is young, energetic on the mound, and has electric stuff. The right-hander tosses a fastball averaging 94 MPH and when he has to, can add some extra giddy-up, topping out at 97.8 MPH. The flamethrower also has a deadly slider with a ten MPH difference from his fastball that drops off the table. His raw abilities caught the Phillies eye this past off-season, as Velasquez was the centerpiece in a trade that sent Ken Giles to Houston.
There are two knocks on Velasquez – one is his injury history. He hurt his bicep in a game back in early June against the Cubs after recording just one out.