Kyle

Yates

With a 1.42 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings, Yates has been the best pitcher in Arizona. The 2004 13th-round pick went 6-9 with a 3.75 ERA, 118 H and 102/38 K/BB in 127 1/3 IP for Double-A New Hampshire last season. He’s been looked at as a potential reliever in the majors, but he could use the AFL as the same kind of springboard that Tampa Bay’s James Shields did a year ago.

Yates, a 2004 13th-round pick, went 6-9 with a 3.75 ERA, 118 H and 102/38 K/BB in 127 1/3 IP for Double-A New Hampshire this year. With a plus curve as a strikeout pitch, he could have a future in the majors. However, he was a reliever at the University of Texas and he might fit best in that role for the long-term.

Based on his nice finish at New Hampshire last year and his terrific performance as the AFL’s ERA leader, it seemed likely that Yates would be one of the first pitchers called up by the Jays this season. However, he has a 20/16 K/BB ratio in 28 1/3 innings and the league is hitting .309 against him, a full 70 points higher than last year. He might spend all year in Double-A.