MACK – Let’s Revisit - RHRP - Rafi Vazquez
Rafi (Rafi Joseph) Vazquez is a 28-year-old right-handed relief pitcher currently in the New York Mets organization (assigned to High-A Brooklyn Cyclones after the Mets purchased his contract in mid-July 2026). Background and Path
He is a classic late-blooming convert who trained extensively at Driveline Baseball after switching fully to pitching. Driveline has highlighted his work ethic and results multiple times.RepertoirePublic detailed pitch-tracking data is limited (independent leagues and recent High-A assignment), so exact usage percentages and spin rates aren’t widely available. What’s known:
- Born December 12, 1997, in Annandale, Virginia. Bats left, throws right; listed at 6'1"/205 lbs.
- College: Primarily a position player (first base/DH) at UNC Charlotte after time at Florence-Darlington Tech and an earlier commitment involving Coastal Carolina. He showed power potential as a hitter (e.g., 12 HRs in one season at Charlotte) but retired from baseball around 2021 after limited play.
- He restarted as a pitcher in independent ball (United Shore League, Pioneer League with Ogden Raptors, Frontier League with Tri-City ValleyCats), then joined the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs of the Atlantic League.
- 2025 (Blue Crabs, middle relief): 4-3, 5.06 ERA in 37 games.
- The Mets acquired him on July 18, 2026, and assigned him to Brooklyn.
- 2026 - A+ Brooklyn: 14-apps, 2-0, 3.38, 1.22, 21.1-IP, 4-BB, 27-K
- Fastball: Sits in the mid-90s and reaches 95+ mph in live at-bats (Driveline videos from 2026 show him throwing heat). High-school reports had him at 85–88 mph with heavy run from a low three-quarters slot; velocity has increased substantially with training.
- Changeup: Standout pitch, frequently described by Driveline as a “cheat code” with dramatic late drop (“dropped off the table,” compared to a left-handed curveball in reaction videos). It generates strong reactions and is a key putaway offering.
- Breaking ball: He has historically featured a slider (sharp/late break in high school, 75–78 mph then). It remains part of the mix as a pro, though specifics on shape/velocity as a 28-year-old reliever are sparse in public reports.
- Overall approach: Attacks the zone with conviction, gets swing-and-miss (strong K rates in the Atlantic League), and works effectively in high-leverage relief. Command has been a strength in his dominant independent stretch (very low WHIP and walk rates relative to the level).
The Mets added him as depth after he proved himself as one of the best arms in the Atlantic League. Progress in the affiliated system will determine how far the stuff and command translate.
Best of luck to Rafi.
ReplyDeleteHe will need it.
DeleteSeems like the Mets problem isn’t finding talent, it’s evaluating it correctly and keeping the players that have it. For example: they traded for Bryan Hudson last winter and cut him a couple of weeks later. The White Sox took him back and he’s been good all year for them. They didn’t bother using Mike Vasil; they had no idea on Jeremiah Jackson; they now have kids like Mauricio who hasn’t gotten any consistent run out of options while using losers like Zach Short, Vidal Brujan, and Tommy Pham for no reason.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add, D’Andre Smith will probably be drafted in Rule 5 and be a MLB player along the lines of Jeremiah Jackson, but Stearns doesn’t see value in that.
DeleteJust like Rafi, players develop later on in their career. I will defend the Mets here. You can't predict this and run a team on predictions. You can only make decisions based on results, balanced with the fact that you only have so many team slots at each level. This is why I don't look back. That's like asking me to turn around in my F-4C Phantom II jet and check out the results of the napham I dropped on villages in North Viet Nam.
DeleteIf I did that, I never would have slept.
True, that those decisions can’t be made with hindsight. But, we are talking about decisions that showed incorrect immediately. For example: remember Alex Ramirez that they put on the 40 man roster four years ago and he couldn’t excel? Well, after he was cut, four years later Tom is telling us how he is excelling in White Sox AA team. I’m not asking them to be fortune tellers, just see what’s in front of them. I noted three players that had different transaction departures and all three were misdiagnosed, to use a medical term. The one that really sucks is Hudson, whom they had just purchased from the White Sox and turned around and cut him.
DeleteSo?
DeleteKeep players that sucked for four years?
Did you ever think he just applied his talent better after he was cut?
Are you actually comprehending what I’m writing? I said that Ramirez was an understandable cut and that you can’t look back four years. I also said that the three players that I am referring to were immediate mistakes: Vasil, Jackson, Hudson.
DeleteDOH
DeleteCan Rafi be the next Anthony Nunez? I hope so.
ReplyDeleteNegative waves again
DeleteGood BB/SO ratio, if he can keep that up he has a chance.
DeleteLarge storms create big waves. This one has been brewing for 40 years. Every time the team gets close, they just don't have enough to get over the top and they regress trying to solve that. We are at a low point after the last two years, so I expect negativity until the next surge.
DeleteThen Tom and Gus will be riding the tubes
DeleteIt would be great to hang out with Tom!
DeleteGo tubing in Texas with Texas Gus. The Rapids Response team.
ReplyDeleteThe Mets and tubes? They always seem to go down the tubes.