Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45 | Overall: 50

Scouts head out regularly to see Gonzaga Friday night starter Gabe Hughes. If they were lucky, they got to stick around for the weekend to see Vrieling, who made it a bit easier by moving from Sunday to Saturday in the Zags rotation. The right-hander pitched largely out of the bullpen over his first two years, including a strong Cape Cod League performance, but he’s shown this spring he has the goods to start.

The 6-foot-4 right-hander has a legitimate four-pitch mix at his disposal. He’ll throw his fastball anywhere in the 91 to 95 mph range, and it plays up because he can command it to all four quadrants. He throws both a curve and a slider, with some scouts preferring the former, a low-80s breaker with true downer action that has power and command at times. His mid-80s slider does have some cutter action to it and his changeup is a true weapon, thrown with excellent arm speed and deception.

The only thing that hasn’t always been consistent for Vrieling has been his control. While his walk rate is a touch high and he’s had outings in which he hasn’t had great feel, he’s also shown the ability to throw all four of his pitches for strikes with a repeatable and athletic delivery, giving teams confidence he can start long-term.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

Gonzaga's 2022 weekend rotation produced three early picks in that year's Draft, with Hughes going 10th overall to the Rockies and Vrieling (Yankees) and William Kempner (Giants) factoring in the third round. New York had Vrieling focus on adding strength after signing and he gained 20 pounds in advance of his planned 2023 pro debut. He wound up missing all of last season after coming down with a stress fracture in his pitching elbow, though he did return to work 10 2/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League.

Vrieling has good feel for spin, with both his 78-82 mph curveball and mid-80s slider/cutter grading as plus pitches at their best, though they've played as more average in Double-A this season. He fell in love with his breaking pitches too much while transitioning from the bullpen to the rotation at Gonzaga in 2022, costing him run and sink on a low-90s fastball that tops out at 96. He's vulnerable without his best life on his heater but has recaptured it since turning pro.

Vrieling has a lot to prove to remain a starter, beginning with durability. He needs to improve an upper-80s changeup that's much too firm, as well as his fastball command and overall control. If that doesn't work out, his breaking balls could make him a useful multi-inning reliever.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45 

All three members of Gonzaga's 2022 weekend rotation went in the first three rounds of the Draft, with the Rockies taking Gabriel Hughes 10th overall before Vrieling (Yankees) and William Kempner (Giants) became third-rounders. Vrieling spent his first two years with the Bulldogs as a reliever before overpowering hitters as a starter early last spring, then tailed off in the second half of the college season when he got away from using his fastball. New York had him focus on building strength after signing and he added 20 pounds before making his pro debut in 2023. 

Vrieling has high spin rates on his low-80s downer curveball, his best chase pitch, and his tight mid-80s slider, his top offering in terms of getting swings and misses. Both can be plus offerings at their best and he can turn his slider into a harder cutter with even more upside. When he fell in love with his breaking pitches last spring, he lost some of the sink and run on a fastball that parks at 90-93 mph and peaks at 96, and it got hit. 

To survive as a starter in pro ball, Vrieling will need to find some more velocity or life for his heater, and his strength gains should help. He also needs to improve and develop more trust in his changeup, which is too firm in the upper-80s, and throw more strikes. If he returns to the bullpen, his breaking stuff could make him a multi-inning weapon.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45 | Overall: 45 

Gonzaga's entire weekend rotation got snapped up in the first three rounds of the 2022 Draft, with the Rockies selecting Gabriel Hughes 10th overall and both Vrieling (Yankees) and William Kempner (Giants) going in the third round. A reliever in his first two years with the Bulldogs, Vrieling was overpowering early in the spring but faded during the second half of the college season. Signed for $608,900, he's only scratching the surface of his potential as a starter. 

Vrieling generates high spin rates on a downer low-80s curveball and a tight mid-80s slider, both of which can be plus offerings at their best, and also can morph the latter pitch into a harder cutter. He gets more swings and misses with his curve but struggles to land it for strikes. His fastball sits at 90-93 mph and tops out at 96 with modest sink and run, and it gets hit when he doesn't command it well.  

To make it as a starter in pro ball, Vrieling will need to add some more velocity or life to his heater. He also needs to improve and develop more trust in his changeup, which gets too firm in the upper 80s. After throwing strikes in the first two months of the college season, he tired down the stretch and his control and command backed up. 

Awards

EAS Pitcher of the Month

Month	Team
04/2024

EAS Pitcher of the Week

Week	Team
04/21/2024

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	03/31/2024	RHP Trystan Vrieling assigned to Somerset Patriots from Tampa Tarpons.
	02/29/2024	RHP Trystan Vrieling assigned to New York Yankees.
	11/06/2023	Tampa Tarpons activated RHP Trystan Vrieling.
	09/22/2023	Mesa Solar Sox activated RHP Trystan Vrieling from the 60-day injured list.
	04/06/2023	Tampa Tarpons placed RHP Trystan Vrieling on the 60-day injured list.
	04/06/2023	Tampa Tarpons placed RHP Trystan Vrieling on the 60-day injured list.
	03/04/2023	RHP Trystan Vrieling and assigned to New York Yankees.
	08/08/2022	RHP Trystan Vrieling assigned to FCL Yankees.
	07/25/2022	New York Yankees signed RHP Trystan Vrieling.
	06/11/2022	College Workout activated RHP Trystan Vrieling.
	06/11/2022	RHP Trystan Vrieling assigned to College Workout.
	03/17/2022	Gonzaga Bulldogs activated RHP Trystan Vrieling.
	03/17/2022	RHP Trystan Vrieling assigned to Gonzaga Bulldogs.