LHP Manny Banuelos

[BennyLeo]

1452

Manuel Banuelos
Born: March 13, 1991 in Durango, Mexico
Throws Left, Bats Left
Pitches: Low-to-Mid-90s Fastball, Fading Changeup, Improving Curveball
Delivery: Simple, yet deceptive
What the Scouts See:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iP3mSYvL9p4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG_blvoY8XU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nozbXb0i_B0

My Take:

Manny Banuelos is the Yanks' #1 pitching prospect, and one of the better prospects in the league. With a smooth and simple delivery and a change that fades like the sun into a summer night, Banuelos may get a call-up to the majors this year.

[BennyLeo]

CitizensVoice.com's Donnie Collins writes: (http://citizensvoice.com/sports/pen-leads-swb-yanks-to-victory-over-buffalo-1.1299354#ixzz1ryYGJ4N0)


Promising lefty Manny Banuelos struggled through two innings, but four relievers combined to work seven shutout, one-hit innings as the Yankees cruised past Buffalo, 7-2, at Coca-Cola Field.

...

Once lauded for his command, Banuelos struggled to find the strike zone again. In just two innings, he issued six walks and 38 of his 74 pitches were out of the strike zone.


Not a spectacular start for Banuelos. Let's hope his pinpoint command from Spring Training isn't gone.

[BennyLeo]

Banuelos recently sustained a back injury and will miss one start, George A. King III of the New York Post reports. (http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/yankeesblog/yankees_prospect_banuelos_on_disabled_1VmNeiJU2MC8 7Yw0HfSt5J) The article also includes a statistics update:


In two starts for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Banuelos is 0-1 with a 10.13 ERA. In 5 1/3 innings he has allowed 14 hits, walked seven and fanned two.

[astrosfanatic]

i like Betances more as a prospect, but Banuelos should be a good middle of the rotation arm. i hope he gets back on track! The Yankees might need him this year

[BennyLeo]

Well, Manny Banny is back in Scranny, and he pitched a great -- if still wild -- game today. Writes Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York:


Against Rochester, he [Manny] threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. He struck out five and here is the big number, he had zero walks. Of his 60 pitches, 38 went for strikes. Control has been the biggest issue for Banuelos.

A welcome return for the Killer B.

As a sidebar, I recently learned that I will be moving to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area over the summer, so hopefully I can catch Manny in action before the season ends--that is, if he isn't in the bigs by then.

[yankeebiscuitfan]

Well, Manny Banny is back in Scranny, and he pitched a great -- if still wild -- game today. Writes Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York:



A welcome return for the Killer B.

As a sidebar, I recently learned that I will be moving to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area over the summer, so hopefully I can catch Manny in action before the season ends--that is, if he isn't in the bigs by then.

I think that that chance is close to zero. The SWB Yankees are tearing down the current ballpark. The SWB Yankees play all their home games "on the road" this season. They will call several stadiums their home, even Pawtucket if I am correct.

[BennyLeo]

I think that that chance is close to zero. The SWB Yankees are tearing down the current ballpark. The SWB Yankees play all their home games "on the road" this season. They will call several stadiums their home, even Pawtucket if I am correct.


Yeah, that's true. Not sure if they have any games near SWB/in PA though.

[BennyLeo]

Manny Banuelos is no longer New York's best prospect, according to Keith Law. He writes the following on the new sheriff in town:


Charleston center fielder Mason Williams, the top prospect in the Yankees' organization right now (given Manny Banuelos' severe control problems in Triple-A), showed his broad base of skills Friday night, including excellent range in center field and good reads on balls hit into the gaps. At the plate, he glided on to his front side when I saw him last year, but is now keeping his weight back much better and has more time to recognize and react to changes in speed.

Although Manny is one of my favorite players, it's spectacular news to hear that one of our Single-A guys is showing so much promise so early. Not a lot of him on YouTube. He didn't look too bad last year, and with this report, I hope to see more of him soon.

In other news, click here for a great read from the New York Times on the Yankees' process of developing young arms like Manny and Dellin Betances, and why it rarely works. (http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/yankees/phil-hughes-continues-struggles-yankees-old-school-approach-developing-pitchers-article-1.1071009) An excerpt:


It’s not so much about Pineda injuring his shoulder as it is the failure of Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain to live up to the potential each flashed as rookies five years ago.

And what makes the subject more timely, scouts are noting, is that top prospects Manny Banuelos and Dellin Betances are off to poor starts in Triple-A this season, at a time when they were supposed to loom as insurance against exactly the type of pitching problems that have plagued the Yankees so far this season.

“I know we all baby these guys now,” one scout said, referring to young pitchers throughout baseball, “but I don’t know, maybe the Yankees take it to an extreme with the innings limits and pitch counts, and their kids never learn how to push themselves when they’re a little tired in situations where they need to get out of trouble."

[RickD]

Set to miss all of 2013 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.