Yu-Min Lin

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #7 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: The D-backs watched Lin carve through hitters several years older than him at an international tournament in late 2021, an outing that served as the impetus for the $525,000 bonus they gave the Taiwanese lefthander that December. He has done much of the same in two full seasons as a pro, eliciting swings-and-misses at a high rate thanks to his deep repertoire and an understanding of how to use it—and doing it without elite velocity. Lin led all teenagers in 2023 with 121.1 innings.
  
  Scouting Report: Lin can touch 93-94 mph with his four-seam fastball but averages just 90, sometimes pitching in the 88-89 mph range, and doesn’t get great ride on the pitch. His best offering is a changeup that gets good separation off his fastball and falls off the table late. Lin’s curveball can be wicked, with excellent spin and no hump, but his command of it is inconsistent. He also throws a slider, cutter and was tinkering with a sinker. None of his pitches are elite but everything plays up thanks to his plus command and good feel for pitching. Lin’s command has to be on point; he gets hit around on days it isn’t. Questions remain about his upside. His velocity is pedestrian at best and his slightly-built, 5-foot-11 frame makes projecting gains there difficult. It also raises questions about his ability to maintain his stuff while logging a starter’s workload. Moreover, there have not been many sub-6-foot lefthanded starters in recent years.
  
  The Future: Lin’s ability to command pitches and miss bats should give him a chance at the highest level, but given the scarcity of midrotation pitchability starters in today’s game, it is hard to project him as any more than a No. 4 or 5 type.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 45 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 60 | Control: 60
• 
  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #19 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Lin was an accomplished amateur on the international stage whom the D-backs had been following for years, but his performance for Chinese Taipei in a tournament in the fall of 2021 pushed the organization over the top to sign him. Pitching at 18, he carved through a Venezuelan lineup filled with pros three or four years his senior. He received a $525,000 bonus, then had a dominant pro debut, leading the organization (minimum 50 innings) with a 40% strikeout rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Lin's fastball sits 89-91 mph with good carry, touching 92-93. He confounds hitters with his array of offerings and his pitching acumen. He generates elite spin with his curveball and slider; at their best, the former is a downer with bite and the latter is a harder, slashing option. The slider might have the most upside, but his best current pitch is his changeup, which drops off the table with arm-side run. He also has tinkered with a two-seamer, a cutter and a variation of his changeup that behaves like a screwball. He is athletic and repeats his delivery well, allowing him to project for plus control. Lin could still add weight to his slender frame, which could help him eke out another couple of ticks of velocity.
  
  The Future: Though not overpowering, Lin has some starter characteristics. The D-backs took things slowly with him in 2022, but they figure to let his performance dictate his progression in 2023. The highly competitive lefthander should begin the season at High-A. Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 60.

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Lin was an accomplished amateur on the international stage whom the D-backs had been following for years, but his performance for Chinese Taipei in a tournament in the fall of 2021 pushed the organization over the top to sign him. Pitching at 18, he carved through a Venezuelan lineup filled with pros three or four years his senior. He received a $525,000 bonus, then had a dominant pro debut, leading the organization (minimum 50 innings) with a 40% strikeout rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Lin's fastball sits 89-91 mph with good carry, touching 92-93. He confounds hitters with his array of offerings and his pitching acumen. He generates elite spin with his curveball and slider; at their best, the former is a downer with bite and the latter is a harder, slashing option. The slider might have the most upside, but his best current pitch is his changeup, which drops off the table with arm-side run. He also has tinkered with a two-seamer, a cutter and a variation of his changeup that behaves like a screwball. He is athletic and repeats his delivery well, allowing him to project for plus control. Lin could still add weight to his slender frame, which could help him eke out another couple of ticks of velocity.
  
  The Future: Though not overpowering, Lin has some starter characteristics. The D-backs took things slowly with him in 2022, but they figure to let his performance dictate his progression in 2023. The highly competitive lefthander should begin the season at High-A. Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 60.
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme
  
  Track Record: Lin was an accomplished amateur on the international stage whom the D-backs had been following for years, but his performance for Chinese Taipei in a tournament in the fall of 2021 pushed the organization over the top to sign him. Pitching at 18, he carved through a Venezuelan lineup filled with pros three or four years his senior. He received a $525,000 bonus, then had a dominant pro debut, leading the organization (minimum 50 innings) with a 40% strikeout rate.
  
  Scouting Report: Lin's fastball sits 89-91 mph with good carry, touching 92-93. He confounds hitters with his array of offerings and his pitching acumen. He generates elite spin with his curveball and slider; at their best, the former is a downer with bite and the latter is a harder, slashing option. The slider might have the most upside, but his best current pitch is his changeup, which drops off the table with arm-side run. He also has tinkered with a two-seamer, a cutter and a variation of his changeup that behaves like a screwball. He is athletic and repeats his delivery well, allowing him to project for plus control. Lin could still add weight to his slender frame, which could help him eke out another couple of ticks of velocity.
  
  The Future: Though not overpowering, Lin has some starter characteristics. The D-backs took things slowly with him in 2022, but they figure to let his performance dictate his progression in 2023. The highly competitive lefthander should begin the season at High-A. Scouting Grades: Fastball: 50. Curveball: 50. Slider: 60. Changeup: 60. Control: 60.