Deivy Mendez

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2013
DSL:  0-4-0, 6.55 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 4.6 BB/9, 6.0 K/9

Mendez made 14 starts in his debut season, although he averaged only a little over two innings per start.  He obviously struggled quite a bit.

2014
GCL:  2-5-0, 6.63 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 36.2 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 7.1 K/9

The Rays moved Mendez up to the GCL, where he pitched mostly as a reliever.  He got about the same results, except he got hit a little less hard.

2015
R+:  2-2-0, 4.74 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 38.0 IP, 6.6 BB/9, 12.1 K/9

The Rays moved Mendez up to advanced rookie ball, where he mainly pitched as a starter.  He was much harder to hit than he’d been previously, but his walk rate got worse.

2016
A-:  1-3-0, 2.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 6.3 BB/9, 12.3 K/9

In the New York-Penn League, pitching strictly in relief, Mendez was extremely hard to hit, allowing opponents just a .133 average.  Walks continued to plague him.

2017
A:  2-5-2, 5.53 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 55.1 IP, 7.2 BB/9, 13.7 K/9

Mendez continued moving up one level at a time.  In low A, he struck out and walked more batters than ever, and got hit harder than the previous year.

2018
IND:  2-0-2, 4.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 17.7 K/9
A+ (TB):  0-2-0, 8.76 ERA, 1.87 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 8.8 BB/9, 12.4 K/9
A+ (Pgh):  0-2-0, 8.31 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 13.0 IP, 6.2 BB/9, 9.7 K/9

In high A, Mendez continued to strike out a lot of hitters and his control problems continued to get worse.  The Rays finally released him in May.  He signed on with Napa of the independent Pacific Association, then signed with the Pirates early July.  He spent the rest of the season with Bradenton and continued to struggle with the strike zone.

Mendez has one more year before minor league free agency.  The Pirates will probably send him back to Bradenton in 2019 and hope that he can make some progress with his control.