Jon Heyman of the NY Post reports that the Yankees have signed tall RHP Drake Fellows to an MiLB deal, as the team continues to add to its Triple-A depth.
Fellows struck out just under 20% of batters faced in Triple-A, serving as both a starting pitcher and a reliever, opening the season in the bullpen before being pushed back into the rotation.
He sported a 27% K% in a reliever role and has never made his MLB debut, and there’s some upside here as a tall right-hander with good extension that the team can squeeze more velocity out of him.
The best pitch in his mix is his slider, which is a bullet-spinning pitch that has zero inches of lateral movement and drops a ton.
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Drake Fellows Joins the Yankees on MiLB Deal, Bullpen Depth Improves
Drafted in the sixth round in 2019 out of Vanderbilt, Drake Fellows was traded ahead of the 2021 season for RHP Joe Musgrove, and part of the return to Pittsburgh also included current Yankees’ closer David Bednar.
A tall right-hander who has underwhelming velocity for his height and weight, there’s reason to believe he could add more zip to his fastball if he stays permanently in a reliever role.
The right-hander saw a spike in velocity when he was in relief versus when he was starting, sitting around 92 MPH with his extension adding about 0.5 MPH in perceived velocity.
Brent Headrick, an MiLB signing from last season for the Yankees, saw a spike in velocity when he came over to the organization as they banked on his size and projectability.
His best pitch is his slider, which he generated a 52% Whiff% on due to how high he releases the ball and how much drop it generates.
A 4.61 ERA and 4.95 FIP in Triple-A this season as a starter would likely mean that his days in that role would be over with the Yankees, however the previously mentioned strikeout numbers in relief could be appealing.
If the Yankees can unlock a little more velocity, Fellows could get some time at the Major League level, and there could be some spots open for competition at the start of Spring Training.