New York Yankees' RHP, D.J. Mitchell, Jr.

D.J. Mitchell

Full Name: William Douglas Mitchell, Jr.

Position: Starting Pitcher, but currently working as a relief pitcher in the Yankees’ Bullpen
Bats: Right, Throws: Right
Height: 6' 0", Weight: 160 lb.

Born: May 13, 1987 in Winston-Salem, NC (Age 24)
School: Clemson University (Clemson, SC) (All Transactions)
Debut: May 1, 2012

D.J., a lean RHP with a high 3/4 release point, did his collegiate pitching as a Clemson Tiger, and was drafted as a 10^th rounder in 2008. In 2011 he was named the Yankees Minor League Pitcher of the Year. This Spring he just missed making the Yankees roster coming out of Spring Training.

On the plus side he throws a hard sinker at 88-91mph that has very good late movement, and he mixes in a good breaking slider that averages 80mph.

Mechanical flaws in his delivery that can undermine his performance are stepping open and landing on his left heel on his stride to the plate. By opening up early, this means that he’s relying on his arm in his delivery and not using his legs and lower body. This will affect his endurance and the number of pitches he can throw in an outing. Due to this mechanical glitch, he’ll need more rest to recover his arm strength during a series… which will in turn hampers his availability. From the little I’ve seen of him, he has been able to defy the tendency of pitchers that land on their heel of their stride foot. This usually causes pitchers to elevate their pitches. It will be something to watch for in future outings.

D.J. is young and a work in progress. He certainly has a future, but realistically, he can’t be expected to be a quick fix for the Yankees rotation or bullpen this season.