Vince Velasquez

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2010
R+:  2-2-0, 3.07 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 29.1 IP, 1.5 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

In advanced rookie ball, Velasquez had a strong debut over six starts, leading Baseball America to rate him 12th in the Astros’ system.  He had Tommy John surgery, though, after the season.

2011
INJURED

Velasquez missed the season following the surgery.

2012
A-:  4-1-0, 3.35 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 45.2 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9

In short season ball, Velasquez made nine starts and recovered well.  He was shut down for the last month of the season.  BA ranked him 13th in the system.

2013
A:  9-4-3, 3.19 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 110.0 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 10.1 K/9
A+:  0-2-0, 6.14 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 14.2 IP, 4.9 BB/9, 11.7 K/9

Velasquez had another strong season, this time in Low A, and BA ranked him sixth in the system.  He finished the season with a brief appearance in High A.

2014
R:  0-1-0, 2.08 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 2.1 BB/9, 19.7 K/9
A+:  7-4-0, 3.74 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 55.1 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 11.7 K/9

The Astros sent Velasquez back to High A and he pitched well, but missed two months with a groin injury.  BA ranked him fourth in the system and the Astros added him to the 40-man roster after the season.

2015
AA:  4-0-0, 1.91 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 3.5 BB/9, 12.3 K/9
MLB:  1-1-0, 4.37 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 55.2 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 9.4 K/9

After missing the first month of the season, Velasquez went to AA and had a 1.37 ERA through his first five starts.  Houston called him up in June and he stayed with them except for a stretch in August.  The Astros employed him as a starter in his first seven games, and as a reliever after that.  After the season, the Astros sent him to Philadelphia as part of a seven-player trade.

2016
AA:  1-0-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 5.4 K/9
MLB:  8-6-0, 4.12 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 131.0 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 10.4 K/9

Velasquez spent the season with the Phillies except for one game in June.  He had his best major league season, although gopher balls started to be a problem, as he allowed 21.

2017
A+:  0-1-0, 1.80 ERA, 0.60 WHIP, 5.0 IP, 1.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AA:  0-0-0, 6.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 4.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 0.0 K/9
MLB:  2-7-0, 5.13 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 72.0 IP, 4.3 BB/9, 8.5 K/9

Velasquez was hampered by injuries that limited him to 15 starts.  He missed a month and a half with a flexor strain, then missed the last seven weeks with a finger injury.  Gopher balls hampered when he did pitch, as he allowed 15.

2018
MLB:  9-12-0, 4.85 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 146.2 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 9.9 K/9

Velasquez set career highs for starts, with 30, and innings, although he averaged fewer than five innings per start.  He got the home runs down to one every nine innings.

2019
MLB:  7-8-0, 4.91 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 117.1 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 10.0 K/9

Velasquez made 23 starts and ten relief appearances.  The gopher ball was a big problem, as he allowed one every four and a half innings.

2020
MLB:  1-1-0, 5.56 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 34.0 IP, 4.5 BB/9, 12.2 K/9

The Phillies used Velasquez sparingly during the pandemic season, sending him out once every six to ten days.  Control started becoming a problem.

2021
A (Phi):  1-0-0, 2.57 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, 7.0 IP, 1.3 BB/9, 15.4 K/9
AAA (Phi):  0-0-0, 2.70 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 6.2 IP, 4.1 BB/9, 16.2 K/9
MLB (Phi):  3-6-0, 5.95 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 81.2 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 9.4 K/9
MLB (SD):  0-3-0, 8.53 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 11.4 K/9

Both injury and gopher balls led to a rough season for Velasquez.  He missed over a month late in the season with a blister and he gave up a home run every four innings.  He also had control problems.  The Phillies finally designated him for assignment in September.  The Padres signed him to a minor league deal and then called him up for the last two weeks, which went badly.

2022
AAA:  0-0-0, 4.76 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 6.4 BB/9, 11.1 K/9
MLB:  3-3-0, 4.78 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 75.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.2 K/9

Velasquez signed with the White Sox during spring training.  He again had injury issues, ultimately missing close to two months with a groin strain and a blister.  The Sox initially used him as a starter, but he struggled to a 5.79 ERA through seven starts, so they moved him to the bullpen.  He was only a little more effective there.  He became a free agent after the season and the Pirates signed him.

Velasquez marked a return to Ben Cherington’s habit of acquiring below-average veterans who don’t meet any identifiable need for the Pirates, but who are cheap.  The team has numerous better options for both the rotation and bullpen.  The fact that he has only one useful pitch strongly suggests that he should be in the bullpen, if anywhere, so naturally the Pirates have said they see him as a starter.  His ERA as a starter over the past three years has been 5.87.