Signed for just $75,000 out of Venezuela in 2018, Iriarte developed into one of the best arms in the Padres system. He posted a 3.49 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 90 1/3 innings between High-A and Double-A last year, and San Diego temporarily shifted him into a relief role to prepare for a potential big league callup that didn't come. He went to the White Sox along with prospects Drew Thorpe and Samuel Zavala plus Steven Wilson in the Dylan Cease trade in March.
Iriarte's fastball sat in the mid-90s and touched 100 mph in 2023, showing good ride and run and allowing him to effortlessly hit the high armside corner consistently, but he has operated more at 92-95 mph this season. His sharp low-80s slider can dive to the opposite end of the zone, moving away from righties and backfooting lefties. His low-90s changeup doesn’t have great velocity separation but does have the fade needed to run away from opposite-side bats.
Iriarte doesn’t necessarily control those darting pitches well, however, especially the breaker and cambio, and Double-A hitters laid off the stuff outside the zone, leading to a career-high 14 percent walk rate at that level. He did whiff a career-best 41 percent of the batters he faced in Double-A, and the quality extension he creates in his delivery makes his pitches even more difficult to barrel. He has the ceiling of a No. 3 starter and while he comes with reliever risk, he has closer upside if he changes roles.
Despite being limited to $300,000 max bonuses during the 2018-19 international signing period, the Padres still managed to land a potential future rotation candidate in Iriarte for just $75,000. The right-hander worked in both starting and relief roles in his first two seasons before emerging on the scene as a full-blown starter last year at Single-A Lake Elsinore. His 5.12 ERA, affected by the hitter-friendly California League, may not have jumped off the back of his baseball card, but 109 strikeouts and a 26.7 percent K rate established him as a bona fide arm.
The 6-foot-2 right-hander has added velocity as he’s matured and now sits near the mid-90s with good extension to put that fastball right on top of hitters. His upper-80s changeup also forced Padres officials to take notice in his first full season because of the way he sells it out of his hand just before it fades successfully below swinging bats. His mid-80s slider breaks hard -- and often backfoots lefties -- but he doesn’t often land it well, which could be an issue against more advanced bats.
As deep as his three-pitch mix is in pure quality, Iriarte can often battle himself with commanding his offerings. More patient batters will let him fight himself, and it was notable that his walk rate went up in 2022. Still only 21, the Venezuela native continued his upward trajectory with a dominant run at High-A Fort Wayne in 2023 and started to get Double-A bullpen looks as San Diego considered him as a relief option.
The Padres couldn’t sign anyone for more than $300,000 in the 2018-19 international period, yet even with that low bar, Iriarte wasn’t a big name in the pool as a five-figure signing out of Venezuela. He made both starts and relief appearances in the Dominican Summer League in 2019 and continued to appear in both roles in the Arizona Complex League last season. He was pushed to Single-A Lake Elsinore to fill out a COVID-ravaged roster in August but was slammed (27 earned runs in nine innings across four appearances). Iriarte returned to the California League this spring as a starter and has been off to a much stronger start in his age-20 season.
The right-hander has added velocity as he’s matured physically and can now get his fastball close to the mid-90s with regularity. The Padres are most enthused by the way he can pound his two-seamer inside on the hands of right-handed hitters. An upper-80s changeup remains his best pitch and the one San Diego officials are most enthused by because of how he sells it out of the hand and gets enough separation and fade to force whiffs. The pitch also keeps left-handed bats at bay, helping his splits. Iriarte features a mid-80s slider too that has plenty of break but lacks consistency.
On his day, Iriarte can be downright unhittable with his three-pitch mix, but he lacks command and control. Even with his other 2022 improvements in hand, his walk rate has increased compared to those of the lower levels. The depth of the arsenal will give him a shot at starting, though the heater and change could play up even more in shorter stints as he continues to fill out. Iriarte is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this December.
How this works: Every pitch is affected by the forces of gravity,
which means that every pitch drops on its way from the mound to the plate.
These numbers are reported with gravity, which makes them larger and
different than other pitch movement numbers you may have seen. Since gravity
requires time, and slower pitches aren’t ‘better’ just because they have
more time to move, the movement of a pitch is compared to ‘average’ movement
by comparing it to other MLB pitch types within +/- 2 MPH and from within
+/- 0.5 feet of extension and release.
! Note: Shifts are through the 2022 season, Shaded starting from the 2023 season, Shift:
three or more infielders are on the same side of second base, Shade: positioned outside of
their typical responsible slices of the field. Learn more about
how positioning is defined here
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