Antonio Gomez is Reinventing Himself on the Mound, and it's Working
- Aaron Lichstrahl
- 18 hours ago
- 5 min read
A position player converting to pitcher isn’t a new phenomenon, as many have attempted the switch over the years. Most end up unsuccessful, but a select few have made it to the major leagues, while even fewer have gone on to have big success. The most clear-cut examples are Sean Doolittle, Kenley Jansen, and Trevor Hoffman, all of whom carved out all-star or Hall of Fame careers. This brings us to a current Yankees prospect, as Antonio Gomez, now 24, is attempting to follow in their footsteps. Gomez has a lot to like, but the track record of this move working out is slim, so let’s get to know Gomez; what makes this move plausible and what could hold him back.
Antonio Gomez hails from Caracas, Venezuela. He was signed for 600k in the Yankees 2018 IFA signing class, ranking as the 14th best member of the entire IFA pool by Baseball America. Gomez was touted as the best defensive catcher in a class that included Francisco Alvarez and Diego Cartaya, with his arm behind the plate and blocking skills being revered. Gomez did well with the bat between DSL and FCL in the 2019 and 2021 seasons, respectively, but started to struggle when he reached full-season ball in summer ’21. His best stint at the plate came in 2024 at Hudson Valley, where he hit 5 home runs and had a 112 wRC+. However, in 35 games at AA, he struggled mightily with a 25 wRC+. The decision was made last summer to pull the plug on his career as a hitter and reinvent himself as a pitcher.
After hitting the Development list during the season, Gomez returned to the active roster of the Tampa Tarpons to begin his journey on the mound. After 2.2 innings on the mound in 2025, he was shut down with a suspected, though unconfirmed, arm injury. This kept him out of action for most of the season until his return this August. This season in a very small sample size of 4 innings, he has a 4.50 ERA and 3.51 FIP, but has struck out 7 of his 15 batters faced without walking any. It is an encouraging start for the right-handed pitcher, still with the Tampa Tarpons.
So, what does Gomez bring to the mound. Well, his 70-grade catching arm can produce a fastball that reaches triple digits, topping out at 100.7mph of 45 fastballs thrown. With an average velocity of 98.4mph so far, Gomez is flashing legitimate velocity that can carry him to the upper levels of the minors. Still, it is not just velocity that makes a fastball good. Gomez releases from a very over the top arm angle of 59 degrees. Typically, higher arm angles allow pitchers to create more backspin and rise, good for north/south approaches, but can suffer from being steep, or easier for hitters to see. Gomez has featured decent feel for spin, averaging just below 2,300 RPM on the pitch, which is about MLB average. His roughly average to above-average release height and release angle are very encouraging to me, as these are the traits you’d expect someone with his arm angle to struggle with. Yet, he does a good job of keeping his fastball decently flat. The best metric Gomez has flashed, and what gives the pitch a chance to be double-plus if developed well, is his induced vertical break, or iVB. As mentioned, Gomez is fairly over the top in his delivery, so he can generate ride a bit easier. Nonetheless, with a maximum iVB of 21.6, Gomez has the chance to generate great life on the pitch at the top of the zone.
His 2nd offering is a cutter. This pitch sits in the upper 80’s and features some sharp horizontal break with above average spin rates, looking more like a hard slider. With just 14 offerings of the pitch this season, it has a 100% whiff rate. The most encouraging part is Gomez been able to land both pitches, but especially the cutter, in the zone. Throwing strikes can be difficult for pitchers with big velocities, but Gomez has managed well in the early going, with an overall strike rate of 68.3%. Of course, the rate is helped by a 45.5% chase rate on his fastball out of the zone, but a strong rising fastball like his will typically generate some extra chase at the top of the zone. These two pitches give Gomez a dynamic 1-2 punch that can carry him forward.
Where are the concerns? One of the clear issues is his extension. Gomez is not a big strider down the mound, with only 6.1 feet of extension, lowering the perceived velocity of his fastball. Of course, when throwing 100, you can live with a bit of lost perceived velocity, but it is still something I would like to see improved slightly. Another interesting area of focus is his delivery. Gomez utilizes a long delivery, keeping his hands way separated from his body. He also has used a full windup, unusual for a reliever. With such a long motion, I do wonder about how effective out of the stretch he will be, especially with runners on. As a newcomer to pitching, this is clearly an area that has time to improve.
The biggest thing I am focusing on right now is his consistency. While Gomez has posted big velocities and iVB, his averages sit at 98.4mph and 17.2 iVB. While both are obviously good, I do worry about how the iVB will fare, especially as he moves to the AAA/MLB baseball that typically will see a decrease in shape metrics. There hasn’t been much consistency to his iVB on the season, as he has posted several 14- and 15-inch pitches, and even one as low as 12.1. This is dragging his average down. Ideally, with more reps and consistency, the average fastball velocity and iVB will be sitting closer to 99 and 18+ inches.
Gomez is attempting something that doesn’t work out for many. Still, the effort is valiant and enjoyable to watch. While his age at 24 may seem adversarial to his MLB chances, relievers are not typically a position where age works against you. Many successful pitchers didn’t debut until they were 26 or older, and some who failed at a younger age have been able to return after successful stints in Japan or Korea. For a reliever with his stuff, there is no stress in pushing him through. The biggest step for Gomez will be a fully healthy season. Gomez is still very new to this, with only 6.2 total professional innings on the mound. It may take a bit of time, but what we have seen in this brief glimpse has been exhilarating.
Every Prospect. Every Level. Every Day.
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