The New York Yankees have optioned RHP Luis Medina to their Double-A affiliate, the Somerset Patriots, to start the 2022 season.
Medina is currently ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Yankees No. 12 prospect with the top fastball and curveball (T- Clarke Schmidt and Randy Vasquez) in the organization. His fastball has reached over 100 mph on several occasions.
He began the 2021 season with seven starts in High-A Hudson Valley before being promoted to Somerset on June 15.
In his Double-A debut, the hard throwing Dominican struck out 10 batters versus Richmond on June 16. He recorded three games of double-digit strikeouts, including a season-high 12 on August 26 against Akron.
Medina finished 4-3 with a 3.67 ERA and 83 strikeouts over 73.2 innings pitched in 15 games (14 starts) for the Patriots last season.
One of the most highly regarded arms in the Yankees’ minor league system, Medina represented the organization with a scoreless inning in MLB’s All-Star Futures Game on July 11, 2021.
He initially signed with the Yankees as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, putting himself among the longest tenured members of the Yankees Top 30 list.