Yohander Mendez

Yohander Mendez

29-Year-Old PitcherP
 Free Agent  
2024 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Yohander Mendez in 2024. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Signed a one-year, $558,000 contract with the Rangers in March of 2019.
Misses cut
PTexas Rangers  
July 23, 2020
Mendez didn't make the Rangers' 30-man Opening Day roster and was outrighted to the team's alternate training site Thursday, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.
ANALYSIS
Mendez's outright assignment will open up an extra spot on th 40-man roster for the Rangers. Since he's still included in the team's 60-man roster pool, Mendez is eligible to appear in the majors in 2020, but the Rangers would need to add him back to the 40-man roster.
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Pitching Stats
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2019
2018
2017
2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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2017 MLB Game Log
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Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Yohander Mendez See More
Mound Musings: A Look at Pitching in the AL West
March 19, 2020
Brad Johnson finishes his preview of pitching around the league with the American League West, where in Los Angeles, Shohei Ohtani could be ready to start once MLB resumes.
Mound Musings: AL West Draft Day Targets
March 21, 2019
Brad Johnson completes deep dive into each divisions this week with a look at the American League West, where in Seattle, Felix Hernandez might be in the twilight of his career.
MLB DFS: Wednesday Cheat Sheet
MLB DFS: Wednesday Cheat Sheet
September 26, 2018
September 26, 2018
Wednesday's slate of 16 games features a home matchup for Chris Sale against the Orioles.
Weekly Pitcher Rankings: Season Finale
September 22, 2018
Todd Zola ranks starting pitchers for the season's final week, which likely will be chaotic as usual. But not for Max Scherzer, who is pitching for a Cy Young.
Yahoo DFS Baseball: Wednesday Picks
September 19, 2018
Sasha Yodashkin likes Indians righty Carlos Carrasco on Wednesday versus the visiting White Sox.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2019
2018
2017
2016
It was a rocky season for Mendez, as an undisclosed violation of team rules at a time he was in line for a look in the Rangers' rotation prompted a demotion all the way to High-A. Mendez was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock to begin the season and made the trip to Arlington a couple times in the first half before joining the Rangers in mid-June. A week later, he was demoted all the way to the Down East Wood Ducks of the Carolina League. After getting his act together, he was elevated to Double-A Frisco before another stint with the Express in late August. Back in the club's good graces, Mendez was called up when rosters expanded. Arlington is a tough enough place to pitch, let alone for someone with a 93-mph fastball and mediocre secondary stuff. Mendez should get a shot at the Texas rotation, but unless he figures something out over the offseason, he's off the fantasy radar, even in the deepest of formats.
Before he got to Triple-A in 2016, Mendez looked like a potential mid-rotation starter. However, since then, he has looked more like a future middle reliever. The 23-year-old southpaw has struggled mightily in two brief MLB stints (seven strikeouts in 15.1 innings). The Rangers had an organizational philosophy shift last winter, opting to be more conservative with where they assigned pitching prospects. This led to Mendez, who some viewed as a dark horse candidate to join the big-league rotation early in the season, getting assigned back to Double-A, where he had logged 46.2 innings in 2016. Those who expected him to dominate and quickly receive a promotion to Triple-A were left waiting all season. He has above-average velocity for a lefty (93 mph), but none of his secondaries stand out and he really struggles to generate groundballs. Look for him to be assigned to Triple-A this year and possibly join the big-league rotation at some point. It would be unreasonable to hope for anything more than a back-end starter.
Mendez began the season at High-A High Desert but was so dominant throughout the year that he ended up parlaying his success into two relief appearances in the big leagues with the Rangers. He pitched mostly as a starter in the minors in 2016, posting a 113:41 K:BB in 111 innings across three levels. Mendez has a lively fastball with movement and saw a bit of an uptick in velocity. The 6-foot-5 lefty also has an excellent changeup and works best when he can locate down in the zone. There had been questions about his durability, role as a starter and development of a third pitch, but thus far he has proven up to the task. He'll have an outside shot at the starting rotation coming into spring training, but it is more likely that Mendez will return to Triple-A Round Rock and bide his time until needed.
Still probably three years away from contributing at the big league level, Mendez offers a lot to dream on. At 6-foot-4, 178 pounds, the Venezuelan southpaw has an extremely projectable body with a low-to-mid 90s fastball. He continues to be brought along slowly, but he was absolutely dominant in 66.1 innings at Low-A Hickory last season. After a brief, 31-inning taste of the South Atlantic League in 2014, Mendez returned with authority, posting a 27.5 percent K-rate and a 5.6 percent walk rate with a 2.44 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. His first 10 appearances were 1.2-to-3.0 inning looks out of the bullpen, so his overall numbers are slightly inflated. That said, he still posted a 2.94 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 32 strikeouts in 33.2 innings as a starter, completing five innings in four of those eight starts. There isn’t much buzz associated with Mendez, but he has the tools to finish 2016 as a top-100 prospect in dynasty leagues.
More Fantasy News
Reinstated by Rangers
PTexas Rangers  
July 8, 2020
Mendez (suspension) was reinstated by the Rangers on Wednesday and added to the 60-man roster.
ANALYSIS
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Suspended by team
PTexas Rangers  
Suspension
March 11, 2020
Mendez (shoulder) was placed on the suspended list by the Rangers on Wednesday after seeing unauthorized outside medical attention, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
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Battling minor shoulder issue
PTexas Rangers  
Shoulder
February 21, 2020
Mendez is dealing with shoulder inflammation, though the issue isn't considered serious, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
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Bags win Saturday
PTexas Rangers  
September 8, 2019
Mendez (1-0) allowed one run on one hit while striking out six over 2.1 relief innings Saturday to pick up the win over the Orioles.
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Looking at multi-inning role
PTexas Rangers  
September 6, 2019
Mendez will throw out of the Rangers' bullpen in multiple-inning stints, T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Suspended for multiple reasons?
PTexas Rangers  
March 11, 2020
Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels hinted Wednesday that Mendez's placement on the suspended list was for more than just seeking unauthorized medical care, the Associated Press reports.
ANALYSIS
The Rangers announced Mendez's suspension Wednesday, with a violation of his contract for seeking unauthorized outside medical care for left shoulder inflammation cited as the official reason. However, Daniels, when asked, also commented "there's more to it than that, but I'm not going to get into it." Mendez's 2019 season was limited to just three appearances due to elbow issues, but he was expected to compete for a bullpen role this spring. There was no immediate timetable given for the suspension.
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