Better Know Your Blue Jays 40-Man: Yosver Zulueta

Yosver Zulueta is a 26-year-old right-handed pitcher from Cuba (and the last on our run through the 40-man roster until they make some changes in the next couple of days). He signed as an international free agent and received $1,000,000 from the Jays in 2019. In November 2022, he was added to the Jays' 40-man roster.

Zulueta is missing much of the playing time we would like to see when judging a player. Soon after signing with the Jays, he missed playing time after needing Tommy John surgery. Then, there was the cancelled minor league season due to Covid. A torn ACL cost him almost all of 2021.

He’s only pitched 119.2 innings in the minors, more than half of which came last season. At the start of last season, there was much hope that he might eventually help out in the majors, but he wasn’t terrific in Buffalo. In 45 games and 7 starts, he had a 4.08 ERA. In 64 innings, he allowed 53 hits, 45 walks and 73 strikeouts. The 15.7% walk rate limited the team’s interest in bringing him up (even with a 25.4% strikeout rate).

Yosver was #7 on our top-40 prospect list last year (this year, he has aged out). Matt wrote:

The raw stuff is undeniable, and it’s a starter’s arsenal in both depth and quality. If allowed to develop as a starter, there’s frontline potential assuming the second half control was an aberration and he can reasonably harness it. The issue is Zulueta’s spotty health record, and complete lack of innings foundation. He’s already on the 40-man(though in line for four option years), age 25, and the Jays are in win-now mode and he has impact near-term relief potential in the back of a bullpen. But developing him as a long-term starter really means he needs to get to 100 innings this year.

As a result, there’s a wide range of outcomes here. He could flame out as a guy who can’t stay healthy, or harness huge raw stuff. He has the stuff to be a dominant reliever (role 45/50). There’s the in between where he has enough stuff to stick, not not dominate. And then starting’s not off the table either.

As you know, he didn’t come close to 100 innings last year.

He throws hard, with a fastball in the 97-98 mph range. And he has a slider, a curve and a change. You will get chances when you can throw 100 mph, but you must show you can throw it for strikes.

Zulueta didn’t get much time on the mound this spring, just 5 innings, but when he pitched, he wasn’t good, giving up 7 hits, 8 runs, 6 earned, with 4 walks and 2 strikeouts.

The Jays will need a few 40-man roster spots, and Zulueta hasn’t shown much reason to make us think he deserves his.

PECOTA thinks Zulueta will play in 14 games, pitch 16.1 innings, walk 10, strike out 18, and have a 5.16 ERA.

ZiPS: 38 games, 56.2 innings, 33 walks, 54 strikeouts, 5.24 ERA.

Steamer: 17 games, 17 innings, 8 walks, 17 strikeouts, 4.05 ERA.