Antonio Gomez has the velocity to give the Yankees an intriguing pitching prospect. After seven seasons spent trying to advance as a catcher, he is still learning how to turn that arm strength into outs from the mound.
The right-hander reached 101 mph with Single-A Tampa this year before getting additional work in the Arizona Fall League, according to MLB.com’s Jim Callis. His assignment with the Salt River Rafters nearly doubled the limited pitching experience he had accumulated in the minors.
A strong arm opens another path
Gomez signed out of Venezuela for $600,000 in 2018, when his throwing arm stood out among international catching prospects. Callis reported that Gomez produced pop times as low as 1.8 seconds and improved his receiving and blocking while earning praise for his leadership and makeup.
His offensive development proved more difficult. Gomez batted .240 with modest power and a 28% strikeout rate across seven seasons, then hit .140 after reaching Double-A Somerset in 2025.
The Yankees asked him about trying pitching in the middle of that season. Gomez considered the idea for a couple of weeks before fellow catcher Rafael Flores Jr., now with the Pirates, encouraged him to get on the mound.
“I remember my first pitch was like 98,” Gomez told Callis. “That’s when I told them, ‘OK, I’m down to be a pitcher.’”
Elbow surgery interrupted the switch
Gomez spent a month at the Yankees’ training base in Tampa before beginning his pitching career with their Single-A affiliate. He allowed six runs in 2 2/3 innings across four appearances before an elbow injury required internal brace surgery, Callis reported. Gomez previously underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2023 while still catching.
He returned in August 2026 and made six appearances for the Tarpons. Along with a four-seam fastball that topped out at 101 mph, he showed a cutter reaching 94, an upper-90s sinker and a mid-80s slider.
By the end of his age-24 season, however, Gomez had thrown only 8 1/3 minor league innings. The Yankees sent him to Arizona to build experience.
Command remains the next challenge
Gomez threw eight innings for Salt River, allowing seven runs on nine hits and eight walks while striking out seven. In Callis’ assessment, his arm action still resembles a catcher’s, and both control and command remain areas of development.
His fastballs continued to stand out in Arizona. Gomez averaged 98 mph with his four-seamer and 97 mph with his two-seamer, reaching triple digits twice. His cutter was less effective than his fastballs, Callis reported, and he used his slider sparingly.
Callis described Gomez as having the ingredients to become a bullpen weapon, while emphasizing the time and patience his development will require. The transition has been harder than Gomez initially expected, but he said his experience behind the plate and in the batter’s box has helped shape his approach to pitching.
“I don’t feel that I’m a catcher anymore,” Gomez told Callis. “I feel like I’m a pitcher.”
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