Over the weekend, the San Diego Padres promoted relief pitching prospect Tayron Guerrero to the major league roster. He has yet to pitch in an MLB game but that will change at some point of course; here is a look at what to expect.
Guerrero was originally signed by the Padres in 2010 out of Colombia. Command troubles slowed his initial progress but he took a step forward in 2014, posting a 1.45 ERA with a 56/20 K/BB in 50 innings in A-ball, then consolidated in 2015 with a 3.05 ERA, 14 saves, and a 61/31 K/BB in 56 innings between Double-A and Triple-A.
From the 2016 Baseball Prospect Book
Tayron Guerrero, RHP, San Diego Padres
Bats: R Throws: R HT: 6-8 WT: 210 DOB: January 9, 20262015: Grade C+
Tayron Guerrero still struggles with his command; his walk rate in Triple-A was unacceptably high. His radar gun readings are also extremely high: 95-100 MPH. He has a plus slider, too. You look at him on the right day and think "closer," but then you see him miss the strike zone by two feet and you hold back. That said, his control issues used to be much worse and he’s made some real progress ironing them out. We’ll hold with a Grade C+.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTARY
Guerrero has been his typical self so far this year, posting a 3.60 ERA and an 11/7 K/BB in 10 innings of work for Triple-A El Paso, allowing just seven hits. His slider is likely his best pitch.
This MLB Prospect Portal clip from the 2014 Arizona Fall League shows Guerrero setting down Oakland Athletics prospect Matt Olson on strikes.
Overall, there's no problem with Guerrero's stuff but it remains to be seen if his command is sufficient for him to be more than a mop-up pitcher or middle man. There aren't many 6-8 guys who throw hard around, so Guerrero will get plenty of opportunities to show he can improve. He's done enough to keep himself in the picture, but not enough to guarantee a critical role just yet.
