1. Overview
Jesús Rafael Tinoco (born April 30, 1995) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). His career spans multiple stints with MLB teams including the Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs, and also features a significant period in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Saitama Seibu Lions. This article details Tinoco's professional journey, highlighting his development through various minor league systems, his MLB debut, and his notable contributions in both American and Japanese professional baseball.
2. Early Life
Jesús Rafael Tinoco was born on April 30, 1995, in Maturín, Monagas State, Venezuela.
3. Professional Career
Jesús Tinoco's professional baseball journey began in 2011, progressing through the minor league systems of various MLB organizations before making his Major League debut. He has also spent a significant period playing in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. His career has been marked by multiple trades, waiver claims, and returns to previous teams, demonstrating his persistent effort in professional baseball.
3.1. Toronto Blue Jays Organization
Tinoco signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent in September 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the Dominican Summer League Blue Jays where he had a record of 0 wins and 4 losses with a 4.14 ERA in 12 games, seven of which were starts. He also played in two games for the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays at the end of that season. In 2013, he continued with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays, compiling a 0-5 record and a 5.09 ERA in 12 games (nine starts). In 2014, he pitched for the Bluefield Blue Jays, achieving a 1-9 record with a 4.95 ERA in 13 games (12 starts). Tinoco began the 2015 season with the Lansing Lugnuts.
3.2. Colorado Rockies (First Stint)
On July 28, 2015, the Blue Jays traded Tinoco, along with José Reyes, Miguel Castro, and Jeff Hoffman, to the Colorado Rockies in exchange for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins. Following the trade, Colorado assigned him to the Asheville Tourists, where he finished the season. Between the two teams in 2015, he pitched to a 7-6 record with a 2.97 ERA across 22 starts.
In 2016, Tinoco played for the Asheville Tourists and the Modesto Nuts, compiling a combined 3-11 record and a 6.86 ERA in twenty starts. He spent 2017 with the Lancaster JetHawks, where he posted an 11-4 record with a 4.67 ERA in 24 starts. The Rockies added him to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season. He spent 2018 with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats, going 9-12 with a 4.79 ERA in 26 starts.
He began the 2019 season with the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes. On May 31, 2019, he was called up to the major leagues for the first time. In his MLB debut on the same evening, he pitched a scoreless ninth inning in a victory over the Toronto Blue Jays, the team that had traded him.
3.3. Miami Marlins (First Stint)
On August 13, 2020, the Rockies traded Tinoco to the Miami Marlins in exchange for Chad Smith. Tinoco was subsequently designated for assignment by the Marlins on August 30 of the same year.
3.4. Colorado Rockies (Second Stint)
On September 3, 2020, Tinoco was claimed off waivers by the Rockies, marking his return to the organization. However, on November 20, he was again designated for assignment and was sent outright to their minor league team. On July 28, 2021, Tinoco's contract was selected by the Rockies, bringing him back to the major league roster.
3.5. Texas Rangers (First Stint)
On December 3, 2021, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers. On June 10, 2022, Texas selected Tinoco's contract, promoting him to the active roster as a COVID-19 replacement player. He was returned to the minors on June 20. After spending time with the Triple-A Round Rock Express, Tinoco was selected back to the major league roster on September 1. As a reliever, he pitched 9 consecutive scoreless appearances during this period. On October 4, Tinoco gave up a home run to Aaron Judge, which was Judge's 62nd of the season, breaking the longstanding American League record previously held by Roger Maris. On November 10, Tinoco was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Triple-A; he elected free agency on the same day.
3.6. Saitama Seibu Lions
On December 16, 2022, Tinoco signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). The one-year contract was estimated at 100.00 M JPY.
In 2023, he made his NPB debut on March 31 in the opening game against the Orix Buffaloes at Belluna Dome. Entering in the 10th inning as the third relief pitcher, he allowed one run in one inning, becoming the losing pitcher. Notably, he gave up a decisive home run to the first batter he faced, Yuma Mune, to right field. This marked a rare occurrence in NPB history, being the 82nd instance of a pitcher giving up a home run to the first batter faced in a debut, the 10th instance on the first pitch, and the first time for a relief pitcher to be the losing pitcher in such a scenario. In May, he showed a recovery in form, achieving a monthly earned run average (ERA) of 1.93 ERA. However, in August, he was demoted to the minor league team. He finished the season having appeared in 38 games with a record of 0 wins, 3 losses, 8 holds, and an ERA of 2.83 ERA. His contract was not extended, and he was announced as a free agent on October 31, 2023.
3.7. Texas Rangers (Second Stint)
On December 11, 2023, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers, receiving an invitation to spring training for 2024. In 2024, he pitched in 15 games for the Triple-A Round Rock Express, logging a 3.80 ERA with 27 strikeouts across 21.1 innings. On May 23, 2024, Texas selected Tinoco's contract and promoted him to the active roster. In nine games for the Rangers, he struggled, posting an 8.10 ERA with nine strikeouts over 10 innings pitched. On June 16, Tinoco was designated for assignment by Texas. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Round Rock on June 20. However, Tinoco rejected the outright assignment and subsequently elected free agency.
3.8. Kansas City Royals
On June 25, 2024, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. In 6 games for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, he compiled a 4.05 ERA with 10 strikeouts across 6.2 innings.
3.9. Chicago Cubs
On July 16, 2024, Tinoco was traded to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations. The Cubs purchased his contract on July 19, adding him to their major league roster. Tinoco made two scoreless appearances for Chicago before he was designated for assignment on July 27, following the acquisition of Nate Pearson.
3.10. Miami Marlins (Second Stint)
On July 30, 2024, Tinoco was claimed off waivers by the Miami Marlins, marking his second stint with the club.
4. Pitching Style
Jesús Tinoco features a powerful fastball that can reach a maximum velocity of 98 mph (157 km/h). His primary pitch is a high-velocity two-seam fastball, which averages around 96 mph (154 km/h) and accounts for about 44% of his total pitches. In addition to his fastballs, he also commands a diverse repertoire of breaking balls, including a slider and a curveball.
5. Detailed Information
This section provides a comprehensive overview of Jesús Tinoco's statistical performance throughout his professional career in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), alongside a list of his notable records and the jersey numbers he has worn for different teams.
5.1. Annual Pitching Statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | CG | SHO | GF | SV | W | L | HLD | PCT | BF | IP | H | HR | BB | IBB | HBP | SO | WP | BK | R | ER | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | COL | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | .000 | 161 | 36.0 | 36 | 12 | 22 | 1 | 1 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 19 | 4.75 | 1.61 |
| 2020 | MIA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.60 |
| COL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 17 | 3.2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2.45 | 1.91 | |
| Total (2020) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 32 | 8.2 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.04 | 1.15 | |
| 2021 | COL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | 10 | 1.1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 33.75 | 4.50 |
| 2022 | TEX | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ---- | 84 | 20.2 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 2.18 | 1.06 |
| 2023 | Lions | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .000 | 160 | 35.0 | 33 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 2.83 | 1.51 |
| MLB Career (4 years) | 48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | .000 | 287 | 66.2 | 56 | 17 | 40 | 1 | 3 | 52 | 3 | 0 | 34 | 30 | 4.05 | 1.44 | |
| NPB Career (1 year) | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | .000 | 160 | 35.0 | 33 | 1 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 11 | 2.83 | 1.51 | |
- Statistics as of the end of the 2023 season.
5.2. Annual Fielding Statistics
| Year | Team | Pitcher (P) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | Putouts | Assists | Errors | Double Plays | Fielding % | ||
| 2019 | COL | 24 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| 2020 | MIA | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| COL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- | |
| Total (2020) | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
| 2021 | COL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ---- |
| 2022 | TEX | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 |
| 2023 | Lions | 38 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 |
| MLB Career | 48 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1.000 | |
| NPB Career | 38 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | |
- Statistics as of the end of the 2023 season.
5.3. Notable Records and Milestones
5.3.1. NPB
; Firsts
- First Appearance: March 31, 2023, against the Orix Buffaloes in the first game of the season (at Belluna Dome). He entered as the third relief pitcher in the 10th inning, pitching 1 inning and allowing 1 run, becoming the losing pitcher.
- First Hold: April 4, 2023, against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles in the first game of the season (at Rakuten Mobile Park Miyagi). He entered as the second relief pitcher in the 8th inning, pitching 1 scoreless inning.
; Other Records
- Home run allowed to the first batter faced in a debut appearance: On March 31, 2023, during the first game against the Orix Buffaloes (at Belluna Dome), in the 10th inning, he allowed a solo home run to right field to Yuma Mune. This marked the 82nd such instance in NPB history, the 10th instance where it occurred on the first pitch, and the first time a relief pitcher became the losing pitcher in such a scenario.
5.4. Jersey Numbers
- 32 (2019 - August 2020, September 2020 - 2021)
- 41 (August - September 2020)
- 63 (2022)
- 54 (2023)
- 59 (2024 - June 15)
- 0 (July 19 - July 26, 2024)
- 92 (July 31, 2024 - present)