Ricky Nolasco | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Corona, California, U.S. | December 13, 1982|
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
MLB debut | |
April 5, 2006, for the Florida Marlins | |
Last MLB appearance | |
September 30, 2017, for the Los Angeles Angels | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 114–118 |
Earned run average | 4.56 |
Strikeouts | 1,513 |
Stats at Baseball Reference | |
Teams | |
Carlos Enrique Nolasco (born December 13,1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins,Los Angeles Dodgers,Minnesota Twins,and Los Angeles Angels. He is of Mexican descent.
Born in Corona,California to Mexican parents,Nolasco attended Rialto High School in Rialto,California. He graduated in 2001 and was drafted out of high school in the fourth round of the 2001 Major League Baseball draft by the Chicago Cubs. [1]
Nolasco began his professional career in the Rookie-level Arizona League with the Arizona League Cubs. In five games with the team,including four starts,he recorded a 1–0 win–loss record with an earned-run average (ERA) of 1.50. He spent the 2002 season with the Boise Hawks of the Low–A Northwest League,earning a record of 7–2 with an ERA of 2.48 in 15 starts. The next season,Nolasco was assigned to the Daytona Cubs of the High–A Florida State League,where he went 11–5 with a 2.96 ERA in 26 starts.
Nolasco started the 2004 season in the Double-A Southern League with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx. A month into the season,on May 16,he was called up to the Triple-A Iowa Cubs of the Pacific Coast League. He made nine starts for Iowa,accumulating a record of 2–3 with an ERA of 9.30 before being sent back down to Double–A on June 28. Nolasco spent the rest of the season there;he finished the season with a record of 6-4 and an ERA of 3.70 in 19 starts throughout both stints with the Diamond Jaxx during the 2004 season. Nolasco then spent the entire 2005 season in Double–A,as he achieved an impressive 14–3 record with an ERA of 2.89 in 27 starts. Nolasco received the Southern League’s Most Outstanding Pitcher Award for the 2005 season.
The Florida Marlins acquired Nolasco,Sergio Mitre,and Renyel Pinto from the Cubs for Juan Pierre on December 7,2005. [2] He made the opening day roster in 2006 and made his debut with 3 scoreless innings of relief on April 5 against the Houston Astros. He struck out Jason Lane for his first Major League strikeout. He recorded his first win with 2 innings of relief against the Cubs on April 26. He made his first start on May 22,also against the Cubs,and allowed 1 run in 7 innings to get the win.
Nolasco missed most of the 2007 season with an injury and then started the 2008 season as a middle reliever,but quickly found his way to the top of the rotation as Florida's top starting pitcher. On August 19,2008,he pitched a two-hitter against the San Francisco Giants. With one out in the 9th inning,he gave up a double;the only other hit given up by him was a ball deflected off the glove of first baseman Mike Jacobs. Nolasco also had a two-run double in the game. Nolasco won 15 games in 2008,putting him in the top 5 in wins in the National League. [3]
Nolasco was named the 2009 Opening Day starter,throwing in six innings and win against the Washington Nationals. On September 30,2009,Nolasco struck out 16 batters,breaking A. J. Burnett's record for 14 strikeouts in a single game for the Florida Marlins. [4]
In December 2010,Nolasco agreed to a 3-year,$26.5 million contract extension with the Marlins to remain with the team through 2013. [5]
On August 23,2011,Nolasco became the Marlins franchise leader in strikeouts,overtaking Dontrelle Willis. A year later on May 22,2012 he won his 69th game,overtaking Willis' club record of 68 wins with the Marlins. He finished the season with a 4.48 ERA in 191 innings pitched,with 47 walks,125 strikeouts,a 1.37 WHIP,and a 12–13 record.
On July 6,2013,he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Josh Wall and minor-league pitchers Steve Ames and Ángel Sánchez. [6] He made 15 starts for the Dodgers and was 8–3 with a 3.52 ERA. Nolasco is the only Marlins pitcher to have both over 1,000 innings pitched and 1,000 strikeouts. He became a free agent following the 2013 season.
On November 27,2013,Nolasco agreed to terms with the Minnesota Twins on a four-year,$49 million contract. [7] In his first season as a Twin,Nolasco posted a disappointing 5.38 ERA in 27 starts. Nolasco's 2015 season was cut short due to injury,recording a 6.75 ERA in 8 starts while also appearing in one game out of the bullpen. For the 2016 season,Nolasco competed for a rotation spot with Tyler Duffey. [8] Duffey ended up being sent down to AAA before the season began,anointing Nolasco the fifth starter. He continued his regression from his previous two seasons,registering an ERA of 5.13 in 21 starts for the Twins. Nolasco ended his 2+1⁄2 seasons with the Twins with a 15–22 record.
On August 1, 2016, the Twins traded Nolasco with Alex Meyer plus cash in exchange for Angels pitchers Hector Santiago and Alan Busenitz. [9] [10] He had the lowest zone percentage of all major league pitchers, with only 39.1% of his pitches being in the strike zone. [11]
For the 2017 season, Nolasco was chosen to be the Angels' Opening Day starting pitcher. [12] Nolasco's 2017 season was his worst season of his career, finishing with a record of 6-15 with a 4.92 ERA in 33 starts. He became a free agent following the 2017 season.
Nolasco signed a minor-league contract with the Kansas City Royals on March 7, 2018. [13] He was released on March 24. [14]
On February 8, 2019, Nolasco signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks that included an invitation to spring training. [15] He split the year between the rookie–level Arizona League Diamondbacks, Double–A Jackson Generals, and Triple–A Reno Aces. In 11 games for the three affiliates, Nolasco struggled to a 9.41 ERA with 24 strikeouts across 22 innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 4. [16]
Nolasco throws five pitches: a four-seam fastball, a sinker, a split-finger fastball, a slider, and a knuckle curve . [17]
Nolasco goes by the first name "Ricky" because his father named his son after his favorite Dodger, Rick Monday. Nolasco's older brother, Dave, attended Riverside Community College and was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 23rd round of the 2001 MLB draft. [18]
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American former professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball (MLB). A three-time MLB All-Star, he played for the Florida Marlins, the Boston Red Sox, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Daniel John Haren is an American former professional baseball pitcher. Haren played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Oakland Athletics, Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, and Chicago Cubs. He now serves as a pitching strategist with the Diamondbacks.
Richard Joseph Hill, nicknamed "Dick Mountain", is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates, and San Diego Padres. He has played during each MLB season from 2005 through 2024.
Jason Matthew Vargas is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida Marlins, Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins drafted Vargas in the second round of the 2004 MLB draft. He made his major league debut in 2005. In 2017, he was an All Star and tied for the American League lead in wins.
Lance Robert Cormier (CORE-mee-ay) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Carlos Agustín Mármol is a Dominican former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Miami Marlins. Carlos owns Recta 49, a successful restaurant/car wash in the Dominican Republic.
Sergio Francisco Romo is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Tampa Bay Rays, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Toronto Blue Jays. A right-hander who served as a closer during his career, his main pitch was his slider.
Alejandro “Alex” Sanabia is a right-handed pitcher for the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Florida/Miami Marlins.
Alex John Meyer is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played college baseball for the Kentucky Wildcats and has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and the Los Angeles Angels. He officially announced his retirement from baseball on June 25, 2019, due to injuries. He last played for the Angels in 2017.
Ángel Luis Sánchez is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the CTBC Brothers of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL). He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Pittsburgh Pirates, in the KBO League for the SK Wyverns, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Yomiuri Giants.
Caleb Anthony Smith is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Cleburne Railroaders of the American Association of Professional Baseball. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Miami Marlins, and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Drew James Rucinski is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, and Oakland Athletics and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.
Steven Chandler Okert is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Houston Astros organization. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Francisco Giants, Miami Marlins, and Minnesota Twins. The Giants selected Okert in the fourth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft.
Jorge Yabiel López Ramos is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins, New York Mets, and Chicago Cubs. López made his MLB debut in 2015 and was an All-Star in 2022.
Tyler Blinn Duffey is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and Kansas City Royals.
Dylan Lee Floro is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Dodgers, Miami Marlins, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He played college baseball for the Cal State Fullerton Titans. Floro was drafted by the Rays in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB draft, and made his MLB debut in 2016.
Grant Arthur Dayton is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves.
Devin Paul Smeltzer is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Dorados de Chihuahua of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Minnesota Twins and Miami Marlins.
Jake R. Jewell is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. He has pitched in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Los Angeles Angels and Chicago Cubs. He throws and bats right-handed, and is listed at 6 feet 3 inches (1.91 m) and 200 pounds (91 kg). The Angels selected Jewell in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB draft.
Jeff John Brigham is an American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Miami Marlins and New York Mets. He made his MLB debut in 2018 with the Marlins.