Huascar Ynoa

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #12 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: The Braves acquired Ynoa in a 2017 trade with the Twins that sent lefthander Jaime Garcia and catcher Anthony Recker to Minnesota. Ynoa progressed through the minors quickly after joining the Braves and appeared in the majors each of the last two seasons as both a starter and a reliever. He made nine appearances during the 2020 season with shaky results, but came up big with four shutout innings of relief against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa has a three-pitch mix topped by a fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range. His fastball has a low spin rate that limits his ability to get whiffs up in the zone, but it does allow him to get grounders at an above-average rate. Ynoa backs it up with a slider that averages 86 mph and a changeup in the same velocity band. All three of his pitches are at least average offerings. His slider is his best as a plus pitch with downward bite. Ynoa's biggest challenge will be to improve his below-average command and control. He frequently misses the strike zone and will need to execute his pitches more consistently.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa's pitch mix is that of a back-of-the-rotation starter, but his control makes it more likely he ends up a reliever. Either way, he'll play a role for the Braves in 2021.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #16 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Prior to the 2019 season, Ynoa hadn't pitched above the high Class A Florida State League, but his pure stuff and the improvement of his slider pushed him all the way up the minor league ladder, and he was twice brought up to pitch in relief for the big league club.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa's fastball is one of the best in the Braves system, sitting in the 92-97 mph range and touching 99-100 at its best. While the pure velocity is impressive, pitch metrics don't favor the offering, and he doesn't generate as many whiffs on the pitch as you might expect, with little movement or late life. However, that could be helped by a plus secondary offering, which is what scouts are now saying about Ynoa's power slurve in the mid-80s. The consistency of the offering got much better this season, and it features hard vertical movement. Ynoa also has a changeup in his arsenal, though he rarely used it as a reliever, and it is an average offering.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa has the pure stuff to project as a middle-of-the-rotation arm or high-leverage reliever, but he's currently a control-over-command type who will need to either miss bats more frequently or spot his fastball and slider more effectively to find success. He should return to Triple-A Gwinnett next year in his age-22 season for further refinement, but Atlanta clearly thinks he can help the big league club now.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #19 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: The Braves' farm system is top-heavy. The vast majority of the team's best pitching prospects are ticketed for Double-A or Triple-A in 2019. Ynoa is one Class A arm with a sky-high ceiling.
  
  Scouting Report: Ynoa has some of the best pure stuff in the Braves system. He sits 92-96 mph and has touched 100 mph at his best, and both his slider and changeup have at least average potential. Ynoa's changeup is inconsistent but at its best it has excellent late fade and sink, and it dives away from lefthanded hitters' bats. Ynoa's 83-86 mph slider has potential as well, with solid tilt. Too often at this point it is just a chase pitch. Ynoa has a strong frame and he's gotten more direct to the plate, but he still has below-average control and command. He is really aiming at this point to just get his fastball over the plate rather than trying to hit spots.
  
  The Future: Ynoa needs plenty of further refinement, but he has the stuff and durability to be a mid-rotation starter and he has a solid fallback option as a power reliever. He's set to return to high Class A Florida.
• 
  Ranked Atlanta Braves #25 prospect in 2018
  Former Braves general manager John Coppolella added R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon and Jaime Garcia on short-term deals for the 2017 season with the hope of stabilizing the rotation and getting some prospects back in deadline deals. Dickey and Colon didn't work out, but Garcia was traded to the Twins for the high-ceiling, high-risk Ynoa. Ynoa is the younger brother of Michael Ynoa, who set an international bonus record in 2009 when he signed with the Athletics for $4.25 million. The younger Ynoa signed for $800,000. Much as it was true when he signed, Ynoa has loads of potential, but is too inconsistent as of yet to dominate. He will sit 95-96 mph and touch 99 with a fastball that is hard to square up. He naturally cuts the ball and has shown an ability to spin a breaking ball, though his curveball and slider tend to merge into one pitch at times and are inconsistent. When he's on, Ynoa's slider shows plus potential with good depth. Ynoa's mechanics are rough. He yanks his fastball at times, doesn't always stay in line to the plate and needs to repeat everything more consistently to refine his control. Ynoa has the foundation to be a mid-rotation starter or power reliever as he embarks on his first full-season assignment in 2018.
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #29 prospect in 2017
  The younger brother of White Sox righthander Michael Ynoa--who signed for a then-record $4.25 million as a 16-year-old with the Athletics in 2008--Huascar received an $800,000 bonus from the Twins in 2014 after an inconsistent showcase circuit raised concerns over his command. He walked 30 in 56.2 innings in an otherwise solid 2015 debut in the Dominican Summer League, and he took a step forward in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2016, walking just 12 against 51 strikeouts in 51 innings. Not nearly as tall as his 6-foot-7 brother, Ynoa is still a strong 6-foot-3, 221-pound 18-year-old without much physical projection left. He sits 92-93 mph and can reach 95, and he projects as a starter with his durable body and three-pitch arsenal. He throws an 80-82 mph slurve-like breaking ball that projects as an average offering and could evolve into a tighter slider, and he adds an average low-80s changeup. Ynoa has a better feel for pitching and spinning the ball than many pitchers his age, and if he continues to refine his command, he could develop into a mid-rotation starter. He will likely start 2017 at Rookie-level Elizabethton.
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #25 prospect in 2016
  Inconsistency on the amateur circuit was the major reason Ynoa signed for just $800,000, not even 20 percent of the haul older brother and fellow righthander Michael Ynoa received from the Oakland A's in 2008. In his first summer of professional competition, the younger Ynoa answered some of those questions with a solid showing in the Dominican. Ynoa entered pro ball with an 88-92 mph fastball, touching 93 mph with plus command. His mid-70s curveball has shown good depth and out-pitch potential, and his low-80s changeup generates whiffs due to its quality and his ability to maintain arm speed. He mixes his pitches with a delivery that could still use some refinement. Keeping the ball down in the zone had been a problem in his amateur days, but Ynoa allowed just one homer in his first 14 pro starts. His solid frame lacks projection, causing some to doubt whether he'll add much velocity. He figures to move to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League next season and projects as high as a No. 2 starter.
• 
  Ranked Minnesota Twins #27 prospect in 2015
  Six years after Dominican righthander Michael Ynoa signed with the Athletics for $4.25 million, the Twins signed his younger brother Huascar for $800,000 as their top international play in 2014. Five inches shorter than the 6-foot-7 Michael, who has struggled to stay healthy, Huascar has flashed top-of-the- rotation potential and three average to above-average pitches, but consistency has been fleeting. At his best, Ynoa throws his fastball at 88-92 mph, touching 93. Because his solid 190-pound frame lacks projection, some wonder how much velocity he'll add as he matures. His mid-70s curveball shows good depth and the potential to be an out pitch, while his low-80s changeup is a swing-and-miss pitch thrown with proper arm speed. Ynoa also shows an advanced ability to mix his pitches in any count. His delivery isn't max effort but could still use some smoothing out to keep him from throwing uphill at times. He sometimes struggles to keep the ball down in the zone. He could report to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2015.

Minor League Top Prospects

• 
  Ranked South Atlantic League #16 prospect in 2018
  Ynoa showed three above-average pitches at different times during the season—he just usually had only one or two working for him on any given night. That was still enough for him to rank seventh in the SAL in strikeouts (100) and third in opponent average (.205) before being promoted to high Class A Florida on July 24. Ynoa's 92-96 mph fastball was his most consistent weapon. His two-seamer showed excellent late sink and he could elevate to 97-98 mph when he needed. His changeup flashed signs of turning into a weapon as well. It's hard with only modest velocity separation from his fastball, but it succeeded as a weak-contract pitch thanks to late fade and sink. His mid-80s slider was his most erratic pitch, but it showed plenty of promise if he can learn to control it and make it more than just a chase pitch. Most pitchers with Ynoa's erratic secondaries and below-average control end up as power relievers, but he has the stuff to be a mid-rotation starter if he can improve his control.

• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Braves acquired Ynoa in a 2017 trade with the Twins that sent lefthander Jaime Garcia and catcher Anthony Recker to Minnesota. Ynoa progressed through the minors quickly after joining the Braves and appeared in the majors each of the last two seasons as both a starter and a reliever. He made nine appearances during the 2020 season with shaky results, but came up big with four shutout innings of relief against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa has a three-pitch mix topped by a fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range. His fastball has a low spin rate that limits his ability to get whiffs up in the zone, but it does allow him to get grounders at an above-average rate. Ynoa backs it up with a slider that averages 86 mph and a changeup in the same velocity band. All three of his pitches are at least average offerings. His slider is his best as a plus pitch with downward bite. Ynoa's biggest challenge will be to improve his below-average command and control. He frequently misses the strike zone and will need to execute his pitches more consistently.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa's pitch mix is that of a back-of-the-rotation starter, but his control makes it more likely he ends up a reliever. Either way, he'll play a role for the Braves in 2021.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Braves acquired Ynoa in a 2017 trade with the Twins that sent lefthander Jaime Garcia and catcher Anthony Recker to Minnesota. Ynoa progressed through the minors quickly after joining the Braves and appeared in the majors each of the last two seasons as both a starter and a reliever. He made nine appearances during the 2020 season with shaky results, but came up big with four shutout innings of relief against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa has a three-pitch mix topped by a fastball that sits in the 95-96 mph range. His fastball has a low spin rate that limits his ability to get whiffs up in the zone, but it does allow him to get grounders at an above-average rate. Ynoa backs it up with a slider that averages 86 mph and a changeup in the same velocity band. All three of his pitches are at least average offerings. His slider is his best as a plus pitch with downward bite. Ynoa's biggest challenge will be to improve his below-average command and control. He frequently misses the strike zone and will need to execute his pitches more consistently.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa's pitch mix is that of a back-of-the-rotation starter, but his control makes it more likely he ends up a reliever. Either way, he'll play a role for the Braves in 2021.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Prior to the 2019 season, Ynoa hadn’t pitched above the high Class A Florida State League, but his pure stuff and the improvement of his slider pushed him all the way up the minor league ladder, and he was twice brought up to pitch in relief for the big league club.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa’s fastball is one of the best in the Braves system, sitting in the 92-97 mph range and touching 99-100 at its best. While the pure velocity is impressive, pitch metrics don’t favor the offering, and he doesn’t generate as many whiffs on the pitch as you might expect, with little movement or late life. However, that could be helped by a plus secondary offering, which is what scouts are now saying about Ynoa’s power slurve in the mid-80s. The consistency of the offering got much better this season, and it features hard vertical movement. Ynoa also has a changeup in his arsenal, though he rarely used it as a reliever, and it is an average offering.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa has the pure stuff to project as a middle-of-the-rotation arm or high-leverage reliever, but he’s currently a control-over-command type who will need to either miss bats more frequently or spot his fastball and slider more effectively to find success. He should return to Triple-A Gwinnett next year in his age-22 season for further refinement, but Atlanta clearly thinks he can help the big league club now.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Prior to the 2019 season, Ynoa hadn't pitched above the high Class A Florida State League, but his pure stuff and the improvement of his slider pushed him all the way up the minor league ladder, and he was twice brought up to pitch in relief for the big league club.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Ynoa's fastball is one of the best in the Braves system, sitting in the 92-97 mph range and touching 99-100 at its best. While the pure velocity is impressive, pitch metrics don't favor the offering, and he doesn't generate as many whiffs on the pitch as you might expect, with little movement or late life. However, that could be helped by a plus secondary offering, which is what scouts are now saying about Ynoa's power slurve in the mid-80s. The consistency of the offering got much better this season, and it features hard vertical movement. Ynoa also has a changeup in his arsenal, though he rarely used it as a reliever, and it is an average offering.
  
  THE FUTURE: Ynoa has the pure stuff to project as a middle-of-the-rotation arm or high-leverage reliever, but he's currently a control-over-command type who will need to either miss bats more frequently or spot his fastball and slider more effectively to find success. He should return to Triple-A Gwinnett next year in his age-22 season for further refinement, but Atlanta clearly thinks he can help the big league club now.
• December, 2014 Scouting Report
  Six years after Dominican righthander Michael Ynoa signed with the Athletics for $4.25 million, the Twins signed his younger brother Huascar for $800,000 as their top international play in 2014. Five inches shorter than the 6-foot-7 Michael, who has struggled to stay healthy, Huascar has flashed top-of-the- rotation potential and three average to above-average pitches, but consistency has been fleeting. At his best, Ynoa throws his fastball at 88-92 mph, touching 93. Because his solid 190-pound frame lacks projection, some wonder how much velocity he'll add as he matures. His mid-70s curveball shows good depth and the potential to be an out pitch, while his low-80s changeup is a swing-and-miss pitch thrown with proper arm speed. Ynoa also shows an advanced ability to mix his pitches in any count. His delivery isn't max effort but could still use some smoothing out to keep him from throwing uphill at times. He sometimes struggles to keep the ball down in the zone. He could report to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2015.