Yankees converting former top catching prospect to pitcher (and he already throws 100)

Back in 2018, the New York Yankees brought in a heralded teenage catcher from Venezuela by the name of Antonio Gomez as part of their international amateur free agent haul. Signing for the not-so-insignificant sum of $600,000, the then-17-year-old was ranked as not just one of the top catchers, but one of the top players in the class.

Baseball America noted at the time of his signing that he already had excellent receiving skills, but that his top attribute was his 70-grade arm, which allowed him to fire darts to second base with upper-80s velocity. They also noted that his projectible frame suggested more power, in addition to his already advanced ability to hit the ball the opposite way with authority.

The Yankees love their catching prospects, and Gomez seemed to be a good one, living in the club's top 30 rankings for most of the years that followed. His tools were so loud that a buzz was beginning to generate ahead of the 2022 season.

However, as he progressed through the minors, his bat failed to keep up. Gomez went from torching the Florida Complex League with a .305/.416/.474 line in 2021, to taking a significant step back with Single-A Tampa in 2022, batting just .252/.332/.369 and reaching a turning point. Gomez would have to figure out how to hit as he reached the upper levels of the minors.

Fast forward to today, and that has not come to fruition. Through 41 games with Double-A Somerset, Gomez is slashing a pitiful .167/.243/.238 while running a ghastly 34% strikeout rate. That led the Yankees to partner with him to undergo a radical makeover in the hopes of saving his career.

Yankees convert struggling catching prospect Antonio Gomez into flame-throwing pitcher

The Yankees' pitching coaching wing, from Matt Blake to director of pitching Sam Briend and on through the minor league apparatus, noticed something special in Gomez: his arm, which has been there in full bloom all along. That's why they've decided to try out the once-promising catcher on the mound, and have already seen shocking results.

With no prior experience, Gomez is already lighting up radar guns with triple-digit velocity. His delivery is smooth, too, making him look something of a natural. Take a look for yourself:

Not too shabby, eh? Gomez certainly looks the part, but it's important to remember he still has a long way to go. He's only thrown some bullpen sessions and is in the very early stages of the conversion. The Yankees have noted that he's not yet at the point where he can command the ball with pinpoint accuracy to various quadrants, though the plan is to get him into real minor-league games as a pitcher this season.

The conversion isn't unheard of, though it's not common. The best example might be long-time Los Angeles Dodgers and current Los Angeles Angels closer Kenley Jansen, whom the Dodgers signed out of Curacao originally as a catcher, and who has gone on to have a Hall of Fame-caliber career.

Of course, tempering expectations is important, but man, if this pans out, what a win it will be for the Yankees' player development team.