Ariel Bolívar Jurado Agrazal (born January 30, 1996) is a Panamanian professional baseball pitcher for the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and New York Mets.

Ariel Jurado
Jurado with the Frisco RoughRiders at the Texas League All-Star Game in 2017
Kiwoom Heroes – No. 75
Pitcher
Born: (1996-01-30) January 30, 1996 (age 28)
Aguadulce, Panama
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Professional debut
MLB: May 19, 2018, for the Texas Rangers
KBO: April 4, 2023, for the Kiwoom Heroes
MLB statistics
(through 2020 season)
Win–loss record12–16
Earned run average5.97
Strikeouts105
KBO statistics
(through 2024 season)
Win–loss record21-16
Earned run average3.01
Strikeouts316
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams

Professional career

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Texas Rangers

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Jurado signed with the Texas Rangers as an international free agent in December 2012.[1] He made his professional debut in 2013 with the Rookie-level DSL Rangers and spent the whole season there, going 6–0 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts. In 2014 he played for the Rookie-level AZL Rangers, going 2–1 with a 1.63 ERA in 38+23 innings pitched. Jurado spent 2015 with the Hickory Crawdads of the Single–A South Atlantic League, and was named the Nolan Ryan Minor League Pitcher of the Year by the Rangers after going 12–1 with a 2.45 earned run average (ERA) with 95 strikeouts and only 12 walks in 99 innings.[2][3] In 2016, he pitched with both the High Desert Mavericks of the High–A California League and the Frisco RoughRiders of the Double-A Texas League,[4] combining to go 8–6 and 3.66 ERA in 123 innings. He returned to Frisco in 2017, where he posted a 9–11 record and a 4.59 ERA over 157 innings.[5]

The Rangers added Jurado to their 40-man roster after the 2017 season.[6] Jurado returned to Frisco to open the 2018 season and posted a 5–3 record with a 3.28 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 101+23 innings for them.

Jurado made his Major League debut on May 19, 2018,[7] at Guaranteed Rate Field against the Chicago White Sox. He pitched 4+23 innings, giving up four earned runs on six hits, two walks, and two strikeouts, earning the loss as the White Sox defeated the Rangers 5–3. He finished his rookie season after going 5–5 with a 5.93 ERA in 54+23 innings for the Rangers. Left-handed batters had a higher batting average against him, .365 (in 20 or more innings), than against all other MLB pitchers.[8]

In 2019, Jurado was optioned to the Nashville Sounds of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League to open the season,[9] and went 3–0 with a 3.57 ERA over 22+23 innings for them. With Texas in 2019, Jurado went 7–11 with a 5.81 ERA in 122+13 innings.[10]

Jurado was designated for assignment by the Rangers on July 31, 2020.[11]

New York Mets

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Jurado was traded to the New York Mets on August 5, 2020 in exchange for Stephen Villines and cash considerations.[11] He was sent to the Mets alternate site in Brooklyn. On December 2, Jurado was nontendered by the Mets.[12]

Minnesota Twins

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Jurado underwent Tommy John surgery in January 2021 and missed the entire 2021 season.[13] On March 20, 2022, Jurado signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins organization.[14] After recovering from surgery, he spent the remainder of the year with the Triple–A St. Paul Saints, also appearing in one game for the Single–A Fort Myers Miracle. In 14 appearances for the Saints, Jurado recorded a 3.54 ERA with 44 strikeouts across 53+13 innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.[15]

Kiwoom Heroes

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On November 25, 2022, Jurado signed a one-year contract with the Kiwoom Heroes of the KBO League for a total of $1 million, including an annual salary of $850,000 and an option of $150,000.[16] In 30 starts for the Heroes in 2023, he posted an 11–8 record and 2.65 ERA with 147 strikeouts across 183+23 innings of work.

On December 22, 2023, Jurado re–signed with Kiwoom on a one–year, $1.2 million contract.[17]

International career

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Jurado was selected to represent Panama at the 2023 World Baseball Classic qualification.[18]

References

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  1. ^ Fraley, Gerry (January 10, 2016). "Rangers Top Prospects, No. 5: Ariel Jurado, a young pitcher with a rare trait". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  2. ^ Staff Reports (January 5, 2016). "Roundup: Ragsdale, Jurado earn 2015 Rangers honors". Hickory Daily Record. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  3. ^ Heriberto G. Concepción (January 20, 2016). "Jurado se pone al servicio de Panamá". La Prensa. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  4. ^ Frisco RoughRiders (July 22, 2016). "Pitcher Ariel Jurado promoted to RoughRiders". MiLB.com. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "Ariel Jurado Stats, Highlights, Bio". MiLB.com. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  6. ^ Fraley, Gerry (November 20, 2017). "Texas Rangers: Pitchers in forefront as Rangers add to 40-man major-league roster". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  7. ^ Drew Davison (May 18, 2018). "Ariel Jurado, not Cole Hamels, will start for Rangers on Saturday". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  8. ^ Splits Leaderboards | FanGraphs
  9. ^ RotoWire Staff (March 20, 2019). "Rangers' Ariel Jurado: Sent to Triple-A". CBSSports.com. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
  10. ^ RotoWire Staff (September 25, 2019). "Rangers' Ariel Jurado: Slapped with 11th loss". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  11. ^ a b T.R. Sullivan (August 5, 2020). "Rangers deal RHP Jurado to Mets". MLB.com. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  12. ^ The AP (December 3, 2020). "New York Mets cut Chasen Shreve, Steven give Matz $5.2M". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  13. ^ "Twins' Ariel Jurado: Reinstated from injured list". cbssports.com. Retrieved January 20, 2023.
  14. ^ "Minor League Transactions: March 9-23, 2022".
  15. ^ "2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  16. ^ "'Panama National Team' Hurado enters the KBO League... Kiwoom Heroes: March 11-25, 2022".
  17. ^ "Kiwoom Heroes re-sign pitched Jurado for 2nd season". m-en.yna.co.kr. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
  18. ^ "Panamá revela selección para el WBCQ". FEDEBEIS (in Spanish). September 28, 2022. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
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