Without elite velocity, Gabriel Yanez gets tons of hitters out in late innings for C.R. Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS — It doesn’t make much sense on the surface.

A late-inning relief pitcher who seems to hit 90 miles per hour with his fastball on a good day, posting numbers at the high-Class A level that are outstanding. Beyond outstanding.

Gabriel Yanez locked down the save Friday night for his Cedar Rapids Kernels team by retiring all four hitters he faced in a 2-1 win over Wisconsin at Veterans Memorial Stadium.

That’s seven saves for the soon-to-be 25-year-old southpaw from El Tigre, Venezuela. He’s got a birthday here in a couple of days.

Yanez has a 4-2 record and 1.34 earned run average in 25 relief appearances this Midwest League season for the Kernels. His peripheral numbers look great, too: 33 hits allowed in 40 1/3 innings, 10 walks and 37 strikeouts.

Again, without elite heat.

“I think I have the privilege to be able to throw strikes,” said Yanez, with the translation assistance of Kernels co-pitching coach A.J. Angulo. “Which in this sport is a gift. I also think my secondary pitches work really well. I have been able to locate those pitches in different counts, and that has helped me get the hitters.”

It’s a sinking two-seam fastball that Velez throws to fellow lefties, and a four-seamer to righties. He’s got a slider and a changeup as well.

The heat can get up to 92 mph, by the way. And he throws strikes with all of his pitches.

“He’s one of those guys you can rely on because he’s going to throw strikes, he’s going to pound the zone,” Angulo said. “When you pound the zone, you are going to get good results.”

He certainly has gotten those.

“He has a really good feel on reading hitters and knowing what they are looking for,” said Kernels co-pitching coach Jonas Lovin. “He has a really good changeup to opposite-handed hitters and a good slider to lefties. He does a nice job of using both of those pitches to both sides of the plate. Then he mixes that fastball in there when necessary.”

The 6-foot-3 Yanez looks taller than his listed height and comes at you with long arms and legs. He originally signed as an international free agent with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2017 but was acquired by the Twins in the 2022 offseason.

The Phillies got cash back.

“Of course I was surprised, and happy, that another team was interested in me,” Yanez said, through Angulo. “I think it was a good opportunity for me to go somewhere else and show what I am capable of doing.”

Yanez has made some starts in his pro career thus far, but seems to have found a home in the bullpen.

“Personally, I think it fits him well because he is cold blooded,” Angulo said. “He doesn’t get scared. He goes and challenges guys. It’s (unusual) to see a guy who throws 90 miles per hour go right at hitters and attack them like he’s throwing 100.”

“I have been focused on doing a really good job,” Yanez said. “Things are going well this season. But I don’t like to think about that too much, because there are two months left.”

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