Padres Prospect Outlook: RHP Luis Patino
Credit: E Heraldo
It is no secret that the San Diego Padres have built their prestigious farm system through the international market.
The team spent nearly 70 million dollars (after penalties) for a group of young men.
Luis Almanzar, Jorge Ona, Adrian Morejon, Gabriel Arias, Justin Lopez, and Michel Baez get most of the headlines, but it is virtually unknown players like Luis Patino that have made the difference in this developing young farm system. At 17, the young man has pitched really well in his first taste of professional baseball.
He started the year in the DSL, but did not last long there. He was 2-1 in four starts in the Dominican Republic, recording a 1.69 ERA and a 0.81 WHIP in 16 innings pitched. That performance justified a promotion and the young hurler was assigned to Arizona and the Padres AZL team. Being away from home and in a new country did not phase the teenager, as he went 2-1 in nine games in the desert with a 2.48 ERA. He has great composure, and that is one thing everyone seems to mention about him.
I recently had a conversation with Chris Kusiolek, who is a EVT contributor. Chris spends countless hours in the AZL and in the California League, and has seen Patino first-hand. The following is his scouting report on the right-handed pitcher, who Chris likes very much. The report is in-depth and gives you an idea what this young man brings to the table.
Luis Patiño usually around 91-93 mph with his fastball.
He tops out at 95 MPH band, seen him more like in the 89-94 range.
Quality athlete, athlete build for 17 year old.
Arm stroke not the cleanest, pretty quick arm though; closes up and cuts off extension to plate, long stride and firm at foot, strike w/cross body finish which can cause issues eventually.
Competitor, shown ability to adjust, command tighter to glove side.
Curve ball has decent depth, some projection to pitch; plays with it well to glove side; doubles up, spots and chases; will challenge right handed batters and left handed batters; can stagnate with it in sequence and get cute if he doesn’t pop it in immediately.
Firm tumble to change up; can achieve some action to it though more deliberate, has challenged on hands R/L. Things slow down, get spread out on offspeed.
He’s a pitcher. Not sure if it lasts in a rotation, but he’s the type of dude who will bite you in the ass if you count him out
It is extremely exciting to see yet another young pitcher develop within this Padre farm system.
Luis Patino might not be a name you are familiar with just yet. But in time, he will be. At 17, he is poised to rise within the farm system rather quickly. Having success at his early age is a great start, but nothing is a guarantee, unfortunately. The Padres have depth. That is what is important. Luis Patino is just one of several youngsters currently flying under the radar. With a system full of pitchers like Mackenzie Gore, Cal Quantrill, Eric Lauer, Joey Lucchesi, Logan Allen, Adrian Morejon, Michel Baez, and company, it is very easy to be overlooked.
The young Colombian pitcher will be at Petco later this month in the prospect game. He will be in uniform and hopefully Padre fans will get the opportunity to witness what he has to offer first-hand.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.
Been asking about this guy a lot lately. Was following his numbers throughout the year, but no one could give me any info on him. Any clue what his signing bonus was? I love how deep we are