Q&A with Gabriel Barbosa, RHP for the Yankees Single-A team and Brazil National Team

Gabriel Barbosa is one of the highest-ranked players among Brazilian athletes (Photo: Beto Noval/@betonoval_photos)

Gabriel Barbosa is a 22-year-old RHP, currently part of the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A team of the New York Yankees, and one of the top prospects in Brazilian baseball. He got a new look in 2024 after being selected by the Yankees at the end of the 2023 season in the Rule-5 Draft, after just over 5 years as part of the Colorado Rockies franchise. For Brazil, he was part of the pitching staff that competed in the World Baseball Classic qualifying round in 2022 and secured the historic silver medal at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago.

Barbosa finished the 2024 season among the main Tarpons pitchers, leading the team in games started, innings pitched, and strikeouts. In recent years, I’ve had the opportunity to follow Gabriel’s performances for the Brazilian national team closely, and I spoke to the pitcher during the first months of the 2024-2025 offseason.

FM: Gabriel, you ended 2023 with big news: one of the biggest franchises in baseball history has bet on you and your development. How did it feel in December when you found out?

Barbosa: I definitely didn’t expect it. I was very surprised; it was an explosion of joy and happiness.

FM: And how did you find out?

Barbosa: I was in the gym training, and at the end of my workout, tired. Then, I got a message from a colleague in the media department of the Fresno Grizzlies. He sent me a message saying “congratulations!” and so on, and I didn’t understand; I thought he was thinking it was my birthday. Then I asked him what happened, and he said, “You were selected by the Yankees in the rule-5 draft, congratulations!”. At the time, I went to search for news but couldn’t find anything, so I asked him for a print screen. When he sent it, it was a great feeling. I called my mom right away, she cried. It was really nice.

FM: In general, what do you see as the difference between what you had as part of Colorado and what you have now?

Barbosa: In terms of the difference between the Rockies and the Yankees, I think the main one is in perception in terms of history because the Yankees are a historic and very old franchise. But in terms of development, how they work with each player, the structure of the academy and fields, both are very good and offer a lot for the athlete to develop. So it was great to experience this period with the Rockies, and now with New York, I have nothing to complain about.

FM: Your workload has increased considerably, especially in terms of opening games. How has the adaptation been?

Barbosa: The workload has increased a bit, but I was already prepared for it. I know I have an arsenal with a lot of pitches, so I focused my preparation during the off-season on being an opener; even though I wasn’t sure about the possibility, I worked on it. When I arrived in Tampa and learned that I was going to be an opener, we worked on adjusting each type of pitch, especially the fastball, which is the same style of fastball that Andre Pallante throws. In addition to it, I’m working on a sinker, a change-up, a cutter (which was my old slider), a curveball and the sweeper, as well as my four-seamer. So I’m throwing 6-7 different pitches, and that has really increased the workload. Apart from the gym, running, all that physical stuff.

FM: Regarding the Brazilian national baseball team, you took part in both the 2022 World Baseball Classic qualifier and the Pan American Games in Santiago. You’re already a ‘veteran’. How do you feel in the role of reference?

Barbosa: I feel very comfortable and confident with the players when we’re with the national team; we have a lot of trust with each other. It’s great to have that trust because, regardless of whether it’s a more relaxed game or a tighter one, as a pitcher you feel more at ease. I’ve gained a lot of experience playing outside Brazil, and when I have the opportunity to play for Brazil, with friends I grew up playing with at youth level, I feel more comfortable and more relaxed.

This role of reference is very good. Being part of the national team is something that gives me a lot of encouragement and incentive, regardless of the role I’m given; whether it’s opener, relief or closer, what I want is to help the team go for the win. At the Pan-American Games, we had a good group of openers and I came into more difficult and tight situations, and it was important to help the result and also for my development.

FM: Speaking of the Classic, the group in which Brazil will play for a place next year is defined. What are your expectations?

Barbosa: In my opinion, Brazil has a lot of good players with talent, but we need to focus on developing them from the little leagues up, with the new players who will be coming through. Many of the players who already have a name in baseball won’t be taking part in the next chapters, so there needs to be a renewal. I think there are a lot of good players who sometimes miss out because they don’t have the opportunity to go, but we always have to make sure we take the best players in terms of physical and mental condition, because when it comes to the big games it’s another level, everything counts. When you get to a qualifier like the WBC, you have to make the right decisions, with the right players. We always show determination and will, we always fight. So I have very good expectations of Brazil, especially in the long term.

FM: Do you have any information about a call-up? Have you been contacted?

Barbosa: Not yet. Also for those of us who play outside Brazil, it’s a bit more complicated. We have to make sure we’re in good shape for the following season, so there’s a lot going on. I’m very keen to take part, regardless of which tournament it is, but the priority right now is to build up good numbers and seek promotion to Major League Baseball, to establish myself as a player. Next year is the seventh year of my contract, so 2025 has already started for me.

FM: What’s your relationship like with the other Brazilian players in the USA? Do you manage to get together on the field or in your free time?

Barbosa: During the season it’s a bit more difficult for us Brazilians to get together. Sometimes, when we have days off, we might meet up. It’s more common when we go back to Brazil, during the off-season, we end up meeting up at tournaments and championships, or even in our free time, but during the season in the United States it’s a bit difficult.

FM: Finally, I’d like you to talk briefly about your beginnings in baseball, still in Bastos. We’re talking about a relatively small town, but one that launched two of the likely next Brazilian athletes to play in the MLB (you and Eric Pardinho). Is there anything special in the water there?

Barbosa: I got my start in baseball through a cousin of mine. One day we were at my grandmother’s house and this cousin was going to his baseball practice. We were playing in the street, playing soccer, and it happened to be his practice time, and the coach was his neighbor, they lived across the street from each other. This coach, she called me to practice as well, and my grandmother told me to accompany my cousin, so I wouldn’t be alone at home. I ended up going without much interest, as I didn’t even know it was baseball, I was still very young. I got there, I played and I liked it a lot, but I didn’t have any expectations of a future with baseball, it was just to play. I ended up going back several times, and fell more and more in love with the sport. I ended up playing in Bastos for about 6, almost 7 years.

The city has a lot of talent for sport and not just in baseball, but also in Judo, such as Tiago Camilo (who won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games). I don’t know if there’s anything special or different in the water, but there are a lot of eggs here. Bastos is known as the “Egg Capital”, so it’s something that’s incorporated into practically every meal.