D-backs Top 40 Prospects in 2024: No. 9 Yu-Min Lin

The Taiwanese phenom overcame a freak injury to have a fantastic year in 2024

Arizona Diamondbacks Prospect Yu-Min Lin pitches for Chinese Taipei against Japan in the WSBC Premier 12 Gold Medal Game, November 25, 2024 / MLBTW.net Hung-Cheng Li

This article is part of a series reviewing the seasons of the top 40 prospects still in the Arizona Diamondbacks system as of the end of 2024.

Yu-Min Lin, LHP, DOB 7/12/2003, 5'11", 160

Acquired: International Free Agent Signing December, 2021, Bonus $525,000

Yu-Min Lin was signed out of Taiwan, a baseball crazy island nation about 90 miles off the coast of Mainland China. Lin is known to be very confident and often exhibits a great competitive fire. His natural personality is to be very expressive on the mound.

He impressed Diamondbacks scouts in international competitions between the ages of 15-18, and despite his diminutive size, they liked what they saw, so they signed him to the largest bonus the team issued in that year's international free agent class.

Lin throws both a low-90's four-seamer and sinker, which he introduced this year. His best pitch is a straight change, which generates a ton of swing and miss. He also has a curveball, slider, and cutter. While the fastball isn't going to overpower anyone, he has good command, and is able to set up breaking and offspeed pitches to great effect.

After working with the Diamondbacks coaches and analytics team, the cutter became more of an emphasis for him 2024 as well. "The cutter is kind of my new pitch for this year. I try to work on it every outing now," Lin said.

Lin had been working on a cutter as far back as two years ago, but he didn't really throw it in games very often last year. "This year in spring training, my pitching coach and all the video guys, they just showed me all the data on my cutter and how it works in my pitching plan, so I just started using it this season."

With his ever expanding reportoire, Lin has moved through the system quickly. In 2022 he pitched in the Arizona Complex League and in Class-A Visalia. In his first taste of affiliated ball in the California league he struck out 50 batters in 33 innings while posting a 2.97 ERA.

It was clear he needed to move up a level to start 2023, so he went to High-A Hillsboro in the Northwest league to start the season. After striking out 76 batters in 60 innings, and posting a 3.43 ERA, he was promoted mid-season to Double-A Amarillo.

As a 19 year old pitcher in AA, he was the youngest pitcher in the league. He encountered a few challenges in the hitter friendly environment of Hodgetown stadium. But he more than held his own, going 5-2 with a 4.28 ERA, striking out 64 more batters in 61 innings.

Invited to spring training at the start of the 2024 season, on March 16 Lin got to pitch in the Spring Breakout game, where he impressed further, pitching two scoreless innings.

Informed he would be returning to Amarillo to start the season, the 20-year-old expressed the goal of reaching Triple-A Reno by July, and receiving a late season call up to MLB by September. That type of aggressive goal setting is yet another manifestation of his competitive fire and confidence.

Lin's season did not get off to a good start however. Through his first four starts he posted a 7.00 ERA in 18. innings, allowing a .351 batting average against. His strikeout to walk ratio was a very healthy 21 to 5, but he was getting knocked around. Then disaster struck.

On April 26 Lin was struck in the face by a foul ball while in the dugout during a start by fellow prospect Yilber Diaz. He suffered a concussion, and broken bones in his face that required reconstructive surgery.

He missed six weeks of the season, but during the rehab process, he was able to reset, and alter some of his approach not just to pitching, but to life.

"It allowed me to realize how important life is," Lin said. "I almost couldn't play baseball again. So I think I just take it more seriously now. Every workout, every time I play catch, each time I pitch."

Related Content: D-backs' Yu-Min Lin Grateful to be Pitching in the Fall League

Lin returned to action on June 8, and over his next 16 starts he posted an excellent 3.53 ERA and struck out 78 batters to 30 walks. He was bit by the long ball occasionally, giving up 12 of them, but in the homer friendly Texas League, that's not really a large concern.

Lin earned a promotion to the Triple-A Reno Aces to make his final start of the year, going 4.2 innings and giving up just one run. Despite not meeting his goal of reaching the majors, it was a successful season, but it wasn't over yet.

Lin made three good starts in the Arizona Fall League, giving up three runs in nine innings while striking out nine. Then he went back to Taiwan to compete for Chinese Taipei (Taiwan's National team) in the WSBC Premier 12 International Tournament.

It was there, on the biggest stage possible in a jam-packed Tokyo Dome, with all the emotion of pitching for his country, that Lin put the cherry on top of his 2024 season. He threw four shutout innings as Chinese Taipei dominated tournament-favorite Japan to win 4-0.

Related Content: D-backs Yu-Min Lin Leads Chinese Taipei to Victory Over Japan in WSBC Final

2025 Outlook

Despite his size, and lack of high fastball velocity, Yu-Min Lin has advanced through the Arizona Diamondbacks' system at a very fast rate. His ability to throw strikes, spin the ball, and generate swing-and-miss with his changeup, is an extremely mature approach for a 20 year old.

Lin will begin the 2025 season in Triple-A Reno. Pitching in the Pacific Coast League will be his biggest challenge yet. The average runs per game scored in that league was 5.69 last year, and pitchers posted a 5.27 ERA.

As he'll be in just his age-21 season, there should be no rush for the team, but the confident and ambitious Lin will surely be competing for a shot in the majors sometime during the season.