Kelvin Vasquez
| IP | 423 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 4.234 |
| WHIP | 1.452 |
| BB/9 | 5.021 |
| SO/9 | 8.34 |
- Full name Kelvin Antonio Vasquez
- Born 04/06/1993 in San Pedro De Macoris, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 195 / Bats: R / Throws: R
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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One month before the Rangers lavished seven-figure bonuses on Dominican outfielders Nomar Mazara and Ronald Guzman, they watched Vasquez, a converted outfielder, throw a bullpen session in the Dominican Republic and signed him for $30,000 as an 18-year-old. After Vasquez spent two seasons in the Dominican Summer League, the Rangers threw him into the low Class A South Atlantic League to open 2013, but he was in over his head. By mid-May he had been sent back to extended spring training before he rebounded at short-season Spokane, where he led the Northwest League in ERA (2.13). Vasquez has a long, lanky frame, and his pitchability is understandably raw given his lack of mound experience, but he gets swings and misses from his lively 90-94 mph fastball with solid sink. He's still developing his secondary pitches, the most advanced of which is a slider that's average at times. He focused on throwing his changeup more often when he was demoted to Spokane, but it's still below-average. Vasquez generates his velocity fairly easily and has some deception in his delivery, but he needs to throw more strikes. He'll jump back to Hickory in 2014, with his future likely in middle relief.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The Rangers jumped Vasquez to low Class A Hickory to start the season, but he didn?t make it through mid-May there before being sent down. He rallied in the NWL, where the league?s ERA leader (2.27) discovered that an extra pitch can have a positive effect, even if it?s still developing. ?Vasquez is a tall, lanky, young kid,? Spokane manager Tim Hulett said. ?He has a live (90-94 mph) fastball and a good slider, but to me what really separated him this year?whether he threw it for strikes or not?was his changeup. He threw 10-15 a game, which really helped him put guys away.? Vasquez also led the league in opponent average (.199) and strikeout rate (10.4 per nine innings) and ranked second in strikeouts (72). Hulett said he?s closer to 6-foot-6, and that he?s taller than Spokane teammate, 18-year-old prospect lefthander Yohander Mendez, who also is listed at 6-foot-4. Vasquez?s change still needs work, as lefthanded hitters (.706 OPS) were much more effective against him than righthanders (.403 OPS). ?Vasquez threw his fastball, breaking ball and changeup for strikes,? Eugene?s Gabella said. ?He has nice arm speed with good deception.?
