Yankees Pitching Prospects To Watch In 2024

March 27, 2024 Paul Woodin AL East, General, MiLB, Yankees 0

Luis Velasquez, Tampa Tarpons, April 16, 2023. Photo credit keebz884 on Flickr.
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As the minor league baseball season is upon us, I wanted to focus on some pitchers that caught my eye during the 2023 season and are a little under-the-radar entering 2024. These are pitchers I expect to have big 2024 seasons and to rise in the Yankees prospects rankings all around the industry very soon. Helped by their own performances and the graduation of some prospects, these players could be the next crop of young Yankees pitching prospects that people talk about. The upper tier prospects of Will Warren, Clayton Beeter and Chase Hampton and others grab the headlines, and rightfully so, but the players on this list will be grabbing some headlines before long!


Jack Neely, RHP
Looking back at my 2023 midseason top 50 prospects list, I had Neely ranked at number 40 and wish i had him a bit higher. At 6-foot-8, Neely manages to seem taller as he comes over the top with his delivery creating a disadvantage to the batter. Neely works north and south with a mid 90’s fastball, slider and curveball as he racks up K’s along the way. In a combined 69.2 innings between Hudson Valley and Somerset last season, Neely had an absurd 100 strikeouts with a 2.08 ERA he only gave up 39 hits. Eight of those hits were home runs, which is an area to improve upon for the 23-year-old righty. It will be no surprise if Neely is knocking on the door of the big leagues by mid summer or sooner with his pitching arsenal.

Danny Watson, RHP
Watson was selected by the Yankees in the 15th Round (Pick 453 overall) in 2021 out of Virginia Commonwealth. He had success utilizing a low arm slot during his three years at VCU. After he struggled in his first full pro season with Tampa, they had him drop down further and remade his repertoire for 2023. The results have been great as he posted a 1.48 ERA, .140 opponent average and 39 strikeouts in 25 innings with Tampa before advancing to Double-A. With Somerset, Watson continued to dominate with a 1.64 ERA, .137 opponent average and 43 strikeouts in 38.1 innings. As a 6-foot-7 sidearmer with an upright delivery Watson owns a low to mid 90s fastball with nasty carry and arm side run, a sweeper and a solid mid 80s cutter that he throws strikes with and gets hitter to chase. His sweeper is probably his best pitch now and plays well with his fastball. He scrapped his slider and changeup when he remade his repertoire. Not only has Watson’s stuff improved with his new arm slot, but his control has gotten better as well. His deception has played especially well against left-handers this past season after struggling with them in his career. He still has to prove himself in Triple-A, but he will help the Yankees at some point soon in 2024.

Luis Velasquez, RHP
Velasquez is not an imposing figure at 5’10, 155 pounds, but that doesn’t mean minor league hitters had any luck hitting against him last season. Signed as an undrafted free agent by the Yankees in 2019, Velasquez began the season with the Single-A Tampa and was promoted to Hudson Valley on June 6. In 36 games (62 innings pitched) between the two stops out of the bullpen, Velasquez allowed only 28 hits (.132 average against) while striking out 77 to go with a 1.74 ERA. His mid 90s four-seam fastball has good ride, his sinker has good diving action, and he mixes in a changeup for strikes as well. He was named South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 24-30 with a dominant week out of the bullpen for the Renegades, tossing 5.2 perfect innings and striking out eight batters. With his 1.74 ERA and high strikeout rate between Tampa and Hudson Valley, he makes an interesting prospect to watch in 2024 with a promotion to Somerset in the cards for 2023.

Bailey Dees, RHP
Dees was selected by the Yankees in the 18th Round (Pick 543 overall) in 2021 out of Penn State. In only his second full season, Dees was making the adjustment in Double-A and struggled some (4.29 ERA, 12 BB and 18 K in 21 innings) after dominating in Hudson Valley earlier in the year. Seemingly hidden behind relievers like Neely and Watson with Hudson Valley and Somerset, Dees had numbers that stack up with them. He had a combined ERA of 2.60 in 62.1 innings and struck out 77 batters along the way. At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, he has a simple delivery that produces a mid-90s fastball, slider and change that can both be sharp. I like his physical build a lot and he moves well for a guy his size having a long arm action while hiding the ball well before release. There is hope here that he makes an excellent big-league reliever, and Dees has done nothing to make those hopes unrealistic.

Yorlin Calderon, RHP
The Yankees thought enough of Calderon to send him to the Arizona Fall League in 2022, and he rewarded them with a strong 2023. Calderon was promoted in late August from Tampa to Hudson Valley and should start in Hudson Valley in 2024. After 34 relief appearances with Tampa, he moved into the Tarpons rotation on August 15, where in three starts he allowed one run and seven hits over 10.2 innings. He was then promoted to Hudson Valley and made two starts giving up three runs over 8 innings. The right-hander was just as effective in the rotation as he was out of the bullpen having a combined 3.10 ERA and 98 strikeouts in 81.1 innings between the two stops. Calderon has a great two-seamer that averages 91-93 mph, a sharp sinker which plays well with an filthy changeup and solid slider. He is able to and willing to throw his slider in any count with conviction and has the ability to throw all four pitches for strikes. The 22-year-old is listed at 6-foot-3, 155 pounds, so he can still add strength to get a tick or two more on his fastball and continue to develop as a starter. It sure was a curious decision by the Yankees to make him a starter since he was doing very well as a reliever, but it looks like a good decision so far. I think we will see more velocity in the next couple years and he could be a player that works his way up rankings.

Carlos Lagrange, RHP
Signed for $10,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2022, Lagrange sits between 94-97 mph on his fastball and peaks at 100 regularly while working a downhill plane. He adds a heavy two-seamer and sometimes a riding four-seamer at the top of the strike zone, and flashes a plus slider in the mid-80s and a mid-80s changeup that is a work in progress. In 2023 during his stateside debut, Lagrange led the Rookie level Florida Complex League with 63 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. Lagrange has an electric arm but still requires a lot of polish. At 6’7″ he’s still learning how to coordinate his long limbs and repeat his delivery to throw strikes. His secondary pitches, control and command will require significant refinement if he’s to remain a starter, though it’s easy to envision him filling a high-leverage role in the bullpen. Even if he winds up in the bullpen he has the stuff to be a force in the late innings.

Paul Woodin

Paul Woodin is a huge sports fan who leads the New York Yankees minor league farm system coverage for the Prospects1500 team. Growing up playing and watching baseball while collecting baseball cards, Paul developed a love for the game. Born and raised in Connecticut between Yankees and Red Sox territory, Paul become a Yankees fan because of Don Mattingly and Derek Jeter. An avid sports card, memorabilia and autograph collector, he participates in redraft, dynasty and prospect-only fantasy baseball formats during each season. Feel free to reach out on Twitter
@PaulWoodin1.

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