record and a 2.87 ERA in 11 MLB games, nearly two points lower than his Triple-A ERA.

Path Through the Organization: Vásquez has emerged as a great return on the Yankees’ investment. He only cost them $10,000 in international pool money when the Yankees signed him as a 19-year-old out of the Dominican Republic in 2018. The Yankees almost included him in the deal that helped them acquire Joey Gallo from the Texas Rangers, and it’s a good thing they hung onto him. By the end of 2022 he threw eight no-hit innings for Somerset in the Double-A Eastern League playoffs and that earned him a spot on the Yankees’ 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule V Draft.

What’s next: Vásquez is knocking on the door of a full-time role the Bronx. MLB.com scouts praise his curveball, which only hits the low-80s but has a 3,100 rpm spin rate (that’s great if you need a translation on what that means). Combined with a fastball that can tip the radar gun at 100, Vásquez is the type of pitcher that could either be a starter or a reliever, depending upon the development of a third pitch, most likely a change-up. The bullpen is his most likely avenue to getting a full-time invitation to the Majors, and Spring Training gives him a chance to prove he’s ready.

2023 New York Yankees Top 30 Prospect Wraps:

No. 30 Elijah Dunham | No. 29 Danny Watson | No. 28 Edgar Barclay | No. 27 Justin Lange | No. 26 Yoendrys Gomez | No. 25 Matt Sauer | No. 24 Agustin Ramirez | No. 23 Ben Rice | No. 22: Anthony Hall | No. 21 Brendan Beck | No. 20 Jared Serna | No. 19: Roc Riggio | No. 18 Zach Messinger | No. 17 Tyler Hardman | No. 16 Clayton Beeter | No. 15 Kyle Carr |