| IP | 10.2 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 10.13 |
| WHIP | 2.060 |
| BB/9 | 6.8 |
| SO/9 | 9.3 |
- Full name Yohander Manuel Méndez
- Born 01/17/1995 in Valencia, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 230 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- Debut 09/05/2016
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Mendez reached Triple-A in 2016 and pitched in two games out of the big league bullpen at the end of the season, but the Rangers sent him to Double-A Frisco in 2017 to have him focus on fastball command. He threw a career-high 150 innings, an important step for his durability given his previous injuries, and came back up to Texas as a September callup. Mendez's bread-and-butter is his 80-84 changeup, a plus pitch he relies on heavily to catch hitters leaning out front for either a whiff or soft contact. For the first 10 starts of the season, the Rangers told Mendez he couldn't throw his changeup until he got to a two-strike count. Mendez already had good control, but the Rangers wanted to emphasize using his 90-95 fastball and hitting his spots with that pitch. The plan worked, as Mendez threw more strikes and missed even more bats in the second half. He throws a fringe-average slider and an occasional curveball that's below-average, but he mostly leans on his fastball/changeup combination. Mendez showed promising signs that he can handle a starter's workload and the Rangers plan to keep him in that role. He should compete for a spot in Texas' rotation in 2018 and could settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter. -
The Rangers signed Mendez for $1.5 million as a tall, frail 16-year-old throwing in the mid- to upper 80s. He earned three in-season promotions in 2016 and made his major league debut as a September callup. Staying healthy helped Mendez pitch more than 100 innings for the first time in his career. His fastball crept up to sit in the low 90s and touch 95 mph. His calling card is his changeup, which he sells well with good separation off his fastball. It's a plus pitch that consistently fools hitters with empty swings or off balance ones for weak contact. His slider has improved but it's still fringe-average, while he mixes in an occasional get-me-over curveball early in the count. Mendez has smooth arm action, an easy delivery and throws strikes, but he needs to tighten his fastball command, particularly glove side so hitters can't key in on one side of the plate. The Rangers want to keep Mendez in the rotation, so he likely will start the year back at Triple-A Round Rock. He should be back in Texas at some point in 2017, possibly before the all-star break. -
For Mendez, the 2015 season was a success for one reason: He finally stayed healthy. Tall and frail, Mendez had never pitched more than 50 innings in a season since signing with the Rangers for $1.5 million on July 2, 2011. The first three months of the season, Mendez never pitched more than three innings in a start, but in the second half, the Rangers started to let him work deeper into games, with several five-inning starts his maximum. After throwing in the mid-to-upper 80s when he signed as a 16-year-old, Mendez now cruises at 88-91 mph, touching 93. He has an easy delivery with good arm action and throws plenty of strikes. He leans heavily on his plus changeup, which created a lot of awkward swings from low Class A hitters and helped Mendez strike out 10.0 batters per nine innings. His curveball is a fringy pitch that's still inconsistent, though that could improve with mechanical work. Placed on the 40-man roster after the season, Mendez will get a big test in 2016 as the Rangers attempt to stretch him out to 140 innings, with high Class A High Desert where he's likely to start.
Minor League Top Prospects
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The only prospect to make this list in each of the last two seasons, Mendez ranked No. 19 last year and now jumps inside the top 10. He spent 2016 making stops at four different levels, including a pair of relief appearances in the majors, before spending the entire 2017 season with Frisco prior to a September callup. While Mendez's performance didn't markedly improve from last season, he still showcased a plus changeup that kept hitters from making hard contact. Opponents hit just .228 against him. Mendez doesn't overpower batters with a low-90s fastball, but he mixes and sequences pitches well. He throws a slider and curveball that give him two more average to above-average offspeed offerings to pair with his changeup. -
Coming into the season, Mendez had yet to throw a pitch above low Class A. By September he was pitching in the big leagues after generating bad swings at three different minor league stops. Mendez has been handled cautiously--he has thrown six innings just three times as a pro and has never pitched into the seventh. Mendez profiles as a mid-rotation starter thanks to an average 90-92 mph fastball and a plus changeup. His changeup is a swing-and-miss pitch with deception and some fade. His slider is a get-me-over offering most of the time, but he'll show better feel for it in his best starts as it becomes an average pitch.
Best Tools List
- Rated Best Changeup in the Texas Rangers in 2018
Scouting Reports
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Mendez has big league experience and spent most of 2018 with Triple-A Round Rock, but the Rangers demoted him to the Carolina League in late June. It’s a troubling sign for Mendez, who is making a mechanical adjustment with his hands to try to locate his fastball better to his glove side. He’s still generally a strike-thrower with enough fastball from the left side to complement a plus changeup that disrupts hitters’ timing. -
Track Record: Mendez reached Triple-A in 2016 and pitched in two games out of the big league bullpen at the end of the season, but the Rangers sent him to Double-A Frisco in 2017 to have him focus on fastball command. He threw a career-high 150 innings, an important step for his durability, and came back up to Texas as a September call-up. Scouting Report: Mendez's bread-and-butter is his 80-84 mph changeup, a plus pitch he relies on heavily to catch hitters leaning out front for either a whiff or soft contact. For Mendez's first 10 starts of the season, the Rangers told him he couldn't throw his changeup until he got to a two-strike count. He already had good control, but the Rangers wanted to emphasize hitting his spots with his 90-95 mph fastball. The plan worked. Mendez threw more strikes and missed even more bats in the second half. He throws a fringe-average slider and an occasional curveball that is below-average. The Future: Mendez showed promising signs that he can handle a starter's workload. He should compete for a spot in the Rangers' rotation in 2018 and could settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
Career Transactions
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Navegantes del Magallanes traded RHP Anthony Vizcaya to Leones del Caracas for LHP Yohander Méndez.
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LHP Yohander Méndez assigned to Leones del Caracas.
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LHP Yohander Méndez assigned to Leones del Caracas.
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LHP Yohander Méndez assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
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Sultanes de Monterrey traded LHP Yohander Méndez and C Omar Renteria to Piratas de Campeche.
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Navegantes del Magallanes activated LHP Yohander Mendez.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
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Navegantes del Magallanes activated LHP Yohander Méndez.
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Sultanes de Monterrey activated LHP Yohander Mendez from the reserve list.
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Sultanes de Monterrey activated LHP Yohander Mendez from the reserve list.
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Sultanes de Monterrey signed free agent LHP Yohander Mendez.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Venezuela.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Leones de Yucatan.
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P Yohander Mendez assigned to Leones de Yucatan .
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
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LHP Yohander Mendez, and assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
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LHP Yohander Mendez elected free agency.
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Texas Rangers sent LHP Yohander Mendez outright to Nashville Sounds.
- LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Rangers Alternate Training Site.
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Texas Rangers reassigned LHP Yohander Mendez to the minor leagues.
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LHP Yohander Mendez roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
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Yohander Mendez changed number to 74.
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Texas Rangers recalled LHP Yohander Mendez from Nashville Sounds.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Nashville Sounds.
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Yohander Mendez roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
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Texas Rangers sent LHP Yohander Mendez on a rehab assignment to Nashville Sounds.
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Texas Rangers sent LHP Yohander Mendez on a rehab assignment to Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers sent LHP Yohander Mendez on a rehab assignment to AZL Rangers.
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Texas Rangers placed LHP Yohander Mendez on the 10-day injured list. Right UCL sprain.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
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Texas Rangers recalled LHP Yohander Mendez from Round Rock Express.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Frisco RoughRiders from Down East Wood Ducks.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Down East Wood Ducks from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled Yohander Mendez from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled Yohander Mendez from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers recalled Yohander Mendez from Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Round Rock Express.
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Frisco RoughRiders activated LHP Yohander Mendez from the 7-day disabled list.
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Frisco RoughRiders placed LHP Yohander Mendez on the 7-day disabled list retroactive to July 29, 2017.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Frisco RoughRiders from Round Rock Express.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Round Rock Express.
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Yohander Mendez roster status changed by Texas Rangers.
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Texas Rangers reassigned LHP Yohander Mendez to the minor leagues.
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Texas Rangers recalled LHP Yohander Mendez from Round Rock Express.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Frisco RoughRiders from Round Rock Express.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Round Rock Express from Frisco RoughRiders.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Frisco RoughRiders from High Desert Mavericks.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to High Desert Mavericks.
- Yohander Mendez assigned to Rangers Ext. Spring Training from Frisco RoughRiders.
- LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Texas Rangers Futures.
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Texas Rangers optioned LHP Yohander Mendez to Frisco RoughRiders.
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Texas Rangers selected the contract of Yohander Mendez from Hickory Crawdads.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Navegantes del Magallanes.
- LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to SAL North Division All-Stars.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Hickory Crawdads from AZL Rangers.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to AZL Rangers from Hickory Crawdads.
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Hickory Crawdads activated LHP Yohander Mendez from the 7-day disabled list.
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Hickory Crawdads sent LHP Yohander Mendez on a rehab assignment to AZL Rangers.
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Hickory Crawdads placed LHP Yohander Mendez on the 7-day disabled list.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Hickory Crawdads from Spokane Indians.
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Spokane Indians activated LHP Yohander Mendez from the 7-day disabled list.
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Spokane Indians placed LHP Yohander Mendez on the 7-day disabled list.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to Spokane Indians.
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LHP Yohander Mendez assigned to DSL Rangers.
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Texas Rangers signed free agent LHP Yohander Mendez to a minor league contract.