Yanks Finalists To Land Rafael DePaula

According to MLB Trade Rumors contributor Blake Bentley, the Yankees and Mariners are in a "two-horse race" to land Dominican pitching prospect Rafael DePaula. He estimates that the 17-year-old right-hander could receive a signing bonus in the $1.5-2MM range.

Here's a scouting report via Pro Ball NW (hat-tip to Crossfire for bringing this to my attention):

The basic scouting report for the 6′3 DePaula is that he throws a fastball in the low-t0-mid 90s with good life, touching as high as 97 at some point last year, and has three secondary pitches (curve, slider, change) that are polished relative to his experience level. One thing that impresses scouts seems to be his smooth and consistent mechanics, something not easily found in the amateur market.

And here's a video shot by Brentley, who was down in the DR to watch DePaula throw. According to Brentley, DePaula's fastball sat at 92-93 MPH and hit 94.

Rafael DePaula from Blake Bentley on Vimeo.