MLB

The Yankees bullpen prospect who’s dominating at Trenton

A prospect may be working his way onto the Yankees’ major league radar — and he is just 70 miles southwest of New York City.

Branden Pinder, a 25-year-old right-handed reliever drafted in the 16th round of the 2011 draft, is off to a flying start for the Double-A Trenton Thunder.

Through 10 games, Pinder has thrown 13 shutout innings, allowing just six hits and one walk. He has struck out 12.
“He has the mindset of a reliever, [he’s] really aggressive mentally,” Trenton pitching coach Tommy Phelps said. “He has a mid-90s fastball — it has good life and comes from a good angle. He’s mostly fastball/slider, and he’s trying to develop a changeup.”

The 6-foot-3 Pinder, drafted out of Long Beach State, began his collegiate career at Santa Ana College before transferring to play his junior and senior seasons for the 49ers.

After being drafted in 2011, Pinder started his Yankees career at short-season Class A Staten Island and dominated. He posted a 1.16 ERA in 31 innings, striking out 38 while allowing just 16 hits and five walks.

After spending most of 2012 and part of 2013 at High-A Tampa, Pinder was promoted to Trenton, where he appeared to hit a speed bump. In 19 games, he posted a 6.29 ERA and walked 16 batters in just 24¹/₃ innings.

But this season has been a different story.

“He’s been pitching down in the zone really well with his fastball,” Phelps said, when asked why Pinder’s performance has improved. “He would get in trouble last year — too many balls slightly elevated, too many good pitches to hit. [This year] he’s down in the zone, expanding [the strike zone] with his breaking ball better. He’s aggressive, getting ahead in counts.”

Though Pinder is making good progress, Phelps said his slider still needs work.

“He’s thrown some really good ones — he just needs to get consistent, pitch to both sides of the plate, expand [the strike zone],” Phelps said. “That’s the big thing he’s focusing on.”

Phelps said he could see Pinder, armed with a plus-fastball and a developing arsenal of off-speed pitches, as a setup man in the major leagues.

“Hopefully, he’s a seventh, eighth-inning guy in the future,” he said. “Every level gives these guys a challenge, and makes them better. [At upper levels], they’re not swinging and missing. They raise their awareness to make better pitches.

“It’s always tough to say [where he could fit], but he has success when he’s ahead in the count and he’s aggressive. If his slider keeps progressing, he’ll have an out pitch. They can trust him late in the game.”

Pinder’s rise has been rapid, and it’s only natural to dream about what could come if he sustains his performance.
Nevertheless, Phelps said Pinder is maintaining a level head.

“He’s not one of those guys that’s worried about what’s going on somewhere else,” he said. “That’s not him at all. ‘Give me the ball, and I’m ready to go.’ He keeps it simple.”