Paolo Espino
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Position:
RHP
Born:
01/10/87
Height:
5'10"
Weight:
215
B/T:
R/R
Acquired:
Signed as a minor league free agent on Nov. 16, 2016 (MIL). Originally drafted in the 10th round of the 2006 MLB First-Year Player Draft (CLE).
Most Recent Stats at Time of Debut
| 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA in seven starts at Colorado Springs (Triple-A), striking out 40 and walking just five in 39 innings, allowing 35 hits for a .240 batting avertage against. |
Info & MLB Debut Date
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Contract purchased from Colorado Springs May 19 when RHP Brent Suter was sent down. MLB Debut Date: 05/19/17 |
Debut Details
| May 19, in a 6-3 win over the Cubs. The starting pitcher, he did not get a decision, allowing three runs, two of them earned, on five hits over four innings, striking out three without walking a batter. Of 71 pitches, 42 were strikes. He struck out the first batter he faced, Kyle Schwarber, swinging, retired Kris Bryant on a groundout to shortstop and got Anthony Rizzo to fly out to right field in a 1-2-3 first inning. In the second, Ian Happ lined out to left, Anthony Rizzo grounded out to shortstop and Willson Contreras struck out swinging. In the third, leadoff hitter Javier Baez reached on an error by center fielder Keon Broxton, advancing to second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Eddie Butler, and scored on Jon Jay's double to right field before Schwarber lined out to center and Bryant flew out to right. The Cubs strung together four singles in a row to open the fourth inning as Rizzo singled to right, Happ to center and Ben Zobrist to center to load the bases, before Contreras's single to center plated Rizzo and Happ. Baez then popped out on a bunt attempt, Mike Montgomery struck out on a foul tip on a bunt attempt, then and Jay grounded out to second to end Espino's long-awaited debut. |
Player Notes
| One of those feel-good stories, the Panamanian-born Espino, who attended high school in Bradenton, Florida, finally got called up in his 11th pro season (and that's if you don't count the year he got drafted, 2006, when he did not play) and also became the first Brewers' debutante to get the call this season. Espino, who officially made his pro debut in 2007 at Class A Lake County, spent his first seven seasons in the Cleveland system, splitting his last four seasons between Akron (Double-A) and Buffalo (Triple-A) before joining the Nationals for three seasons (2014-2016) and then finally inking as a free agent with the Brewers in November. His numbers have been consistently more-than-callup-worthy, especially his BB/9 and SO/9 rates, with a career 3.69 ERA in 291 games (191 of them starts), striking out 1205 batters in 1304 innings while walking just 332 and allowing 1232 hits. In 2016, his first full Triple-A season, he was 8-11 with a 3.30 ERA at Syracuse, making 24 starts, and striking out 133 while walking 29 in 152 2/3 innings, allowing 146 hits. His repertoire includes a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, changeup and his best offering, a 12-to-6 shaped curveball. |