Prospect: Manny Banuelos Rank: 12
2015/16: UR Position(s): Left Handed Pitcher
Level: AAA Salt Lake Age: Entering Age 26 season in 2017.
Height: 5’10” Weight: 215 lb.
Present – Future
Fastball 55 55
Curve 55 55
Change 55 60
Mechanics 50 50
Command 45 50
Control 45 50
Overall 45 55
Floor: Lefty Specialist in MLB.
Ceiling: A #3/4 starter in MLB
Likely Outcome: #4/5 starter in MLB
Summary: Tommy John surgeries aren’t always a complete success. Though the success rate is drastically higher today than it was 10-20 years ago, there are still some players that have trouble coming back, if ever making it back. Manny is one of those stories. Before surgery, Banuelos was part of the Yankees “Killer B’s prospects, all of which were labeled “front-line” starters. It didn’t work out for any of those three, but then again, Yankee prospects in general are pretty overrated so it didn’t come as a complete surprise. Still, in Betances and Banuelos, I can certainly see why the distinction was given. In Banuelos, New York had a young lefty that sat in the mid-90’s and could reach back and touch the upper 90’s if needed. He had decent control and an average curve, slider and “plus” change up.
Manny went under the knife in 2013 though and missed the entire season. When he returned in 2014, the kid just wasn’t the same. What was once a dominant fastball and difficult collection of off-speed pitches had turned into a very average fastball and no feel for his other pitches whatsoever. The Yankees traded Manny to the Braves, and after he was dealt, Banuelos began to recover the lost control of his curve and change up and began to dominate in AAA. Once he reached the majors, Manny’s fastball velocity began to dwindle back into the high 80’s as he tired out. Banuelos entered 2016 in the mix for a rotation spot with the Braves again, but the fatigue he experienced in the latter half of 2015 still hadn’t subsided. He tried to pitch through it, he even reared back and started firing in the mid-90’’s for a hot moment, but none of it was sustainable.
Upon being let go by the Braves, former Yankee AGM and current Angels GM Billy Eppler was eager to bring Banuelos in. Though he was able to sit 91-92 at instructs in Arizona and expressed a willingness to transition into relief, Eppler made certain that Banuelos would have the chance to finally undergo a full recovery. No one would press him into duty and there was no pressure put on him by prospects behind him or players in front of him. So Banuelos has been given a very extended off-season of sorts. The current plan is to have Banuelos remain in the rotation, but he could also see time in the bullpen. It’s unlikely that Banuelos, even with rest, will ever recover the mid-90’s velocity he once had, but he should also throw harder than the 88 mph he was tossing back in 2015 with the Braves. It’s more likely that 91-92 is the new norm for Banuelos. But he’s proven in AAA before that he can still mow hitters down at that velocity. The change up will be his go-to off-speed pitch to generate weak contact and quick outs, so as to keep his pitch count down. The slider and curve are expected to be inter-mixed as he sees fit. Both are average major league pitches.
For Manny, this appears to be his last shot at the majors. The Angels aren’t counting on him, but they also don’t have anyone so nailed down in the 5th starter spot that Banuelos couldn’t claim it with a healthy, and solid Spring. Equally as important, the Angels also appear to have quite a few openings in the bullpen, so if Manny handles short appearances better, there’s nothing preventing him from claiming a spot. For the Angels, Banuelos is a lottery ticket. They certainly aren’t counting on him, because they still have Jesse Chavez, Alex Meyer, Nate Smith, Brooks Pounders and Bud Norris around him. But if Banuelos regains his form, none of those players I mentioned, with the possible exception of Meyer, could out-pitch Manny.
It is also important to note that across 42 career starts in AAA, Banuelos owns a lifetime 3.39 ERA.
What to expect next season: Banuelos will likely be ticketed for AAA to start the season, and will be in a continual open competition for the 5th rotation spot or swingman in the bullpen all season long. I expect we’ll see Banuelos in Anaheim at some point next season, but at this point it’s almost importable to predict which version of Banuelos we’ll see.
Estimated Time of Arrival: 2017, as a 26 year old. .
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