Yoan Aybar

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #27 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: After four seasons in Boston’s system as an outfielder, Aybar converted to pitcher ahead of the 2018 season. The move paid off, as Aybar posted a 4.58 ERA across 44 appearances at Low-A and High-A in 2019. He was traded to Colorado after the 2020 season in exchange for shortstop prospect Christian Koss, and the Rockies placed Aybar on their 40-man roster. The southpaw had a bumpy 2021 in Double-A with a 6.22 ERA in 49 appearances.
  
  Scouting Report: Aybar has a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 99 mph with cut. When he commands that pitch to both sides, he’s nearly unhittable. And even when the heater isn’t totally sharp, it’s still electric enough to get him out of trouble. His offspeed pitches need sharpening, as his high-80s slider doesn’t have consistent cut and he’s still growing confidence in his low-80s changeup. He’s still raw in his pitchability and his overall command needs refinement. His arsenal limits homers and there’s more strikeout potential in his arm than his 23.7% K rate in 2021.
  
  The Future: Everything comes down to command for Aybar. If he can pinpoint his blazing fastball and his offspeed pitches progress, he could be a focal point of the Rockies’ bullpen in a couple years. He’ll likely start 2022 in Triple-A and could pitch himself into a second-half call-up.
  
• 
  Ranked Colorado Rockies #29 prospect in 2021
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder but didn't show enough plate discipline or the ability to translate raw power into in-game power. He converted to pitching and has moved steadily, ending the 2019 season at high Class A. The Rockies acquired him after the 2020 season in a trade for infielder Christian Koss and immediately placed him on their 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar has electric pure stuff that could allow him to have a role in a big league bullpen. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and has reached 99 mph. He also employs a slider/cutter hybrid he's comfortable using as a putaway offering. It's the finer points, such as incorporating more deception into his delivery, moving the ball around and improving command that still need work, but that's understandable given how raw he is as a pitcher. His control is below-average and needs work.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar is in a position to debut in Denver at some point, but in order to get there he will need to cut down on his walks.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #25 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent his four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder, progressing as high as Lowell in 2017. While Aybar possessed raw power, it never translated into games due in part to a 4 percent walk rate. Aybar has been pushed quickly over his two years on the mound, ending the season in the Arizona Fall League. Working out of the pen with a fastball-slider combination, Aybar has stood out early in his transition and has struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings over his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar works from the stretch only but has to fight to stay in sync. Aybar has a loose arm but the arm stroke is lengthy, which limits his deception. His fastball averaged 95 mph in 2019 and topped out at 99. Lack of deception, tendency to pitch armside only and a below-average strike percentage limits his impact now. He occasionally flashes a hard, high-80s cutter-slider hybrid. The pitch is still a work in progress but gets its share of swing and misses.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar stands out simply by being a lefthander with top-end velocity. His delivery and pitch development are crucial. He likely will move level-to-level unless he can improve his command.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #30 prospect in 2019
  Track Record: Signed as a potential five-tool outfielder out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, Aybar didn’t hit enough in four pro seasons to progress beyond A-ball, and so the decision was made to see how his rocket of an arm would translate to the mound. Despite modest numbers (4.13 ERA, 8.6 strikeouts and 4.4 walks per nine), he showed standout flashes in Rookie ball and short-season Lowell in his pitching debut.
  
  Scouting Report: Aybar has shown the ability to work at 96-98 mph with his fastball, and both his changeup and slider have gotten swings and misses. His mechanics remain inconsistent, which isn’t a surprise given his long limbs and lack of prior pitching experience, but in flashes he shows the makings of a lefthanded power arm out of the bullpen.
  
  The Future: Though raw, Aybar showed plenty of promise in his initial work off a mound. His inexperience suggests a slow progression would be beneficial.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #19 prospect in 2017
  Aybar remains an all-tools exercise in projection. A "colt" in the eyes of one evaluator who, like many others, sees a fantastic athlete who has yet to translate his tools to performance. Aybar hit .207/.247/.315 with a 26 percent strikeout rate at short-season Lowell in 2016. Despite the lack of in-game impact, Aybar is too young to abandon hope--he turned 19 in the middle of the New York-Penn League season. He showed a willingness to work and try to refine his crude tools even through his struggles. He has an elite arm and moves well enough in center field to suggest the possibility of plus defense. If he finds a swing and approach that works, Aybar has a chance to deliver above-average across-the-board impact. If not, he might not make it past Double-A--unless he is converted to the mound.
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #22 prospect in 2016
  No one in the Red Sox system better embodies the extreme nature of prospect status than Aybar, a deep projection athlete who could emerge either as an everyday standout or never make it beyond Class A. His first campaign in the U.S. in 2015 included a low walk (4.1 percent) and high strikeout (27.2 percent) rates in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League, proving he's still learning his swing. For now, Aybar shows flashes of offensive ability, the ability to run complementing occasional in-game raw power--which has a chance to grow into something more based on the ability to forecast significant strength gains for the lanky 18-year-old. He adds the running speed to beat out hits, though his long arms yield a long swing that is subject to whiffs. Defensively, he stands out both for the ground he covers and the best outfield arm in the Red Sox system. In fact, if his offense doesn't take, it wouldn't be a shock to see Aybar moved to the mound. If everything syncs as he fills out physically, Aybar could emerge as a future five-tool outfielder, but he'll require immense offensive development to come anywhere near that ceiling. Higih
• 
  Ranked Boston Red Sox #31 prospect in 2015
  The Red Sox signed Aybar for $450,000 in July 2013 after zeroing in him in the Dominican Republic's International Prospect League. He impresses scouts with his raw tools and lean, projectable frame. Aybar hit .271/.317/.411 in 56 games in the Dominican Summer League in 2014, exceeding the organization's expectations. He has solid-average speed and a plus arm (he also pitched as an amateur), both of which will play in center field. Aybar shows the hand-eye coordination to get the bat on the ball. While he shows no more than gap power in games, he flashes average raw power in batting practice. His bat speed and loose, lefthanded swing give Aybar a chance to hit for average. The boom-or-bust prospect will take the next step to the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2015.

• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: After four seasons in Boston’s system as an outfielder, Aybar converted to pitcher ahead of the 2018 season. The move paid off, as Aybar posted a 4.58 ERA across 44 appearances at Low-A and High-A in 2019. He was traded to Colorado after the 2020 season in exchange for shortstop prospect Christian Koss, and the Rockies placed Aybar on their 40-man roster. The southpaw had a bumpy 2021 in Double-A with a 6.22 ERA in 49 appearances.
  
  Scouting Report: Aybar has a mid-90s fastball that tops out at 99 mph with cut. When he commands that pitch to both sides, he’s nearly unhittable. And even when the heater isn’t totally sharp, it’s still electric enough to get him out of trouble. His offspeed pitches need sharpening, as his high-80s slider doesn’t have consistent cut and he’s still growing confidence in his low-80s changeup. He’s still raw in his pitchability and his overall command needs refinement. His arsenal limits homers and there’s more strikeout potential in his arm than his 23.7% K rate in 2021.
  
  The Future: Everything comes down to command for Aybar. If he can pinpoint his blazing fastball and his offspeed pitches progress, he could be a focal point of the Rockies’ bullpen in a couple years. He’ll likely start 2022 in Triple-A and could pitch himself into a second-half call-up.
  
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder but didn't show enough plate discipline or the ability to translate raw power into in-game power. He converted to pitching and has moved steadily, ending the 2019 season at high Class A. The Rockies acquired him after the 2020 season in a trade for infielder Christian Koss and immediately placed him on their 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar has electric pure stuff that could allow him to have a role in a big league bullpen. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and has reached 99 mph. He also employs a slider/cutter hybrid he's comfortable using as a putaway offering. It's the finer points, such as incorporating more deception into his delivery, moving the ball around and improving command that still need work, but that's understandable given how raw he is as a pitcher. His control is below-average and needs work.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar is in a position to debut in Denver at some point, but in order to get there he will need to cut down on his walks.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder but didn't show enough plate discipline or the ability to translate raw power into in-game power. He converted to pitching and has moved steadily, ending the 2019 season at high Class A. The Rockies acquired him after the 2020 season in a trade for infielder Christian Koss and immediately placed him on their 40-man roster.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar has electric pure stuff that could allow him to have a role in a big league bullpen. His fastball sits in the mid 90s and has reached 99 mph. He also employs a slider/cutter hybrid he's comfortable using as a putaway offering. It's the finer points, such as incorporating more deception into his delivery, moving the ball around and improving command that still need work, but that's understandable given how raw he is as a pitcher. His control is below-average and needs work.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar is in a position to debut in Denver at some point, but in order to get there he will need to cut down on his walks.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent his four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder, progressing as high BA GRADE 45 Risk: High BA GRADE 45 Risk: Very High BA GRADE 45 Risk: Very High as Lowell in 2017. While Aybar possessed raw power, it never translated into games due in part to a 4 percent walk rate. Aybar has been pushed quickly over his two years on the mound, ending the season in the Arizona Fall League. Working out of the pen with a fastball-slider combination, Aybar has stood out early in his transition and has struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings over his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar works from the stretch only but has to fight to stay in sync. Aybar has a loose arm but the arm stroke is lengthy, which limits his deception. His fastball averaged 95 mph in 2019 and topped out at 99. Lack of deception, tendency to pitch armside only and a below-average strike percentage limits his impact now. He occasionally flashes a hard, high-80s cutter-slider hybrid. The pitch is still a work in progress but gets its share of swing and misses.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar stands out simply by being a lefthander with top-end velocity. His delivery and pitch development are crucial. He likely will move level-to-level unless he can improve his command.
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: Aybar spent his four seasons in the Red Sox system as an outfielder, progressing as high as Lowell in 2017. While Aybar possessed raw power, it never translated into games due in part to a 4 percent walk rate. Aybar has been pushed quickly over his two years on the mound, ending the season in the Arizona Fall League. Working out of the pen with a fastball-slider combination, Aybar has stood out early in his transition and has struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings over his career.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Aybar works from the stretch only but has to fight to stay in sync. Aybar has a loose arm but the arm stroke is lengthy, which limits his deception. His fastball averaged 95 mph in 2019 and topped out at 99. Lack of deception, tendency to pitch armside only and a below-average strike percentage limits his impact now. He occasionally flashes a hard, high-80s cutter-slider hybrid. The pitch is still a work in progress but gets its share of swing and misses.
  
  THE FUTURE: Aybar stands out simply by being a lefthander with top-end velocity. His delivery and pitch development are crucial. He likely will move level-to-level unless he can improve his command.