Down On The Farm: Carlos Estevez

Aug 14, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Coors Field before the game between the Cincinnati Reds against the Colorado Rockies. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy – USA TODAY Sports

Modesto Nuts relief pitcher Carlos Estevez is having himself a great start to the season closing games for the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. 

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The Modesto Nuts are filled with possible future Colorado Rockies worth watching: Antonio Senzatela, Konner Wade, Ryan McMahon, Correlle Prime, Rosell Herrera, and Raimel Tapia, just to name a few. But the man stealing the show from all of them – at least, on the mound – is relief pitcher Carlos Estevez.

Estevez has started hot for the Nuts, and has become the team’s best relief pitcher one month into the season. In twelve games thus far, he’s thrown 17.2 innings and allowed just ten hits and five walks – and two runs – against 22 strikeouts. Additionally, he’s earned four saves and four victories in those dozen games, holding opponents to a paltry .169 batting average against, and a 4.4 K:BB ratio.

This season easily marks the most dominant (so far) for the 22-year old righthander, who is more than a year younger than his average competition in the California League, but his peripherals suggest a solid reliever all around.

In his minor league career (89 games across five seasons after being signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2011), Estevez has allowed just 2.6 walks per nine innings, 0.6 home runs per nine innings, and holds a 3:1 K:BB ratio over 198.2 innings of work. He might be a long ways off from the big leagues, but needless to say, those peripherals are three things the Rockies could certainly use.

Estevez won’t show up anywhere on the Rockies’ top prospects list, but he’s still young for his level and downright dominant at this point, having allowed just ten base runners – and no runs – in his last 15.2 innings of work in Modesto.

As you tune in to Nuts games to catch Tapia, McMahona, Senzatela, and the others, take note if Modesto takes a lead late into the game, because Estevez has been lights out coming out of the bullpen.