Andrew Vasquez - 2018

[TNTwinsFan]

Andrew Vasquez (52) LHP  
DOB: 9/14/1994; Age: 24
Position: LHP
Bats: S, Throws: L
Height: 6'6", Weight: 228 lbs
Acquired: Drafted in the 32nd round in 2015

 

Because I love Thyrlos' rankings (especially of Rooker), I'm going to use his write up yet again to describe why I'm intrigued by a guy like Vasquez. Ranked at #46 by Thrylos, Vasquez also pitched in the AFL this past off season to the tune of: 1.42 ERA, 9H, 5BB, and 14K in 12.2 IP. He keeps that up and me thinks he could be someone that also moves up the rankings quite a bit this year. Bold prediction: he becomes a Top 25 prospect this year with an outside chance of seeing some time with the Twins in September. (I know, I know...40 Man Roster moves...blah blah blah.) 

[ashbury]

A couple of photos from last November's AFL action:

 

 

[Danchat]

 

Bold prediction: he becomes a Top 25 prospect this year with an outside chance of seeing some time with the Twins in September. (I know, I know...40 Man Roster moves...blah blah blah.)

Congrats, your bold prediction has come true. I had no idea Vasquez had a shot making the team after starting the year in A+. Wow, those K numbers are insane - 17.1 K/9 at AA!! Holy moly!

[mlhouse]

Vasquez isn't a hard thrower, but he has been effective in the low minors.  The only night I saw him pitch, with Lewis Thorpe starting, neither of them looked very good.

 

But Vasquez is one of those minor league players that you have to ask why the Twins moved him along so slowly, despite this big jump.  He was a college draftee, starting his professional career at the age of 21. The Twins started him in the low Rookie level, surprising for a college draftee, and the fact is he did not have good control his first season.

 

THe next season he played in Rookie and A- ball and had a sub 1.50 ERA combined.  But the Twins chose to keep him at Cedar Rapids to start the next season, promoting him late in the season to Ft. Myers.  Then, despite having a 1.55 combined ERA, they started him at Ft. Myers for the 2018 season.

 

With the exception of his draft year were he had an ERA of 2.92, at every stop in his minor league career Vasquez had an ERA under 1.61.  At every stop.  When they finally promoted him to AA this season his ERA in his Chatanooga stint was 1.16.

 

The only negative thing about Vasquez is I have never seen a pitcher with so many relative unearned runs, but his funky stuff has generated 13.4K/9 in his minor league career, and that only got better whne he got to AA and even AAA.

 

So, the question is this. What were the Twins thinking?  Why did they have Vasquez restart each season at the previous level despite his major successes?  While for the Twins this jump to the majors of a guy who started the season in A+ ball is quite unusual, why did he start in Ft. Myers to begin with?  

 

Andrew Vasquez isn't a 20 year old jumping to the majors.  He is 24 years old.   He is making the jump because the Twins have such a conservative approach to moving players, even ones that have great success, through the system. And they have a preference even for a team that is losing and needs to rebuild of giving 31 year old pitchers like Oliver Drake, on his 5th team in 2018, the innings instead of developing their prospects like Vasquez.  

[Bob Sacamento]

A little flashback of Vasquez working with GCL pitching coach Virgil Vasquez on tunneling his pitches shortly after being drafted in 2015.  One of the reasons Andrew is so effective is he releases his two different sliders (both are plus pitches) and fastball out of the same slot.

 

I once watched him throw 12 sliders in a row in a ST game, everyone knew it was coming but the Sox hitters just couldn't touch it.  After the first 4 in row, the players (Twins and Sox) in the stands kept on wondering if he was going to throw another, and another, and another.  One now former Red Sox lefty farmhand who made his MLB debut this year said "if my breaking ball moved like that that's all I'd throw too!"

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOvB5Z3Hsn

 

 

[TNTwinsFan]

Congrats, your bold prediction has come true. I had no idea Vasquez had a shot making the team after starting the year in A+. Wow, those K numbers are insane - 17.1 K/9 at AA!! Holy moly!

I ended up 1 for 3 on my predictions of my prospects. I did a POOR job of updating everyone on their progress throughout the season, but if everyone was paying attention to the Minor League Updates each week, they knew how the prospects were doing. Really happy for Andrew's promotion to the Twins! Let's see how he does over the next month; hopefully he can establish himself as someone that can help out in the Pen next season as the Twins push for the playoffs. Perhaps a bit of Trevor Hildenberger in terms of impact in his first full season? I mean, what big league team doesn't need a shut-down lefty out of the pen?! Soft tosser or not! Good luck Andrew!!!