Randy Vasquez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #13 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 45/Medium
  
  Track Record: Vasquez signed with the Yankees in 2018 out of the Dominican Republic and was nearly traded to the Rangers as part of the deal for Joey Gallo. He instead remained in the system as part of a rearranged deal and finished the 2022 season on a high note by throwing the first eight innings of a combined no-hitter that sealed Double-A Somerset’s Eastern League championship. Vasquez made his big league debut in 2023 and posted a 2.87 ERA in 37.2 innings while working as a spot starter and long reliever for the Yankees. The Padres acquired him as one of five players for Juan Soto after the season.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez is an athletic righthander who works with a deep arsenal. He throws four-seam, two-seam and cut fastballs that are above-average, has an average changeup and rounds out his arsenal with a plus, sweeping breaking ball that he calls a curveball but moves like a slider. None of his pitches got a large amount of swings and misses, but he generally does a good job of keeping them off the barrel. Vasquez’s main goal is to add polish. He needs to be more aggressive in setting hitters up with his fastball so he can use his breaking pitches in advantage counts. He could also stand to move the ball around more. Vasquez walked more than four hitters per nine innings in his big league debut and needs to tighten his control.
  
  The Future: Vasquez projects to be a No. 5 starter if he reaches his ceiling. At worst, he’ll fit on a staff as a bulk reliever or spot starter.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 50 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #9 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Vasquez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 and earned enough of a rep in 2021, when he pitched in full-season ball for the first time, that he was originally part of the deal that brought Joey Gallo from the Rangers to New York in exchange for four prospects. A few last-minute alterations to the trade kept him and outfielder Everson Pereira with the Yankees. Vasquez pitched exclusively at Double-A Somerset in 2022 and finished his season with a flourish when he spun the first eight innings of a no-hitter that helped the Patriots win the Eastern League championship.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez works primarily with a combination of four- and two-seam fastballs, each of which average roughly 92-93 mph, and a sweeping curveball that he uses to get swings and misses. He also added a cutter this season. His curveball, which ranks as the best in the system, is sharp enough that it helped him earned the nickname 'El Cuchillo,' or 'The Knife' in Spanish. In 2021, Vasquez lowered his arm slot in an effort to add more velocity. The goal worked, but in 2022 he didn't show the same command of his arsenal. His strike percentage and walk rates were nearly identical year over year, but his strikeout rate dipped from nearly 29% in 2021 to 24% a year later. He'll need to improve the quality of his strikes in order to get more whiffs. Vasquez's overall numbers are somewhat stunted by a horrid July in which he allowed five home runs in just 14.2 innings. By contrast, he allowed just six home runs during the rest of the season.
  
  The Future: Vasquez will move to Triple-A in 2023. If he can improve his command, he has a chance to stick as a back-end starter. If not, he fits as a middle-innings reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #12 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: The Yankees added Vasquez as part of their 2017-18 class, which also included Everson Pereira and the since-traded Ezequiel Duran. He was solid over his first two seasons, during which time he advanced to Rookie-level Pulaski. He came back from the lost 2020 season and was set to be traded to the Rangers in an early version of the trade that brought Joey Gallo to New York. That version was scuttled by an injury to Texas lefty John King, so Vasquez stayed with the Yankees and shot all the way to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez used a couple of key changes to fuel his big year. First, he added a two-seam fastball to go with his four-seamer. To make that pitch more effective, he lowered his arm slot. The aim was to give Vasquez a pitch profile that was more horizontal, and it worked. His four-seamer sat in the mid 90s and touched as high as 98, while his two-seamer came in a tick lower and played as a potentially average pitch. He showed huge spin—an average of more than 3,000 rpms—on both his low-80s curveball and high-80s slider as well. His changeup came along, but at an average of 88 mph still could use a bit more separation from his fastball.
  
  The Future: Because he signed late, Vasquez did not need to be added to the 40-man roster. He’ll likely return to Double-A, and has a future as a potential back-end rotation piece.
  

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Vasquez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 and earned enough of a rep in 2021, when he pitched in full-season ball for the first time, that he was originally part of the deal that brought Joey Gallo from the Rangers to New York in exchange for four prospects. A few last-minute alterations to the trade kept him and outfielder Everson Pereira with the Yankees. Vasquez pitched exclusively at Double-A Somerset in 2022 and finished his season with a flourish when he spun the first eight innings of a no-hitter that helped the Patriots win the Eastern League championship.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez works primarily with a combination of four- and two-seam fastballs, each of which average roughly 92-93 mph, and a sweeping curveball that he uses to get swings and misses. He also added a cutter this season. His curveball, which ranks as the best in the system, is sharp enough that it helped him earned the nickname 'El Cuchillo,' or 'The Knife' in Spanish. In 2021, Vasquez lowered his arm slot in an effort to add more velocity. The goal worked, but in 2022 he didn't show the same command of his arsenal. His strike percentage and walk rates were nearly identical year over year, but his strikeout rate dipped from nearly 29% in 2021 to 24% a year later. He'll need to improve the quality of his strikes in order to get more whiffs. Vasquez's overall numbers are somewhat stunted by a horrid July in which he allowed five home runs in just 14.2 innings. By contrast, he allowed just six home runs during the rest of the season.
  
  The Future: Vasquez will move to Triple-A in 2023. If he can improve his command, he has a chance to stick as a back-end starter. If not, he fits as a middle-innings reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Vasquez was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018 and earned enough of a rep in 2021, when he pitched in full-season ball for the first time, that he was originally part of the deal that brought Joey Gallo from the Rangers to New York in exchange for four prospects. A few last-minute alterations to the trade kept him and outfielder Everson Pereira with the Yankees. Vasquez pitched exclusively at Double-A Somerset in 2022 and finished his season with a flourish when he spun the first eight innings of a no-hitter that helped the Patriots win the Eastern League championship.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez works primarily with a combination of four- and two-seam fastballs, each of which average roughly 92-93 mph, and a sweeping curveball that he uses to get swings and misses. He also added a cutter this season. His curveball, which ranks as the best in the system, is sharp enough that it helped him earned the nickname 'El Cuchillo,' or 'The Knife' in Spanish. In 2021, Vasquez lowered his arm slot in an effort to add more velocity. The goal worked, but in 2022 he didn't show the same command of his arsenal. His strike percentage and walk rates were nearly identical year over year, but his strikeout rate dipped from nearly 29% in 2021 to 24% a year later. He'll need to improve the quality of his strikes in order to get more whiffs. Vasquez's overall numbers are somewhat stunted by a horrid July in which he allowed five home runs in just 14.2 innings. By contrast, he allowed just six home runs during the rest of the season.
  
  The Future: Vasquez will move to Triple-A in 2023. If he can improve his command, he has a chance to stick as a back-end starter. If not, he fits as a middle-innings reliever.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Changeup: 50. Control: 50.
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: The Yankees added Vasquez as part of their 2017-18 class, which also included Everson Pereira and the since-traded Ezequiel Duran. He was solid over his first two seasons, during which time he advanced to Rookie-level Pulaski. He came back from the lost 2020 season and was set to be traded to the Rangers in an early version of the trade that brought Joey Gallo to New York. That version was scuttled by an injury to Texas lefty John King, so Vasquez stayed with the Yankees and shot all the way to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez used a couple of key changes to fuel his big year. First, he added a two-seam fastball to go with his four-seamer. To make that pitch more effective, he lowered his arm slot. The aim was to give Vasquez a pitch profile that was more horizontal, and it worked. His four-seamer sat in the mid 90s and touched as high as 98, while his two-seamer came in a tick lower and played as a potentially average pitch. He showed huge spin—an average of more than 3,000 rpms—on both his low-80s curveball and high-80s slider as well. His changeup came along, but at an average of 88 mph still could use a bit more separation from his fastball.
  
  The Future: Because he signed late, Vasquez did not need to be added to the 40-man roster. He&#39ll likely return to Double-A, and has a future as a potential back-end rotation piece.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: The Yankees added Vasquez as part of their 2017-18 class, which also included Everson Pereira and the since-traded Ezequiel Duran. He was solid over his first two seasons, during which time he advanced to Rookie-level Pulaski. He came back from the lost 2020 season and was set to be traded to the Rangers in an early version of the trade that brought Joey Gallo to New York. That version was scuttled by an injury to Texas lefty John King, so Vasquez stayed with the Yankees and shot all the way to Double-A.
  
  Scouting Report: Vasquez used a couple of key changes to fuel his big year. First, he added a two-seam fastball to go with his four-seamer. To make that pitch more effective, he lowered his arm slot. The aim was to give Vasquez a pitch profile that was more horizontal, and it worked. His four-seamer sat in the mid 90s and touched as high as 98, while his two-seamer came in a tick lower and played as a potentially average pitch. He showed huge spin—an average of more than 3,000 rpms—on both his low-80s curveball and high-80s slider as well. His changeup came along, but at an average of 88 mph still could use a bit more separation from his fastball.
  
  The Future: Because he signed late, Vasquez did not need to be added to the 40-man roster. He’ll likely return to Double-A, and has a future as a potential back-end rotation piece.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Vasquez has made a name for himself this year. The righthander, who was nearly dealt to the Rangers in the Joey Gallo deal, pounds the zone with two- and four-seam fastballs in the mid 90s as well as a curveball which regularly generated spin rates well better than 3,000 rpms. He still needs to sharpen his command and control, but he has a pair of potentially plus weapons already.