Miguel Yajure

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #17 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: A right forearm injury limited Pittsburgh’s opportunity to evaluate Yajure his first year in the organization after being dealt from the Yankees in the Jameson Taillon trade. Yajure signed with New York for just $30,000 in 2015, then missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. New York summoned him for his MLB debut in the shortened 2020 season, but 2021 represented Yajure’s first opportunity at sustaining a role in the big leagues.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure relies on pitchability more than pure stuff. As such, his margin for error is thinner than others, but he combats hitters with a deep arsenal that runs six pitches deep. He throws a low-90s fastball with decent shape to it, but big league hitters hit .429 against it in a small sample. Yajure added a low-90s cutter in 2019, and his most effective secondary is a 12-6 curveball he throws in the upper 70s and tunnels with his four-seamer. Yajure also throws a solid-average changeup and mixes in a slider as well. His minor league track record suggests he can throw his entire arsenal for strikes, though his command has wavered as a big leaguer.
  
  The Future: Pittsburgh needs Yajure to stay healthy and add more strength. If he can, he’ll have an opportunity to compete for innings in Pittsburgh and settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
  
• 
  Ranked Pittsburgh Pirates #10 prospect in 2021
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.
  Track Record: The Yankees signed Yajure out of Venezuela for $30,000 in 2015 on the strength of two innings at a tryout. He missed the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery, returned in 2018 and broke out in 2019 as he jumped to Double-A. The Yankees added Yajure to their 40-man roster after the 2019 season and called him up for his big league debut on Aug. 31, 2020. The Pirates acquired him after the season as the top prospect in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to New York.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure added velocity through a weighted-ball program and a series of delivery tweaks after the 2019 season that were designed to better incorporate his lower half. The result was a nearly 2 mph jump in his average fastball velocity, up to 92 mph in 2020. Yajure complements his enhanced four-seamer with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. His high-80s changeup, which he feels comfortable throwing against both righties and lefties, is his go-to secondary pitch and shows above-average potential. His curveball is a 12-to-6 breaker thrown in the low 80s and forms an ideal tunnel with his four-seamer. His cutter and slider were added to give him more options against righthanders. Yajure struggled with walks in 2020 but had above-average control in the minors.
  
  The Future: Yajure has a chance to break camp with the Pirates. He should get the chance to pitch in their rotation at some point during the 2021 season and projects to settle in as a back-end starter.
• 
  Ranked New York Yankees #11 prospect in 2020
  TRACK RECORD: The Yankees saw two impressive innings from Yajure in a tryout then signed him on the spot for $30,000. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and has slowly worked his way back onto the radar.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Yajure started 2019 slowly at high Class A Tampa but turned it on after a rocky April. Evaluators saw a mostly mid-80s fastball in the early portion of the year but watched as the velocity began to tick up as the months passed. Even while shaking off the rust, Yajure kept his feel for a solid game plan with his four-pitch mix of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, cutter, downer curveball and changeup. As his velocity returned and his secondary pitches regained their sharpness, his feel to pitch remained. His changeup is a potential plus pitch and garners swings and misses from righthanders and lefthanders alike. His curveball projects as average, and his cutter blends nicely with his four-seamer.
  
  THE FUTURE: Yajure earned a promotion to Double-A Trenton late in the year and should return to the level in 2020. He has the makings of a back-end starter if he continue making progress like he did during the 2019 season.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: A right forearm injury limited Pittsburgh&#39s opportunity to evaluate Yajure his first year in the organization after being dealt from the Yankees in the Jameson Taillon trade. Yajure signed with New York for just $30,000 in 2015, then missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. New York summoned him for his MLB debut in the shortened 2020 season, but 2021 represented Yajure&#39s first opportunity at sustaining a role in the big leagues.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure relies on pitchability more than pure stuff. As such, his margin for error is thinner than others, but he combats hitters with a deep arsenal that runs six pitches deep. He throws a low-90s fastball with decent shape to it, but big league hitters hit .429 against it in a small sample. Yajure added a low-90s cutter in 2019, and his most effective secondary is a 12-6 curveball he throws in the upper 70s and tunnels with his four-seamer. Yajure also throws a solid-average changeup and mixes in a slider as well. His minor league track record suggests he can throw his entire arsenal for strikes, though his command has wavered as a big leaguer.
  
  The Future: Pittsburgh needs Yajure to stay healthy and add more strength. If he can, he&#39ll have an opportunity to compete for innings in Pittsburgh and settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: A right forearm injury limited Pittsburgh’s opportunity to evaluate Yajure his first year in the organization after being dealt from the Yankees in the Jameson Taillon trade. Yajure signed with New York for just $30,000 in 2015, then missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery. New York summoned him for his MLB debut in the shortened 2020 season, but 2021 represented Yajure’s first opportunity at sustaining a role in the big leagues.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure relies on pitchability more than pure stuff. As such, his margin for error is thinner than others, but he combats hitters with a deep arsenal that runs six pitches deep. He throws a low-90s fastball with decent shape to it, but big league hitters hit .429 against it in a small sample. Yajure added a low-90s cutter in 2019, and his most effective secondary is a 12-6 curveball he throws in the upper 70s and tunnels with his four-seamer. Yajure also throws a solid-average changeup and mixes in a slider as well. His minor league track record suggests he can throw his entire arsenal for strikes, though his command has wavered as a big leaguer.
  
  The Future: Pittsburgh needs Yajure to stay healthy and add more strength. If he can, he’ll have an opportunity to compete for innings in Pittsburgh and settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
  
• July, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.
  Track Record: The Yankees signed Yajure out of Venezuela for $30,000 in 2015 on the strength of two innings at a tryout. He missed the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery, returned in 2018 and broke out in 2019 as he jumped to Double-A. The Yankees added Yajure to their 40-man roster after the 2019 season and called him up for his big league debut on Aug. 31, 2020. The Pirates acquired him after the season as the top prospect in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to New York.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure added velocity through a weighted-ball program and a series of delivery tweaks after the 2019 season that were designed to better incorporate his lower half. The result was a nearly 2 mph jump in his average fastball velocity, up to 92 mph in 2020. Yajure complements his enhanced four-seamer with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. His high-80s changeup, which he feels comfortable throwing against both righties and lefties, is his go-to secondary pitch and shows above-average potential. His curveball is a 12-to-6 breaker thrown in the low 80s and forms an ideal tunnel with his four-seamer. His cutter and slider were added to give him more options against righthanders. Yajure struggled with walks in 2020 but had above-average control in the minors.
  
  The Future: Yajure has a chance to break camp with the Pirates. He should get the chance to pitch in their rotation at some point during the 2021 season and projects to settle in as a back-end starter.
• March, 2021 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.
  Track Record: The Yankees signed Yajure out of Venezuela for $30,000 in 2015 on the strength of two innings at a tryout. He missed the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery, returned in 2018 and broke out in 2019 as he jumped to Double-A. The Yankees added Yajure to their 40-man roster after the 2019 season and called him up for his big league debut on Aug. 31, 2020. The Pirates acquired him after the season as the top prospect in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to New York.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure added velocity through a weighted-ball program and a series of delivery tweaks after the 2019 season that were designed to better incorporate his lower half. The result was a nearly 2 mph jump in his average fastball velocity, up to 92 mph in 2020. Yajure complements his enhanced four-seamer with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. His high-80s changeup, which he feels comfortable throwing against both righties and lefties, is his go-to secondary pitch and shows above-average potential. His curveball is a 12-to-6 breaker thrown in the low 80s and forms an ideal tunnel with his four-seamer. His cutter and slider were added to give him more options against righthanders. Yajure struggled with walks in 2020 but had above-average control in the minors.
  
  The Future: Yajure has a chance to break camp with the Pirates. He should get the chance to pitch in their rotation at some point during the 2021 season and projects to settle in as a back-end starter.
• December, 2020 Scouting Report
  Fastball: 55. Curveball: 60. Cutter: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 55.
  Track Record: The Yankees signed Yajure out of Venezuela for $30,000 in 2015 on the strength of two innings at a tryout. He missed the 2017 season after having Tommy John surgery, returned in 2018 and broke out in 2019 as he jumped to Double-A. The Yankees added Yajure to their 40-man roster after the 2019 season and called him up for his big league debut on Aug. 31, 2020. The Pirates acquired him after the season as the top prospect in the trade that sent Jameson Taillon to New York.
  
  Scouting Report: Yajure added velocity through a weighted-ball program and a series of delivery tweaks after the 2019 season that were designed to better incorporate his lower half. The result was a nearly 2 mph jump in his average fastball velocity, up to 92 mph in 2020. Yajure complements his enhanced four-seamer with a cutter, slider, curveball and changeup. His high-80s changeup, which he feels comfortable throwing against both righties and lefties, is his go-to secondary pitch and shows above-average potential. His curveball is a 12-to-6 breaker thrown in the low 80s and forms an ideal tunnel with his four-seamer. His cutter and slider were added to give him more options against righthanders. Yajure struggled with walks in 2020 but had above-average control in the minors.
  
  The Future: Yajure has a chance to break camp with the Pirates. He should get the chance to pitch in their rotation at some point during the 2021 season and projects to settle in as a back-end starter.
• July, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Yankees saw two impressive innings from Yajure in a tryout then signed him on the spot for $30,000. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and has slowly worked his way back onto the radar.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Yajure started 2019 slowly at high Class A Tampa but turned it on after a rocky April. Evaluators saw a mostly mid-80s fastball in the early portion of the year but watched as the velocity began to tick up as the months passed. Even while shaking off the rust, Yajure kept his feel for a solid game plan with his four-pitch mix of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, cutter, downer curveball and changeup. As his velocity returned and his secondary pitches regained their sharpness, his feel to pitch remained. His changeup is a potential plus pitch and garners swings and misses from righthanders and lefthanders alike. His curveball projects as average, and his cutter blends nicely with his four-seamer.
  
  THE FUTURE: Yajure earned a promotion to Double-A Trenton late in the year and should return to the level in 2020. He has the makings of a back-end starter if he continue making progress like he did during the 2019 season. BA GRADE 50 Risk: High BA GRADE 50 Risk: High
• February, 2020 Scouting Report
  TRACK RECORD: The Yankees saw two impressive innings from Yajure in a tryout then signed him on the spot for $30,000. He had Tommy John surgery in 2017 and has slowly worked his way back onto the radar.
  
  SCOUTING REPORT: Yajure started 2019 slowly at high Class A Tampa but turned it on after a rocky April. Evaluators saw a mostly mid-80s fastball in the early portion of the year but watched as the velocity began to tick up as the months passed. Even while shaking off the rust, Yajure kept his feel for a solid game plan with his four-pitch mix of a low-to-mid-90s fastball, cutter, downer curveball and changeup. As his velocity returned and his secondary pitches regained their sharpness, his feel to pitch remained. His changeup is a potential plus pitch and garners swings and misses from righthanders and lefthanders alike. His curveball projects as average, and his cutter blends nicely with his four-seamer.
  
  THE FUTURE: Yajure earned a promotion to Double-A Trenton late in the year and should return to the level in 2020. He has the makings of a back-end starter if he continue making progress like he did during the 2019 season.