The San Diego Padres tend to find great closers anywhere they look. Could this standout prospect reliever be on his way to adding his name to the list?

Every February, the Peoria Sports Complex welcomes the start of a new baseball season.

For some players, walking in the facility is their first opportunity to display multitudes of skills and development. Just a few days before the commencement of Spring Training, the Padres announced the list of non-roster invitees to this year’s spring roster.

Among those is reliever Francis Pena.

We have extended Major League Spring Training invitations to 28 players: pic.twitter.com/P8oLNA5V28

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) February 7, 2025

Pena, 24, is a 6-foot-1 right-handed reliever hailing from Piedra Blanca, Dominican Republic.

Signing with the Padres in 2022 as an international free agent, the pitcher would arrive in 2023, making his rookie-ball debut in the Arizona Complex League. He made his pro-ball debut for Low-A Lake Elsinore before his promotion to High-A Fort Wayne. Throughout that season, he pitched to a 0.51 ERA in 18.2 innings pitched with 19 strikeouts.

2024 Season

Pena continued to shine out of the bullpen for San Diego’s Minor League affiliates the following year. He commenced the 2024 season in Fort Wayne. After 11 dominant appearances for the TinCaps, he cruised to Double-A San Antonio by late May.

Francis Pena obliterating a hitter on 3 pitches pic.twitter.com/eb6jLiDfNm

— Giannis Auntiegotapoodle (@TooMuchMortons_) July 25, 2024

In 19 appearances for the Missions, Pena would post a 2.05 ERA with 31 strikeouts.

Opposing hitters mustered to only hit for a combined .186 batting average against him. Once reaching Triple-A El Paso in early August, his numbers did take a minor hit. The previous season, he established a career-high in his innings pitched by logging 34.2 innings across rookie ball and Lake Elsinore/Fort Wayne. By the time his promotion to El Paso came, Pena had already surpassed that total by tossing 47.1 innings between Fort Wayne and San Antonio.

He pitched to a 3-2 record out of the bullpen for the Chihuahuas, with a 5.17 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15 appearances. It is safe to say arm fatigue impacted his performance towards season end. In his young career, Pena has been afforded save opportunities. He’s 3-for-4 in saves across all levels in the minors.

Future Closer?

Francis Pena possesses three different pitches that have the makeup of a high-leverage reliever.

Primarily an explosive four-seam fastball that touches 99 mph and sits between 96-98 mph, throwing it about 70% of the time. His cutter sits in the low 90s with tremendous late-break, which results in higher chase rates or swing-and-miss against opposing hitters. The sinker, if mastered, could be his wipeout pitch. With the ability to touch 98 mph with late-break, an arsenal of all three pitches would be a lethal combination to seal a game in the 9th inning.

Padres Prospects Francis Pena, Bradgley Rodriguez, Braden Nett, and Ryan Och all get receive ST Invites.

All four of the young arms in 24′ posted a:
➡️K%>25%
➡️FIP<4.00
➡️Whiff Rate >27%

Stoked to get some more statcast data on em. https://t.co/Z0d3DwjYsH pic.twitter.com/Do7QzeG3qX

— Clark Fahrenthold (@CFahrenthold11) February 7, 2025

Throughout the offseason and into Spring Training, trade rumors have circulated around current Padres’ closer Robert Suarez. San Diego is considering moving Suarez to free up payroll space to address other roster areas for the 2025 season. If the closer’s role opens due to a trade of Suarez, Jason Adam and Jeremiah Estrada will likely receive the first cracks at claiming the role.

With many heads turning in Francis Pena’s direction, the prospect made his Peoria backfield debut Friday during a live bullpen session. Depending on his spring performance, the standout reliever might receive consideration for a Major League bullpen role sometime throughout the upcoming season.

A look at Padres prospect RHP Francis Peña. pic.twitter.com/JE5CjiP0fr

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) February 13, 2025

The right-hander certainly has the potential to be a monstrous weapon out of the bullpen for the Padres. His strikeout prowess and swing-and-miss stuff would absolutely play at Petco Park. He’ll have to prove himself for now, but he isn’t far off from making a statement in his first full Major League camp. For all the scouting A.J. Preller does on high-leverage relievers, Pena might save the savvy GM time in the near future.

Armando Dueñas Jr.

Armando Duenas is a 25 year-old journalist. He is a native San Diegan who grew up in the South Bay area. A lifelong Padres fan and baseball enthusiast, he resides just about fifteen minutes from Petco Park, where his love of the game began.