Reese Kaplan -- Players Can Sometimes Truly Surprise You

If you are a pitcher looking to make it in the major leagues then being drafted by the Colorado Rockies whose stadium is known as a hitter’s paradise (and a pitcher’s graphical nightmare that will require years of therapy from which they may never recover). 

Suppose that the early draft pick in 2011 hung around the minors hoping to get a chance at the game’s highest level for eleven years until becoming a rookie hurler in 2022 at age 32.  Somehow it doesn’t seem like he was on the fast track to the majors.  That journey included missing time due to injury, playing in independent leagues and even having that placement tripped up by a visa issue.  

Spending 27 games with the Marlins as you were beginning to spot your first gray hairs is probably not what Huascar Brazoban had in mind, but he did his best to make himself valuable to his ballclub.  He returned at age 33 for a full season of relief pitching, appearing in 50 games, going 5-2 with a mediocre 4.14 ERA.  He was whiffing a lot of opposing hitters but his control was still an issue with greater than 4 walks per 9 innings pitched.

Then came his 2024 season where everything finally seemed to click into place.  In 20 games for Miami he was 1-2 in relief but with a 2.93 ERA.  He got the walks down a bit and was pitching to a WHIP of just 1.011 when the Marlins decided he was worth more as trade bait than as a middle innings guy in their bullpen.  David Stearns and the Mets came looking and for the price of Wilfredo Lara.  Who, you might ask?  Lara is an infielder formerly in the Mets minors who was performing fairly well, averaging 12 HRs, 61 RBIs and 21 SBs while hitting .249.  He doesn’t look as if he will be a major league starter but could become a useful backup infielder.

Given his stellar 2024 start wto the season with the Marlins it looked as if the Mets made something of a steal.  Unfortunately his 19 games in New York were horrific with a 5.14 ERA and eventual farming out to the minors.  Going into spring training in 2025 he was a great unknown.  He might or might not make the club or he could be someone on the Uber shuttle between Syracuse and Queens.

Well, whether it was the pitching lab or a change in attitude, health improvement or what, all of the suddent in Port St. Lucie he started looking pretty dominant.  Given the temporary demotion of Dedniel Nunez and other pitchers with health problems (including the late IL assignment for Paul Blackburn), Brazoban made it onto the opening day roster. 

Well, no one needs to recite the stats to let you know that what you saw in Florida this spring was not an illusion.  Brazoban looks like he’s here for more than a few injury-plagued weeks as a fill-in.  In fact, when Nunez and Blackburn are ready to return, it may well be Danny Young on the chopping block instead.  Take you hat off to the now 35 year old Dominican Brazoban.  He’s earned it.