Yacksel RÃÂos Melendez (born June 27, 1993) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Oakland Athletics. The Phillies selected him in 12th round of the 2011 MLB draft.
RÃÂos was born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, and attended Doctora Conchita Cuevas High School in Gurabo, Puerto Rico. The Philadelphia Phillies selected RÃÂos in the 12th round of the 2011 Major League Baseball draft. He made his professional debut later that year, with the Gulf Coast League Phillies where he pitched to a 0âÂÂ1 record, and 8.47 ERA, in innings. RÃÂos returned to the GCL in 2012, where he was 2âÂÂ2 with a 6.60 ERA in 30 innings pitched. In 2013, he played for the Williamsport Crosscutters, where he was 5âÂÂ3 with a 3.59 ERA in 15 games (including 10 games started). The 2014 season found RÃÂos pitching for the Lakewood BlueClaws, where he compiled a 6âÂÂ2 record and 3.69 ERA in innings pitched.
RÃÂos spent 2015 with the Clearwater Threshers, where he was 6âÂÂ5, with a 2.75 ERA, in 26 games (10 starts). The next year, 2016, again found him with Clearwater, the GCL Phillies, and the Reading Fightin Phils, where he was a combined 5âÂÂ4, with a 5.74 ERA, in 37 games (seven starts). RÃÂos began 2017 with Reading, then finished that year with the Philliesâ Triple-A farm team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs; over 37 total minor league appearances that year, he was 1âÂÂ3, with a 1.92 ERA, with 64 strikeouts, in innings.
On August 22, 2017, the Phillies promoted RÃÂos to the major leagues. He made his MLB debut that same day, pitching innings of no-hit baseball against the Miami Marlins. On September 27, RÃÂos earned his first career win, pitching in relief against the Washington Nationals. He spent the rest of the 2017 season with the Phillies and in 13 games he was 1âÂÂ0 with a 4.41 ERA. For the 2018 Phillies, RÃÂos was 3âÂÂ2, with a 6.75 ERA, in 36 innings pitched. With Lehigh Valley, he was 0âÂÂ0 with a 3.97 ERA in innings in which he walked 17 batters and struck out 26 batters. In 2019 with the Phillies, he went 0âÂÂ0 with a 13.50 ERA in innings over four games. With the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he was 1âÂÂ3 with a 7.41 ERA in 34 innings in which he walked 22 batters and struck out 37 batters. He was designated for assignment on July 29, 2019.
On August 3, 2019, RÃÂos was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Pitching for the Indianapolis Indians in 2019 he was 0âÂÂ0 with one save and a 2.35 ERA in nine games ( innings). Pitching for the Pirates he was 1âÂÂ0 with a 5.23 ERA in 10 games ( innings). On June 28, 2020, RÃÂos was outrighted off of the 40-man roster. On August 3, RÃÂos was selected to the active roster. In three games with Pittsburgh, he pitched to a 9.00 ERA. On October 30, he was again outrighted. He elected free agency that day.
On January 21, 2021, RÃÂos signed a minor league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays organization and was invited to spring training. In 12 games for the Triple-A Durham Bulls, RÃÂos recorded a 0.66 ERA with 17 strikeouts.
On June 4, 2021, RÃÂos was traded to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for cash considerations. The next day, his contract was selected to the active roster. RÃÂos logged a 9.00 ERA in three appearances for Seattle before being designated for assignment on June 11.
On June 14, 2021, RÃÂos was traded to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for cash considerations. He made his Red Sox debut on June 16, retiring the one batter he faced and earning a win in relief against the Atlanta Braves. He appeared in 20 games with Boston, all in relief, compiling a 3.70 ERA. On September 23, RÃÂos was designated for assignment by the Red Sox. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on September 26.
On December 6, 2021, RÃÂos signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox. He spent the 2022 season with the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, recording a 4âÂÂ3 record and 4.91 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 33.0 innings pitched. On August 7, 2022, RÃÂos was released.
On January 6, 2023, RÃÂos signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves organization. In 21 appearances for the TripleâÂÂA Gwinnett Stripers, RÃÂos logged a pristine 1.46 ERA with 30 strikeouts and 7 saves across innings.
On June 18, 2023, RÃÂos was traded to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for cash considerations. Two days later, Oakland selected RÃÂos to their major league roster. After three games for Oakland, he was placed on the injured list on June 30 after being diagnosed with Raynaud syndrome.
RÃÂos underwent surgery to address the syndrome on July 7, and was transferred to the 60-day injured list the following day. On July 17, RÃÂos underwent seasonâÂÂending surgery to repair an axillary branch aneurysm in his right shoulder. On October 4, RÃÂos was removed from the 40âÂÂman roster and sent outright to the TripleâÂÂA Las Vegas Aviators. On October 6, RÃÂos elected free agency.
On January 10, 2024, RÃÂos signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets. He made 27 appearances for the Triple-A Syracuse Mets, compiling a 3-1 record and 3.30 ERA with 30 strikeouts and three saves over 30 innings of work.
In 2025, RÃÂos made four appearances for Syracuse, the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, and rookie-level Florida Complex League Mets, accumulating an 18.00 ERA with three strikeouts across three innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 6, 2025.
On January 17, 2026, RÃÂos signed a minor league contract with the Chicago Cubs.
During the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC), RÃÂos pitched for the Puerto Rico national team. On March 13, 2023, he pitched in relief versus Israel and retired every batter faced over after José De León tossed perfect innings. Edwin DÃÂaz, and Duane Underwood Jr. each relieved De León and retired every batter faced, and MartÃÂn Maldonado caught on the way to a 10âÂÂ0 win. The contest ended when Maldonado scored on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the eighth inning that invoked the tournament's mercy rule. However, it did not qualify as an official perfect game per the Elias Sports Bureau, due to lasting fewer than nine innings.