Roansy Contreras

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2017
DSL:  0-3-0, 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 22.0 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 7.0 K/9
R:  4-1-0, 4.26 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 31.2 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 4.8 K/9

The Yankees started Contreras in the DSL, where he pitched decently.  After about a month they moved him up to the Gulf Coast League.

2018
A-:  0-0-0, 1.26 ERA, 0.84 WHIP, 28.2 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 10.0 K/9
A:  0-2-0, 3.38 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 34.2 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 7.3 K/9

Contreras made five starts in the New York-Penn League and dominated, enough so that Baseball America named him the league’s fifth best prospect, as well as seventh with the Yankees.  The team moved him up to full season ball and he continued to pitch well.  He was the youngest pitcher in each league.

2019
A+:  12-5-0, 3.33 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 132.1 IP, 2.4 BB/9, 7.4 K/9

The Yankees moved Contreras up to the Florida State League and he spent the season there.  He pitched well without dominating, as his K rate wasn’t great.  BA rated him ninth in the system.

2020
DNP

The Yankees did not bring Contreras to their training facility during the pandemic season.  They did add him to the 40-man roster afterward.

2021
AA:  3-2-0, 2.65 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 54.1 IP, 2.0 BB/9, 12.6 K/9
AAA:  0-0-0, 2.45 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.2 IP, 2.5 BB/9, 14.7 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 12.0 K/9

Contreras had a breakout season for the Pirates.  His fastball velocity increased to the mid- to upper-90s and his secondary stuff became more effective.  In his first two games with Altoona, he fanned 11 in each, in 11 total innings.  In the second one he allowed no hits over six innings.  He missed all of July and August with forearm tightness, but it turned out not to be serious.  At the end of the season Contreras made one start for the Pirates and threw three shutout innings.

2022
AAA:  1-1-0, 3.15 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 12.1 K/9
MLB:  5-5-0, 3.79 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 95.0 IP, 3.7 BB/9, 8.1 K/9

Contreras opened the season in the Pirates’ bullpen, but went to AAA after three appearances.  The Pirates brought him back up in late May and he stayed in their rotation until early July.  At that point, the Pirates sent him down because of what they called a need for workload management.  Of course, they could have used him in relief in the majors, which they did early in the year.  And it just so happened that the time in AAA left his service time where he probably won’t qualify for super two status.  Just coincidentally.  Anyway, with Bob Nutting’s profit margin safe, Contreras returned to the majors and spent the last month and a half of the season in the rotation.  Contreras generally pitched well and often looked dominant.  Occasionally his control would falter and he had a couple of bad outings.  He may have had some troubles as a result of tipping his pitches, a possibility that came to light after the season.  That might explain, for instance, him allowing 13 home runs, a little over one every seven innings.  Contreras had a small reverse platoon split.  His velocity declined a little, from 96-98 in June to 94-96 in Aug/Sept.

Contreras figures to be a key piece of the Pirates’ rotation going forward.  With the service time manipulation out of the way, he should be in the majors to start 2023.