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Michael Pineda
From BR Bullpen
Michael Francisco Pineda Paulino
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 7", Weight 260 lb.
- Born January 18, 1989 in Yaguate, San Cristobal D.R.
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[edit] Biographical Information
Michael Pineda reached AAA in 2010 at age 21 and made his major league debut at the start of the following season.
Pineda was signed by scouts Patrick Guerrero and Frank Taveras Jr. for the Seattle Mariners at age 16. He had an excellent pro debut with the 2006 DSL Mariners, going 2-1 with a 0.44 ERA, allowing only one earned run all season. In 2007, he had a 6-1, 2.29 record in regular action for the same team. Pineda came stateside with the 2008 Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and had a 8-6, 1.95 record. Opponents hit just .216 against him. He led the Seattle farm system in ERA, opponent average and strikeouts (128). He was 4th in the affiliated minors in ERA behind Madison Bumgarner, Jon Kibler and Chris Cody. Pineda was second in the Midwest League in ERA behind Kibler. He was left off the MWL All-Star team in favor of Alfredo Figaro. Baseball America did not list him as one of the circuit's top 20 prospects. He was named Mariners Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Pineda battled injury in 2009, missing most of the year due to elbow strain. He was 4-2 with a 2.84 ERA for the High Desert Mavericks while healthy and threw three shutout innings for the AZL Mariners. He struck out 52 in 47 1/3 innings for the year.
Back in health in 2010, the big right-hander was 8-1 with a 2.22 ERA for the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (78 K, 17 BB in 77 IP) and 3-3 with a 4.76 ERA for the Tacoma Rainiers (76 K, 17 BB in 62 1/3 IP).
He made the M's starting rotation out of spring training 2011 as the number five starter. On April 5th, he struck out the first big league hitter he ever faced, Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers, on three pitches, but gave up 3 runs in 6 innings to lose the game. Still, he impressed by keeping the red-hot Texas bats relatively quiet and not allowing a home run. He ended his first month in the majors with a 4-1 record and a sparkling 2.01 ERA to be named the American League's Rookie of the Month. He pitched at least 6 innings in his first five starts, giving up only 22 hits and 12 hts over 31.1 innings, while striking out 30 opposing batters. He was named to the mid-summer All-Star team, getting a nod as a replacement for one of the starting pitchers unavailable because of the "Sunday Starter" rule. He was 8-6 at that point, but with a 3.03 ERA and 113 strikeouts in 113 innings, against only 36 walks. He pitched a perfect inning in the All-Star Game, striking out two batters. He finished the season with a record of 9-10, 3.74 in 28 games with 173 strikeouts in 171 innings. His won-loss record was hurt by the M's poor performance over the second half, but the New York Yankees saw him as a future superstar. On January 13, 2012 they sent two of their best prospects - C/DH Jesus Montero and P Hector Noesi - to the Mariners to acquire Pineda and pitcher Jose Campos. The trade was only finalized on January 23rd, as all four players needed to pass physical exams.
At the end of his first spring training with the Yankees in 2012, Pineda complained of tightness in the back of his right shoulder and had to start the season on the disabled list after undergoing an MRI and being diagnosed with tendinitis. He had been battered around in his last practice start, giving up 6 runs in 2 2/3 innings to set off alarms, although there had been concern all spring that his velocity was noticeably down. The Yankees got more bad news on April 25th when a further medical exam found a tear in the labrum muscle of Michael's throwing shoulder. The injury required season-ending surgery. While working out in Tampa, FL, he was arrested by local police in the early hours of August 20th after being spotted driving his SUV erratically and at high speed, and was charged charged with DUI, having tested for a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit.
When Pineda showed up for spring training with the Yankees in 2013, he was still not ready to pitch, but at least the team was confident that he could be in the starting rotation by May or June.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- AL All-Star (2011)
[edit] Sources
- 2010 Mariners Media Guide
- 2009 Baseball Almanac
