Move from backstop to mound restarts clock for hard-throwing Yanks prospect

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Arizona Fall League is populated with plenty of pitchers who throw hard and/or require some extra work. Yankees right-hander Antonio Gomez needs innings more than any of them, and he lights up radar guns more than most.

Gomez had the best arm strength of any catcher in the 2018 international class, which helped him land a $600,000 bonus out of Venezuela. He spent his first seven years in pro ball trying to advance through the Minors as a backstop, impressing with pop times as low as 1.8 seconds, steady improvement as a receiver and blocker, as well as strong makeup and leadership skills.

But Gomez also batted just .240 with modest power and a 28% strikeout rate in those seven seasons. He hit .140 when he finally got to Double-A Somerset in 2025, and he began to realize a career change might be in order.

"The pitching coordinators noticed I had a good arm my first year," Gomez said. "They always joked about it -- 'We're going to turn you into a pitcher at some point' -- but it was always a joke. I feel that I was pretty good as a catcher, I just struggled a lot with my swing-and-miss percentage, in zone, all the metrics they have now."

The Yankees approached Gomez in mid-2025 and asked him if he wanted to try pitching. He said he'd think about it, and he did so for a couple of weeks before Double-A catcher Rafael Flores Jr. (now with the Pirates) challenged him.

"Rafael Flores said, 'Let's go, hop on the mound and see what's up,'" Gomez said. "I remember my first pitch was like 98. That's when I told them, 'OK, I'm down to be a pitcher.'"

After spending a month at the organization's training base in Tampa, Fla., Gomez took the mound for the Single-A Florida State League affiliate there. Velocity continued to come easily, but the rest of pitching did not. Gomez surrendered six runs in 2 2/3 innings over four appearances before his right elbow gave out out, requiring internal brace surgery.

Gomez, who had Tommy John surgery while still a catcher in September 2023, returned this August and made six appearances with the Tarpons. He topped out at 101 mph with his four-seam fastball, backed it up with a cutter that reached 94 and unveiled an upper-90s sinker and a mid-80s slider.

Gomez completed his age-24 season with a total of 8 1/3 innings of Minor League experience, so the Yankees sent him to the AFL. He nearly matched that amount with eight innings for the Salt River Rafters, allowing seven runs on nine hits and eight walks while striking out seven. Gomez's arm action still resembles a catcher's, and he's trying to figure out control and command.

While in Arizona, Gomez averaged 98 mph with his four-seamer and 97 mph with his two-seamer, reaching triple digits twice. His cutter lagged well behind his fastballs, and he didn't use his slider very often.

Gomez has the raw ingredients to become a bullpen weapon, but he'll need plenty of time and patience to develop. While he says the transition from catching to pitching hasn't been as easy as he thought it might be, he's enjoying it.

"It's very fun," Gomez said. "I feel that I'm adapting very quick, and I don't feel that I'm a catcher anymore. I feel like I'm a pitcher. Being a catcher and a hitter, it helped me for sure turning into a pitcher, having better mentality and mindset of what I'm looking to do with this part of the game."