Yanks prospect with unhittable changeup tosses 6 no-hit innings
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When the Yankees traded light-hitting infielder Jorbit Vivas to the Nationals this past March, do you remember whom they got in return?
It was left-handed pitcher Sean Paul Liñan, and if that name is unfamiliar to you, it's time to brush up.
Liñan, the Yanks' No. 22 prospect, pitched six-no hit innings with High-A Hudson Valley on Saturday, facing just one batter over the minimum in an 8-1 victory against Winston-Salem at Heritage Financial Park. That zero in the hits column matches Liñan's jersey number.
The southpaw struck out seven batters, giving him 32 K's in 23 1/3 innings this season. Some of those strikeouts came on Liñan's changeup, which might be the best of its kind in the Minors. The 70-grade offering induced a lofty 60% whiff rate last season, one in which Liñan played across four levels and produced a 3.03 ERA through 77 1/3 frames. He also limited opposing batters to a .192 average.
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That changeup may be Liñan's only plus pitch. He has a couple of low-90s fastballs and a mid-80s cutter/slider that gets ordinary movement. For him to make it in the Majors as a starter, he'll need to gain velocity and cut his 9.0% career walk rate.
The worst-case scenario for Liñan, 21, may be that he's just a one-pitch pitcher in the bigs. But when the pitch is a Devin Williams-like changeup, that could certainly be enough to succeed at the highest level.
A fairly minor trade could ultimately pay major dividends for the Yankees in due time.