Anderson José Espinoza is a Venezuelan pitcher who plays in the San Diego Padresminor league system. Listed at 6' 0", 160 lb., he bats and throws right handed. 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. On July 14, 2016, the Red Sox traded Espinoza to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitcher Drew Pomeranz.
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.
Professional career
Boston Red Sox
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. 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, 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. 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.
San Diego Padres
Espinoza opened 2016 at Greenville, and following his trade to the San Diego Padres for Drew Pomeranz on July 14, he was assigned to Class AFort Wayne TinCaps. Espinoza finished 2016 with a 6–11 record with a 4.49 ERA. 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 the entire 2018 season. The Padres added Espinoza to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season. Espinoza underwent a second Tommy John surgery on April 22, 2019 and missed the entire 2019 season.
