Wilkin De La Rosa
| AB | 449 |
|---|---|
| AVG | .234 |
| OBP | .344 |
| SLG | .281 |
| HR | 0 |
- Full name Wilkin Anthony De La Rosa
- Born 02/21/1985 in El Seibo, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The Yankees considered De La Rossa a potential pitcher soon after signing him in November 2001, but his athletic ability convinced them to try him as an outfielder for five seasons. He finally moved to the mound in fall 2006 after hitting .224 with just three homers in 920 at-bats. He has moved rapidly as a pitcher, finishing 2008 in high Class A and earning a spot on the 40-man roster. De La Rossa projects as a reliever because he lacks a real feel for pitching, but he got needed innings and experience last year and showed a quick, power arm. He grasped his delivery quickly and started throwing strikes with his fastball early in his conversion, and his heater often sits at 93-94 mph. When he needs more velocity, he has shown the ability to reach back and get it. While the Yankees prefer curveballs, De La Rossa's lower arm slot is more suited to sliders, and he also throws a changeup that grades as average. When his slider is on, he's extremely hard to hit. De La Rossa figures to go back to high Class A as a starter to work on throwing more quality strikes.
