José Leonidas Cruz (born May 18, 2000) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.
| José Cruz | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: May 18, 2000 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right |
Career
editCruz was born in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic.[1] On July 2, 2017, Cruz signed with the San Francisco Giants organization as an international free agent.[2]
Pitching for the DSL Giants in 2018 he was 2–2 with five saves and a 4.88 ERA in 20 relief appearances.[1] Cruz played for the rookie–level Arizona League Giants in 2019, and was 2–3 with one save and a 4.50 ERA in 14 games (3 starts) in which he pitched 46 innings.[1] Cruz did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] In 2021, Cruz returned to action with the rookie–level Arizona Complex League Giants. In 19 relief appearances, he was 3–1 with five saves, a 4.44 ERA, and 42 strikeouts (15.5 strikeouts per 9 innings) across 24+1⁄3 innings.[1]
In 2022 with the Single-A San Jose Giants, he was 2–1 with 6 saves in 6 opportunities in 38 relief appearances, as in 52+1⁄3 innings he gave up 21 hits and struck out 86 batters (14.8 strikeouts per 9 innings).[1] Post-season he was named a California League All Star, and named the “Best Relief Pitcher Prospect” in the California League by Baseball America.[4] On November 15, 2022, the Giants added Cruz to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.[5]
Cruz was optioned to the High–A Eugene Emeralds to begin the 2023 season.[6] In 36 appearance split between Eugene and the Double–A Richmond Flying Squirrels, he compiled a 4.47 ERA with 67 strikeouts and 5 saves across 44+1⁄3 innings pitched. On November 17, 2023, the Giants non–tendered Cruz, making him a free agent.[7]
On November 20, 2023, Cruz re-signed with the Giants organization on a minor league contract.[8] In 27 appearances split between Richmond and the Triple–A Sacramento River Cats, he struggled to an 8.71 ERA with 46 strikeouts over 31 innings pitched. Cruz was released by San Francisco on August 27, 2024.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e "Jose Cruz Minor Leagues Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com.
- ^ "Jose Cruz - Stats". The Baseball Cube.
- ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved 2023-03-11.
- ^ "Jose Cruz Stats, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com.
- ^ "SF Giants protect Marco Luciano, Luis Matos, and several other prospects from Rule 5 Draft". Sports Illustrated San Francisco Giants News, Analysis and More. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
- ^ "Giants' Jose Cruz: Sent to minors". cbssports.com. Retrieved 2023-03-12.
- ^ "SF Giants non-tender trio of intriguing relief pitching prospects". si.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ "SF Giants re-sign relief-pitching prospect to minor-league contract". si.com. Retrieved June 8, 2024.
- ^ https://www.milb.com/transactions/2024-08-27
External links
edit- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference (Minors)