Yankees: Luis Medina looked sharp but then got shelled in Serie del Caribe 2021

The Luis Medina hype train started off fast, but then flew off the tracks, Yankees fans.

The most talked about not-talked-about prospect in the New York Yankees’ farm system is Luis Medina. The Puerto Rican right-hander is the No. 11-ranked prospect in the organization, according to MLB.com, but he’s shown considerable improvement this winter.

He’s been playing in the Puerto Rican winter league and won pitcher of the year honors after allowing just one run over 16.2 innings of work. Keep in mind, he’s only 21 years old, so even though this isn’t necessarily MLB competition, his rise has been considerable.

But then came the Serie del Caribe on Sunday night. Puerto Rico vs the Dominican Republic. Media was on the mound facing a stacked lineup filled with major leaguers and looked great after the first two innings. He gave up just one hit, struck out two, and his stuff appeared electric.

here's a nasty breaker from Luis Medina followed by 97 MPH to strike out LIDOM MVP Ronald Guzmán: pic.twitter.com/UR75CwMAEo
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 31, 2021

Showing up Ronald Guzman like that? Sheesh. That’s the kind of swagger Yankees fans love to see.

But innings three and four featured five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks. Juan Lagares, Melky Cabrera, Robinson Cano and Jonathan Villar did most of the damage. Lagares cranked this three-run bomb in the third on a full count.

Juan Lagares puso delante a las @aguilascibaenas con cuadrangular de tres carreras ante los pitcheos de Luis Medina de los @CriollosCaguas #Criollos 1 #Aguilas 3 (4to INN) #SerieDelCaribe #AguilasCibaenas #Mazatlan #JuanLagares #LIDOM pic.twitter.com/ZzZZIcZVVx
— Romeo Gonzalez (@romeogonzalez) January 31, 2021

Can’t knock the kid, though. What did we expect? A complete game shutout? He’s never made it past High-A and missed all of 2020 due to the global pandemic. He has just 47 minor league games under his belt. The fact that he’s even reached this point is admirable. Just because it didn’t end well doesn’t mean his stock will drop. Scouts love his ceiling.

Is 2021 the year Luis Medina harnesses his arsenal in the Yankees system?

He's one of our breakout picks.

Full list: https://t.co/HKRGqb79VP pic.twitter.com/jn2eC3TWJc
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 31, 2021

Medina was pulled after 3.2 innings of work, with all of that damage coming in his final five outs. He threw 79 pitches and managed to showcase his promising arsenal on the big stage. We’d call that a win, even though he’s probably going to get the loss.

Keep a close eye on the right-hander throughout 2021.

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