The New York Yankees rarely look to the Rule 5 Draft for help, but they saw something in this pitcher that made them change their ways.
The New York Yankees have lost more players to the Rule 5 draft than they have added. They probably would like Garrett Whitlock back, as he has been a staple of the Red Sox bullpen for years and has given his old team fits since joining them.
Sep 7, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Whitlock against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images. Something about Winquest must have stood out for them to abandon a process they have practiced for more than a decade. Winquest gave some insight into what the Yankees thought of him this week. According to him, they already have a new weapon for him to try out. They wanted him to learn a new pitch immediately after joining the team.. "All those guys were showing me the two-seam sinker grip. They basically just told me where to line up my hand on the ball. They told me to just throw it like I'm throwing a normal fastball and let the drift work. By Monday, I got spin-access balls in the mail from the Yankees and started throwing sinkers."is a hard thrower with the ability to dial his fastball up to triple digits. According to Baseball Savant scouting grades, he has a 50-grade fastball, 60-grade curveball, 50-grade slider, and 45-grade cutter.Scouting Report on Baseball Savant mentioned that they already had their eyes on him the year they drafted Cam Schlittler. It was the Cardinals who eventually landed on him in the 2022 draft. "The Yankees considered taking Winquest with their seventh-round pick in 2022 but opted for Cam Schlittler instead, then saw the Cardinals pounce on the Texas-Arlington product before they could get him in the eighth round. Back issues cost Winquest most of the 2024 season, but he finished last year with a 3.19 ERA in eight Double-A starts. When St. Louis left him unprotected, New York grabbed him in December by exercising a Rule 5 Draft selection for the first time since it took Brad Meyers in 2011." With Devin Williams and Luke Weaver out of the picture, and the Yankees not making any big acquisitions this winter for the bullpen, Winquest has a real shot at making the team. With a good spring, there's a real opportunity for him to be on the roster come Opening Day. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more!Joe Randazzo is a reference librarian who lives on Long Island. When he’s not behind a desk offering assistance to his patrons, he writes about the Yankees for Yankees On SI. Follow him as @YankeeLibrarian on X and Instagram.
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