Waldichuk's work ethic fueling rise through Yanks' farm system

TAMPA, Fla. -- Ask Ken Waldichuk about the pitching depth in the Yankees’ organization, and the left-handed prospect describes it as “kind of unreal,” recalling the experiences of his first week after being promoted to Double-A Somerset last June.

His first night in uniform, Waldichuk watched from the bullpen as right-hander Glenn Otto registered 14 strikeouts in a victory over Richmond. Right-hander Luis Medina touched 102 mph in the next game, with Waldichuk’s first turn toeing the slab scheduled for the following evening.

“Man, how do I follow that?” Waldichuk remembers thinking.

The 24-year-old held his own, enjoying a strong second half of the season that vaulted his name toward the top of the Bombers’ farm system, where he enters the 2022 campaign rated as the Yanks’ No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline.

“Right now, I’m just kind of focused on getting as good as I can,” Waldichuk said. “I appreciate all of the attention I’ve been getting, and at the end of the day, the goal is to be a big leaguer. I’m definitely just trying to focus on getting up there.”

A fifth-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, Waldichuk posted a 6-3 record and 3.03 ERA in 23 games (21 starts) for High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset last season, holding opponents to a .193 batting average over 110 innings.

Boasting a four-seamer that evaluators have called an “invisiball,” the 6-foot-4 Waldichuk registered an impressive 163 strikeouts against 51 walks, scattering 76 hits allowed. He’s hoping to cut his walk rate this season.

“He’s got a great work ethic and approach to the game,” said Desi Druschel, the Yankees’ assistant pitching coach. “This is what a big leaguer is like before he’s a big leaguer; just his commitment to his routine and his training on a day-to-day basis is what allowed him to manifest into a really solid 2021 season.

“He’s got some unique characteristics. Obviously the left-handed side of it, but he’s got some good ride and carry to the fastball. There’s some deception in there. So he’s got some things that help, but it’s really that work ethic that propelled him up those rankings.”

Waldichuk said that he has added a new slider to his pitch mix and is continuing to build velocity with an organizational training program. During the Yanks’ recent minicamp, Waldichuk said that he had already touched 96 mph, a good sign with four weeks still to go before the Minor League season begins.

As Waldichuk prepares for an opportunity to test his arsenal against big league competition, he said that it has been helpful to match wits and stuff against some of the club’s top prospects, like Anthony Volpe, Austin Wells and Trey Sweeney.

“It’s fun to face those guys and have that mental game of, ‘What am I going to throw? What are they sitting on?’” Waldichuk said. “It’s good competition.”