Manuel Banuelos is a minor league baseball

Minor league baseball

Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...

 pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 in the New York Yankees

New York Yankees

The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...

 organization. He currently plays for the Yankees Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees.

Career

In 2008, the Yankees signed four players, including Banuelos and Alfredo Aceves

Alfredo Aceves

Alfredo Aceves Martínez is a Mexican professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. He uses a fastball, which can reach the mid 90s, a curveball, a changeup, and a cut fastball. He is known for his control and his ability to throw any pitch in any count...

, from the Mexican League for $450,000. Banuelos participated in the All-Star Futures Game

All-Star Futures Game

The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game between a team of top minor league prospects from the United States and a team of prospects from other parts of the World...

 in 2009.

Banuelos missed some time during the 2010 season with an appendectomy, but has since demonstrated strong development, with a mid-90s fastball

Fastball

The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...

 and above-average secondary pitches that include a changeup

Changeup

A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball. Other names include change-of-pace, Bugs Bunny change-up, the dreaded equalizer, and simply change. The changeup is sometimes called an off-speed pitch, although that term can also be used simply to mean any pitch that is slower than a fastball...

 and curveball

Curveball

The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...

. In 2010, Banuelos split time between the Class-A Advanced Tampa Yankees

Tampa Yankees

The Tampa Yankees are a minor league baseball team based in Tampa, Florida. They are currently members of the Florida State League and are the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the New York Yankees Major League Baseball team. Home games are played at George M. Steinbrenner Field, a miniature replica of...

 and the Class-AA Trenton Thunder

Trenton Thunder

The Trenton Thunder are an American Minor League Baseball team and are the Double-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. The Thunder play in the Eastern Division of the Eastern League, and are the two-time defending league champions...

. Banuelos was also a standout during the 2010 season of the Arizona Fall League

Arizona Fall League

The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...

, earning the start in the team's all-star game.

Before the 2010 season, He was rated as the Yankees sixth best prospect according to Baseball America

Baseball America

Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...

 and in 2011 he was rated as the fourth best. He was also one of the top 50 overall prospects according to MLB.com

MLB.com

MLB.com is the official site of Major League Baseball and is overseen by Major League Baseball Advanced Media, L.P. . MLB.com is a source of baseball-related information, including baseball news, statistics, and sports columns...

.

In 2011, Banuelos was invited to spring training with the Yankees for the first time, drawing rave reviews. Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera is a Panamanian right-handed baseball pitcher who has played 17 years in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees. Nicknamed "Mo", Rivera has served as a relief pitcher for most of his career, and since 1997, he has been the Yankees' closer...

 said that he believes Banuelos is the best pitching prospect he has seen. He won the James P. Dawson Award, given annually to the best rookie in camp. He was promoted to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees on August 2. In his Triple-A debut, Banuelos struck out eight in five innings against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs

Lehigh Valley IronPigs

The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a minor league baseball team that plays in the International League. The IronPigs are the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. The team plays their home games at Coca-Cola Park, which is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania...

.

External links