2020 Review: P Michel Baez

The 6’8 Michel Baez signed with Padres in December following the 2016 season for $3 million. Prior to that, he played for the Vegueros de Pinar del Rio and the Huracanes de Mayabeque of the Cuban National Series in 2014 and 2015.

In 2017, Baez made his debut for the Arizona League Padres. He allowed two runs and struck out seven in five innings before getting promoted to the Fort Wayne TinCaps, where he played the remainder of the season. He started 10 games, finishing with a 6-2 record and an ERA of 2.45 with 82 strikeouts in 58 ²⁄₃ inning pitched.

Prior to the 2018 season, Baez was named the Padres No. 7 prospects by MLB.com. He ended up spending that season with the Lake Elsinore Storm and the San Antonio Missions, finishing with a 4-10 record in 21 starts between the two teams.

The 2019 season was spent with the Amarillo Sod Poodles. In 27 innings pitched, Baez went 3-2 with an ERA of 2.00.

His first promotion to the majors came on July 20 of 2019 where he pitched a lone inning against the New York Mets.

2020 particulars

Age: 24

Stats: (One start, three games) 7.71 ERA in 4 ²⁄₃ innings pitched, seven strikeouts, 1.93 WHIP, allowed seven hits and four earned runs

Salary: $575,000

Game of the year

Baez only played three games for the Padres in 2020, but his best came against Mariners August 25. He pitched a pair of innings, allowing zero hits with four strikeouts and one walk.