Anderson Espinoza

Anderson Espinoza
San Diego Padres
Starting pitcher
Born: (1998-03-09) March 9, 1998
Caracas, Venezuela
Bats: Right Throws: Right

Anderson José Espinoza (born March 9, 1998) is a Venezuelan pitcher who plays in the San Diego Padres minor league system. Listed at 6' 0" (1.83 m), 160 lb. (73 k), he bats and throws right handed.[1]

Espinoza was signed by the Red Sox as an international free agent in October 2014, receiving a reported bonus of $1.8 million plus $200,000 in scholarship money. Additionally, Espinoza was Baseball America’s fourth-ranked international amateur prospect and top-ranked pitcher, while grabbing the number 10 spot on MLB.com’s list.[2][3]

On July 14, 2016, the Red Sox traded Espinoza to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Drew Pomeranz.[4]

Scouting report

According to baseball scouts, Espinoza features a solid three-pitch mix and has advanced pitchability, too, repeating his delivery and throwing strikes much more easily than a typical 17-year-old. He has been throwing his fastball in the low 90s and topping out at 94 with potential to throw even harder as he grows. His secondary pitches includes a sharp curveball in the 71–73 mph range and a sinking changeup as his third option. His arm is quick, and he delivers his pitches with clean mechanics and a minimum of effort.[1]

Professional career

Espinoza joined the Dominican Summer League Red Sox 2 on June 1, 2015. He made quick work of that circuit, allowing only two earned runs on 13 hits and two walks for a 1.20 ERA, while striking out 21 batters in 15.0 innings. In addition to a strong statistical performance, his fastball was reported to touch 99 mph sometimes. He then earned a promotion to the rookie level Gulf Coast League Red Sox late in the month.[5] Instead of finding himself challenged, Espinoza was even more dominant there, giving up just three earned runs in 40 innings, good for a 0.68 ERA to go with a .170 opponents batting average and 40 strikeouts against nine walks,[1] helping the GCL Red Sox clinch their second title in a row. The precocious right-hander completed his third level of the season with his promotion to the Low A Greenville Drive, and made his first pitching appearance on September 5. With his debut, Espinoza became the first pitcher in his age 17 season to make a start in the full-season Single A South Atlantic League since 2006, when Deolis Guerra did it for the New York Mets affiliate Hagerstown Suns.[6] In 15 starts between three levels, Espinoza posted a 1.23 ERA with 0.99 WHIP while striking out 65 in 58⅓ innings. He was kept on a strict four-inning limit per game.[7]

Espinoza opened 2016 at Greenville, and [1] following his trade to the Padres, he was assigned to Class A Fort Wayne TinCaps. Espinoza finished 2016 with a 6–11 record with a 4.49 ERA.[8]

Espinoza started the 2017 season on the disabled list with an elbow injury. On July 28, 2017, he was diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his pitching elbow. He underwent Tommy John surgery which sidelined him for the remainder of the 2017 season and is expected to keep him out for most of the 2018 season as well.

Espinoza is currently rated as the eleventh best prospect in the Padres organization, according to MLB.com.[9]

Sources

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Sox-Prospects.com – Anderson Espinoza page". .
  2. ↑ BaseballAmerica.com – Red Sox Sign No. 4 International Prospect Anderson Espinoza
  3. ↑ MLB.com – 2014 International Prospects Watch
  4. ↑ Red Sox acquire lefty Pomeranz from Padres for pitching prospect Espinoza. MLB.com. Retrieved on July 15, 2016.
  5. ↑ Anderson Espinoza promoted to GCL Red Sox
  6. ↑ Anderson Espinoza evokes memories of a young Pedro Martinez. BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved on September 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ Espinoza makes Greenville debut. SoxProspects.com. Retrieved on September 6, 2015.
  8. ↑ http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?player_id=659262#/career/R/pitching/2016/ALL
  9. ↑ 2018 MLB Prospects Watch – San Diego Padres Top 30 Prospects list. MLB.com. Retrieved on July 26, 2017.
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