I read:
Paolo Espino (RHP - MIL)
After 10 years and 1,304 innings in the minor leagues, the 30-year-old will make his major league debut with a spot start on Friday, May 19. Mostly a starter in his career, Espino is in his fourth organization. He was a 10th-round pick of Cleveland in 2006 before signing with the Cubs as a minor league free agent in 2013. He was released at the end of spring training that year and caught on with the Nationals for three seasons. Espino doesn?t have a blazing fastball or a knockout breaking ball, but he commands the plate with precision and doesn?t beat himself. His fastball sits between 87-91 mph and he mixes in a curveball and solid-average change-up that keeps hitters off guard. His short, stout frame gives him plenty of durability, though he doesn?t work deep into games. Espino has been a moderately high strikeout pitcher in the minors with a very low walk rate. The strikeout rate is more on deception and working ahead in counts than a true swing-and-miss pitch. He has a 3.69 ERA, 2.3 BB?s/9 and 8.3 K?s/9 in his minor league career.
STATS: Colorado Springs (AAA) ? 7 gs, 4-0 2.54 ERA, 39 IP, 1.2 BB?s/9, 9.2 K?s/9, 5 HR, .241 oppBA
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Espino is 76-63 with a 3.69 earned run average in 291 career appearances (191 starts) in the minor leagues. A 10th-round draft pick of Cleveland in 2006,
In seven starts (39 innings) for the Sky Sox, Espino went 4-0 with a 2.54 ERA and 40 strikeouts while posting a WHIP of 1.03. Even more impressive, Despite the terrible pitching conditions of Colorado Springs, Espino has arguably been the best Triple-A pitcher in all of minor league baseball. In 7 starts, he's put up a 2.54 ERA, striking out 40 batters in 39 innings and walking just 5.
Counsell got a decent look at Espino in the spring, as he went 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA in four appearances (10 innings), and pitching coach Derek Johnson also is familiar with Espino from their time together with the Cubs in the spring of 2014.
"He?s definitely a command pitcher," Counsell said. "He?s had five walks in seven starts this year. It?s certainly a strength. He?s going to mix it up. His off-speed is certainly part of it; being able to throw off-speed at any time in the count is going to be part of it.
"He?s not unlike somebody like Zach Davies who relies on being fine with their pitches."
He doesn't throw hard -- high 80s to low 90s -- but he does possess a potent curveball that's led to the high strikeout numbers in the minors.
Espino is a short, stocky pitcher who stands at 5?10? and weighs in at 215 lbs. He has a rather simple delivery and throws from a high three-quarters arm slot. Espino features an expansive arsenal of pitches, mixing a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, changeup, and curveball. His fastball will typically sit in the 88-92 MPH range and he usually generates a fair amount of grounders, having induced them at a 49% clip this season. Espino?s signature pitch is his 12-6 overhand curveball, which he throws between 73-76 MPH. He?ll throw it to any batter in any count, spotting it for strikes as well as using it as his swing-and-miss pitch to generate punchouts.
