Andres Munoz

By Bill Center

Eight relief pitchers made their Major League debuts with the Padres during the 2018 season.

And while that number won’t likely be matched in 2019, there are more relievers working their way up through the system.

In today’s look at some of the top prospects in the Padres system, we’ll discuss three relievers who could make their Major League debuts in 2019 — Andres Munoz, Gerardo Reyes and Dauris Valdez.

Munoz and Reyes are natives of Mexico while Valdez is from the Dominican Republic.

Munoz is ranked the Padres №22 prospect while Reyes and Valdez are just outside the Top-30 list. A look at the three right-handed relievers.

Munoz is one of the more exciting prospects in the Padres system. He doesn’t just hit 100 miles an hour with his fastball, he hits 100 regularly. The 6-foot-2, 165-pound, 19-year-old from Los Mochis signed with the Padres as an international free agent on July 7, 2015.

Munoz didn’t allow a run in 2018 until his 25th and final appearance of the season with Double-A San Antonio.

In 25 appearances with Short-Season Single-A Tri-City and San Antonio, Munoz was 2–1 with eight saves, a 0.73 earned run average, a 0.97 WHIP and a .139 opponents’ batting average. He allowed two runs on 11 hits and 13 walks with 28 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings. Munoz spent the majority of the season at Double-A, where he had a 0.95 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP and a .175 opponents’ batting average — allowing two runs on 11 hits and 11 walks with 19 strikeouts in 19 innings.

Munoz first drew notice during the Arizona Fall League of 2017 when he allowed one run on nine hits and two walks with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings over nine appearances.

In addition to the triple-digit velocity, Munoz has a sharp breaking ball. The only question has been command.

Gerardo Reyes reaches 100mph while playing for Yaquis of Obregon in Mexican Pacific League

Reyes, 25, split the 2018 season between Advanced Single-A Lake Elsinore and San Antonio. But his stock has soared this off-season with Obregon of the Mexican Pacific League where he has not allowed a run in 12 relief appearances. In 11 2/3 innings with Obregon, Reyes has given up four hits and two walks with 13 strikeouts for a 0.51 WHIP.

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Reyes came to the Padres along with left-handed reliever Jose Castillo and Wil Myers from Tampa Bay on Dec. 19, 2014. After posting a 2.63 ERA in 47 appearances with Lake Elsinore in 2017, Reyes spent most of the 2018 season with San Antonio.

He had a 3.00 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP in 31 appearances with the Missions in 2018. He also had 49 strikeouts in 39 innings with San Antonio — or 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings.

Overall, Reyes had a 2.77 ERA in 46 appearances between Lake Elsinore and San Antonio in 2018 with 1.30 WHIP and a .216 opponents’ batting average. He averaged 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings over the past two seasons at Lake Elsinore and San Antonio.

Dauris Valdez

Valdez, who turned 23 on Oct. 22, was signed by the Padres as an international free agent on Feb. 12, 2016. Valdez is 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds.

Valdez is 1–0 with a 5.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in nine appearances in the Arizona Fall League.

Valdez spent the entire 2018 season with Lake Elsinore where he was 1–4 with 13 saves in 15 opportunities. He had a 4.39 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP and a .224 opponents batting average in 53 1/3 innings over 48 appearances.

Like Munoz and Reyes, Valdez throws hard with command concerns. Valdez averaged 12.8 strikeouts per nine innings (76 in 53 1/3 innings) this season and has averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in his minor league career.

All three could open the 2019 season at Double-A Amarillo.