Position: RHP
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 180 lbs
Bats/Throws: R/R
Born: 06/25/2001
Country: Dominican Republic
Signed: International Free Agent, 2017 (Nationals)
How Acquired: Trade (with Nationals for Josh Bell)
Bonus: $100,000
40-Man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: Yes
Minor League Free Agency: 2025
Options Left: 3
Overview
Yean was a projectable pitcher when the Nationals signed him. He later beefed up to a muscular build and now throws in the mid-90s. When the Pirates acquired him, he had a slider that was thought to have above-average potential, and a developing change. He didn’t develop at all, though, after he came to the Pirates in the Josh Bell trade.
2018-20
Yean worked mostly as a starter in his DSL debut. He struggled, with opponents batting .322 against him, but in 2019 he made significant progress, mostly in the GCL but with two starts at the end of the season in the New York-Penn League. Baseball America ranked him 12th in the Nationals’ system after the season. He didn’t pitch in the pandemic season, but he was impressive in fall instructionals. After the season BA ranked him 8th in a very weak system. The Pirates acquired him on Christmas Eve, along with Wil Crowe, for Josh Bell.
2021-23
Yean disappointed from the time he got to the Pirates’ system. He started off 2021 in the Bradenton rotation, but struggled much of the time and pitched mainly in relief in the middle part of the season. He made a few starts late in the year. Control was often a problem, but he also got hit hard at times. He didn’t show the kind of dominating stuff that was expected; although he fanned over a batter an inning, his K rate was actually well below the league average.
The Pirates sent Yean to Greensboro in 2022, and he got considerably worse. He continued to walk too many batters, but he also got hit hard much of the time. Opponents batted .293 against him. He saved his worst month for August, so it’s not like he improved over the course of the season. In 2023 it was more of the same. Yean returned to Greensboro and had a 5.01 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. His control was a little better but his K rate dropped sharply.
2024
In 2024, Yean moved up to Altoona and had his best season with the Pirates. In 46 games for the Curve, he had a 3.45 ERA and 1.33 WHIP. The improvement came in large part from better control, as he walked just 2.6 per nine innings. His K rate was also low, eight per nine. He had a reverse platoon split. Near the end of the season, the Pirates promoted Yean to Indianapolis and he got into two games there.
Yean would have been eligible for minor league free agency after the 2024 season, but he re-signed for 2025.
Stats
Transactions
July 2, 2017: Signed by the Washington Nationals as an international free agent.
December 24, 2020: Traded by the Washington Nationals with Wil Crowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Josh Bell.