Jonathan Albaladejo

3.1. Washington Nationals

On May 3, 2007, Albaladejo signed a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals. He spent the majority of that season with the Class-AA Harrisburg Senators, where he recorded a 4.17 earned run average (ERA) across 21 appearances. Later in the season, he was promoted to the Class-AAA Columbus Clippers, where he finished the season with an impressive 0.78 ERA over 14 appearances. Due to his strong performance, and with the Nationals' bullpen having pitched the most innings in the league, he was called up when Major League rosters expanded in September.

Albaladejo made his Major League Baseball debut on September 5, 2007, in a game against the Florida Marlins. He entered the game in the top of the third inning after starting pitcher Tim Redding was injured by a batted ball. Albaladejo took the mound with two runners on base and one out, allowing a ground ball that scored an inherited runner, followed by a pop up. In the fourth inning, he notably struck out the side before being relieved.

3.2. New York Yankees

On December 4, 2007, Albaladejo was traded to the New York Yankees in exchange for relief pitcher Tyler Clippard. He made the Yankees' Opening Day roster in 2008 but only pitched in seven games, recording a 3.95 ERA before suffering a stress fracture in his elbow on May 9, which effectively ended his season in June.

Albaladejo again made the Yankees' major league roster at the start of the 2009 season. After posting a 6.00 ERA in 18 appearances through May 22, he was optioned to the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to create a roster spot for pitcher Chien-Ming Wang. In 17 innings pitched at Triple-A, he compiled a 1.59 ERA and a 0.65 WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched), which earned him a promotion back to the majors on July 5, 2009, when Wang was placed on the disabled list. However, Albaladejo was sent back down to Scranton on July 10, 2009, to make room for Mark Melancon on the roster. During the offseason, he also played in the Venezuelan Winter League. In 2009, he appeared in 32 games for the Yankees, while primarily serving as a closer in Triple-A, where he recorded 11 saves in 27 games with a 1.75 ERA and 0.75 WHIP.

Albaladejo began the 2010 season with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Following a challenging spring training, he made a strategic adjustment by transitioning from his two-seam fastball to his four-seam fastball, which significantly improved his control. His performance earned him the International League Pitcher of the Week award twice in July (July 5-12 and July 12-18), and he also participated in the Triple-A All-Star Game. Albaladejo saved 31 games in 32 opportunities with an impressive 0.96 ERA, leading to his recall to the Yankees on July 20. However, he was optioned back to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on July 24 to accommodate Sergio Mitre.

In 2010, Albaladejo set a new International League single-season record for saves with 43, surpassing the previous record of 38. For his outstanding performance, he was named to the International League Postseason All-Star team. He was called up by the Yankees again in September when rosters expanded, pitching 11 1/3 innings and recording a 3.97 ERA for the team during the 2010 season. Following the season, Albaladejo requested his release from the Yankees to pursue a career in Japan, and the Yankees granted his request on November 19.

3.3. Arizona Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Albaladejo on December 13, 2011. He was called up to the major leagues on April 23, 2012, but subsequently fluctuated between the MLB roster and the minor leagues. He made only three appearances for the Diamondbacks at the Major League level, posting an ERA of 9.00. However, in 49 games with the club's AAA affiliate in Reno, the Reno Aces, Albaladejo recorded 25 saves and struck out 60 batters in 56 2/3 innings, with a 3.65 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He was also selected to the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game that year. He became a free agent on November 3, 2012.

3.4. Miami Marlins

On December 16, 2012, Albaladejo signed a minor league deal with the Miami Marlins. He spent the entire 2013 season with their AAA club, the New Orleans Zephyrs. In 57 appearances for the Zephyrs, he recorded 4 wins, 5 losses, and 4 saves, with a 3.80 ERA and 1.45 WHIP over 73 1/3 innings, but did not make any Major League appearances. He was granted free agency after the season on November 5.

4.1. Yomiuri Giants (NPB)

On November 26, 2010, Albaladejo signed a one-year contract with the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Central League. His uniform number was set as 41, chosen by manager Tatsunori Hara in homage to Tom Seaver. Although initially considered a candidate for the closer role, his control issues became apparent during spring training.

For the 2011 season, the closer role was ultimately handled by Tetsuya Yamaguchi, but Albaladejo secured a spot on the Opening Day roster. He made his first appearance on April 16 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, pitching two scoreless innings as a relief pitcher. On April 30, he earned his first win in Japan against the Yokohama BayStars, again throwing two scoreless innings in relief. His first save came on May 15 against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, where he closed out the ninth inning cleanly, taking over from Levi Romero who had struggled the previous day. Overall, he appeared in 46 games, finishing with a record of 2 wins, 2 losses, 2 saves, a 2.45 ERA, and a 1.21 WHIP. He was officially released by the Giants on December 2, 2011.

4.2. Goyang Wonders (Korean Independent League)

In 2014, Albaladejo ventured to South Korea and joined the Goyang Wonders, which was the country's first independent baseball team. After the season, the Goyang Wonders team was disbanded, and he became a free agent.

4.3. Mexican League

In 2015, Albaladejo played in the Mexican Baseball League for the Mexico City Red Devils. He later signed with the Broncos de Reynosa on April 1, 2016. However, his tenure with the Broncos was brief, as he was released on April 9, 2016, after making only four appearances and allowing two earned runs.

4.4. U.S. Independent Leagues

On April 19, 2016, Albaladejo signed with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He had a highly successful season in 2016, being named an All-Star and earning the Pitcher of the Year award. During this season, he set a Bluefish franchise record for most wins by a pitcher with 15 victories, and also led the Atlantic League with 164 strikeouts. Albaladejo re-signed with Bridgeport for the 2017 season.

On July 25, 2017, Albaladejo signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the Las Vegas 51s. He made 9 appearances (8 starts) for the 51s, posting a 4.50 ERA with 36 strikeouts over 52.0 innings. He was named the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week for the week of July 24, having thrown 11 1/3 scoreless innings. Following the season, he elected free agency on November 6.

On November 1, 2017, Albaladejo was drafted by the Lancaster Barnstormers in the Bridgeport Bluefish dispersal draft, following the Bluefish's cessation of operations. He officially signed with the Barnstormers on February 26, 2018, for the upcoming season. For the 2019 season, he re-signed with the team, taking on a dual role as a player-coach. During his time with the Barnstormers, he coached Bryan Harper, the older brother of Bryce Harper. He retired as an active player after the 2019 season.

5.1. Pitching Style

Albaladejo's pitching arsenal featured three types of fastballs: the four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, and cutter, with an average velocity of 91 mph and a top speed reaching 96 mph. He also incorporated a curveball and a slider into his repertoire. While he demonstrated stable command with a walk rate of 2.12 walks per nine innings in Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, his walk rate tended to increase significantly upon promotion to the major leagues.

A notable characteristic of his performance was his ability to bear down with runners on base. Despite allowing a batting average over .300 with no runners on base in the minor leagues, he exhibited exceptional strength when runners were on, particularly with runners in scoring position, where opponents hit a remarkably low .158 against him. His transition from a two-seam to a four-seam fastball in 2010 significantly improved his control.

5.2. Physical Characteristics

Albaladejo's physical build was a prominent feature of his player profile, marked by significant weight fluctuations. While the Yomiuri Giants officially listed his weight at 258 lb ^{(117 kg)}, he was known to actually weigh over 265 lb ^{(120 kg)}. He stated that his ideal playing weight was between 269 lb ^{(122 kg)} and 273 lb ^{(124 kg)}. However, during the offseason, his weight would often increase substantially, sometimes reaching around 300 lb ^{(136 kg)}, necessitating a period of significant weight loss and conditioning before each season.

6.1. Toros de Tijuana

Following his retirement as an active player after the 2019 season, Albaladejo was hired as the bullpen coach for the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League on January 6, 2020. However, the Mexican League's 2020 season was ultimately cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

6.2. Independent League Manager and Coach

In August 2020, Albaladejo took on a managerial role, becoming the manager for the Tupper Lake Riverpigs of the independent Empire Baseball League, a position he held through the 2021 season. For the 2022 season, he served as the pitching coach for the Empire State Greys, a traveling road team in the Frontier League. On February 12, 2024, it was announced that Albaladejo would be the pitching coach for the Lake Erie Crushers, also of the Frontier League. In October 2024, Albaladejo was named the Manager of the Trois-Rivières Aigles, a team also competing in the Frontier League.

7.1. Major League Baseball Statistics

7.2. Nippon Professional Baseball Statistics

7.3. Notable Records and Achievements

• International League Single-Season Saves Record**: In 2010, Albaladejo set a new record for saves in the International League with 43, surpassing the previous record of 38.
• International League Pitcher of the Week**: He was twice named the International League Pitcher of the Week in July 2010.
• Triple-A All-Star**: He participated in the Triple-A All-Star Game in 2010.
• International League Postseason All-Star**: In recognition of his outstanding 2010 season, he was selected to the International League Postseason All-Star team.
• Pacific Coast League All-Star**: He was chosen for the Pacific Coast League All-Star Game in 2012 while playing for the Reno Aces.
• Bridgeport Bluefish Wins Record**: In 2016, he set a franchise record for the Bridgeport Bluefish with 15 wins.
• Atlantic League Strikeouts Leader**: He led the Atlantic League in strikeouts with 164 in 2016.
• Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year**: For his dominant performance in 2016, he was named the Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year.
• Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Week**: In 2017, while with the Las Vegas 51s, he earned the PCL Pitcher of the Week award for throwing 11 1/3 scoreless innings.

7.4. Uniform Numbers

• 53 (2007, 2012)
• 63 (2008-2010)
• 41 (2011)
• 43 (2014)