Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 45

Signed for $150,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2019, Curet has quickly risen up the Rays’ ranks since making his stateside debut in '22. His professional debut was pushed back due to the pandemic, then he pitched well enough to get on the radar in the Dominican Summer League in 2021. He more clearly established himself in ’22, striking out 58 in 42 innings, then earned Tampa Bay’s Minor League Pitcher of the Year Award last year by striking out 144 with a 2.94 ERA in 104 innings between Single-A and High-A.

Curet became one of the most promising arms in the Rays’ system and earned a spot on their 40-man roster -- a rare choice for someone so far from Tropicana Field -- with a pitch mix built around power. More specifically, a power fastball. Curet has an electric heater, which sits in the mid-90s but touches 97-98 mph with life up in the zone that generates a ton of swing-and-miss. His slider can be effective as a change of pace off his fastball as it darts gloveside. Once an afterthought, Curet's changeup is showing promising fade and could be another weapon with continued refinement.

The question is whether Curet will throw enough strikes for any of that to matter. He’s built like a starter, isn’t a max-effort pitcher and handled a decent chunk of innings in his first full season. But he walked 16.9 percent of his batters faced, meaning half the hitters who stepped into the box against him either walked or struck out. More patient, experienced hitters might capitalize on that wildness out of the zone. The worst-case scenario, at this point, seems to be that Curet taps into his future-closer floor and attempts to overpower hitters with fastballs and sliders in shorter bursts.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 65 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 40 | Overall: 40

Curet joined the Rays organization for $150,000 out of the Dominican Republic in July 2019. After missing out on what would have been his first Minor League season in 2020 due to the pandemic, he headed to the Dominican Summer League a year later, striking out 63 in 51 innings. He then headed stateside with stints in the Florida Complex and Carolina Leagues in 2022. Back with Single-A Charleston for 2023, Curet has cemented himself as one of the most promising arms in a loaded Tampa Bay system.

The 6-foot-2 right-hander sits in the mid-90s with his four-seam fastball and can touch 98 with a heater that explodes up in the zone, leading to a high swing-and-miss rate. The whiffs keep coming when he mixes in a mid-80s slider that breaks hard to his glove side and keeps any hitter sitting on the heat honest. He’ll also mix in an upper-80s changeup, though it’s too firm and behind the other offerings. Still, Curet’s 16.7 swinging-strike rate was fifth-best among 323 Minor Leaguers with at least 70 innings pitched entering late July.

The problem: his 16.7 percent walk rate was also the third-highest among that same group. Curet’s delivery finishes with a bit of a hand flourish, causing his command to suffer, and while the stuff is impressive, more patient hitters learn to lay off outside pitches. That might move him into a relief role before long, though he’s made decent control gains as the 2023 season has rolled along. With a Rule 5 decision looming, Curet has put himself in the mix for a 40-man spot or a potential roll of the dice for a Major League club looking for bullpen help.

Awards

CAR Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
07/2023
06/2023

CAR Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
06/25/2023

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	10/01/2024	Tampa Bay Rays recalled RHP Yoniel Curet from Montgomery Biscuits.
	08/13/2024	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to Montgomery Biscuits from Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	04/02/2024	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	03/11/2024	Tampa Bay Rays optioned RHP Yoniel Curet to Durham Bulls.
	03/11/2024	Durham Bulls activated RHP Yoniel Curet.
	11/14/2023	Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of RHP Yoniel Curet from Bowling Green Hot Rods.
	08/08/2023	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to Bowling Green Hot Rods from Charleston RiverDogs.
	08/30/2022	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to Charleston RiverDogs from FCL Rays.
	06/05/2022	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to FCL Rays.
	07/09/2021	RHP Yoniel Curet assigned to DSL Rays2.
	07/02/2019	Tampa Bay Rays signed free agent RHP Yoniel Curet to a minor league contract.