José Veras

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=José Veras
position=Relief pitcher
team=New York Yankees
number=41
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1980|10|20
birthplace=city-state|Santo Domingo|Dominican Republic
debutdate=August 5
debutyear=2006
debutteam=New York Yankees
statyear=2008 season
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=5-3
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.92
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=76
teams=
*New York Yankees (by|2006-present)

José Enger Veras Romero (born October 20, 1980 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a major league relief pitcher for the New York Yankees.

Playing Career

Veras was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in by|1998. He rose through the Tampa Bay minor league system, mostly as a starter. Veras struggled when he reached AAA, and was converted to a relief pitcher. He was released after the by|2004 season and pitched in by|2005 for the Texas Rangers' AAA affiliate.

Veras signed with the Yankees before the by|2006 season, which he spent most of in AAA, though he also made his major league debut, pitching 11 innings with a respectable 4.09 ERA. Veras was injured early in by|2007, but rehabbed and returned to the major leagues as a September call up.

After being called up to the majors early in the 2008 season, he emerged as a dominant force out of the bullpen and became the set-up reliever after the Yankees traded Kyle Farnsworth.

Pitching Style

He has a mid to high 90 mph 4-seam fastball and a low 80's deep slider. The fastball has hit as high as 98, but usually sits in the 93-96 range. The slider is usually thrown between 83-79 mph with a break between 6 and 9 inches. Veras throws with a low 3/4 arm motion, a power slot, and a herky jerky follow through. With these pitches, he follows the typical strategy of a hard throwing reliever, getting ahead with power 4-seamers and then trying to put away hitters with a mix of the fastball and slider.

External links

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