Vince Velasquez

Vincent John Velasquez (born June 7, 1992) is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.

He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Houston Astros, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, Chicago White Sox, and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Born in Montclair, California, Velasquez was a multi-sport athlete at Garey High School in Pomona.

After bone spurs in his right elbow kept him from pitching and playing shortstop, he learned how to field left-handed.

A growth spurt prior to his senior year of high school caused him to draw interest from the soccer and gridiron football teams, but Velasquez opted to focus on baseball on the advice of a scout for the Chicago White Sox.

Velasquez was born on June 7, 1992, in Montclair, California.

His father Leonard worked as a package delivery driver for the United Parcel Service (UPS), though he sometimes worked four jobs at once to provide for Velasquez and his brothers.

Vince's mother Juanita, meanwhile, worked as a hospital billing supervisor.

In addition to playing as a shortstop and pitcher for the Garey High School baseball team in Pomona, California, Velasquez served as the quarterback for the school gridiron football team.

As a sophomore, Velasquez developed bone spurs in his right elbow, which made it impossible to pitch or play in the infield.

Inspired by the story of Billy Wagner, who became a left-handed pitcher after breaking his right arm as a child, Velasquez became a center fielder and learned how to throw left-handed.

Between his junior and senior season, Velasquez underwent a growth spurt that took him from 5 ft to 6 ft, and the school soccer team expressed interest in making him a center midfielder.

A scout for the Chicago White Sox dissuaded Velasquez from pursuing other sports, warning him that an injury in football or soccer would compromise his baseball career.

As a junior in 2009, Velasquez was named the Garey High School Most Valuable Player.

On the mound, he posted a 6–1 win–loss record, with a 1.89 earned run average (ERA); at the plate, he batted .608 with 14 doubles, 29 runs batted in (RBIs), and 18 stolen bases.

The Astros selected him in the second round of the 2010 MLB Draft, and Velasquez chose to pitch for them rather than honor his commitment to play college baseball as a shortstop for Cal State Fullerton.

He was assigned to the Greeneville Astros in 2010, but underwent Tommy John surgery later that year and did not return to the field until 2012.

Velasquez pitched his first complete game on May 21, 2010, against the San Dimas High School Saints, the reigning California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern Section division champions.

He struck out 17 batters in the 9–1 victory, striking out every batter he faced at least once, and held the Saints to three hits, two walks, and one unearned run.

Less than a week later, Velasquez was named to the 2010 Inland Valley High School All-Star game.

The Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Velasquez in the second round, 58th overall, of the 2010 MLB Draft.

At the time, he had already committed to play college baseball as a shortstop for Cal State Fullerton, but he chose to sign with the Astros after the team indicated that they would prefer him as a pitcher.

Velasquez signed with the team on June 22, 2010, the day after his high school graduation, and was assigned to the Rookie Greeneville Astros of the Appalachian League.

Velasquez pitched in eight games during his rookie season, including six starts.

He posted a 2–2 record and a 3.07 ERA in Greeneville, striking out 25 batters in 29 1⁄3 innings pitched.

Velasquez underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, citing "overuse".

He contemplated abandoning baseball after the injury, but was encouraged to continue by his father.

Velasquez reported to spring training early in 2011, building up the strength to throw 40 ft. He missed the 2011 Minor League Baseball season entirely, instead practicing in bullpen sessions and in the Astros' instructional league.

Velasquez regained his pitch velocity quickly after the surgery.

His fastball speed jumped from 88 – to 90 –, but it took him the season to regain control.

He was assigned to the Low–A Tri-City ValleyCats in 2012, with the Astros believing that a shorter season would help Velasquez ease back into pitching.

He started nine games that season, posting a 4–1 record and a 3.35 ERA while striking out 51 batters in 45 2⁄3 innings.

He had a successful season with the Quad Cities River Bandits in 2013, but struggles during a three-game stretch with the Lancaster JetHawks inspired him to sharpen his curveball.

The following year, he helped take the JetHawks to a California League championship title.

Velasquez made his major league debut in 2015, replacing Roberto Hernández in the starting rotation after the latter was moved to the bullpen.

Velasquez played one season with the Astros before he was traded to the Phillies as part of a major trade that brought Ken Giles to Houston.

He had a strong debut for the team, striking out 25 batters in his first two games, but the next few seasons were hindered by injury, including a season-ending finger injury in 2017.

By 2020, Velasquez's inconsistent performance had placed his role on the Phillies roster in question, and he took advantage of the MLB's pause to diversify his pitch repertoire and improve his efficacy against batters.

Since then, he has alternated between starting games and relief appearances, depending on the needs of the team.

The Phillies released him in September 2021 and he finished the season with the Padres before signing with the White Sox before the 2022 season.