Jhondaniel Medina

WTM’S PIRATE PLAYER PROFILES

2010
DSL:  3-3-0, 2.32 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 50.1 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

Medina had a good debut in ten starts as a 17-year-old, holding opponents to a .211 average while striking out three times as many as he walked.

2011
DSL:  5-4-0, 3.02 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 65.2 IP, 4.7 BB/9, 8.2 K/9

In his second DSL season, Medina didn’t pitch quite as well, as he had control problems.

2012
R:  1-3-2, 3.72 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 46.0 IP, 3.3 BB/9, 9.2 K/9
A-:  0-0-0, 9.00 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 4.0 IP, 6.8 BB/9, 6.8 K/9

Medina started and relieved in the GCL and pitched well, fanning over a batter an inning.

2013
A:  2-2-13, 1.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 35.1 IP, 5.3 BB/9, 14.0 K/9
A+:  0-0-0, 2.53 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 9.3 BB/9, 11.0 K/9

The Pirates sent Medina to Bradenton in mid-April and he made one appearance.  He returned about three weeks later and pitched in relief for the Marauders for about a month.  He struggled with his control and was sent down to West Virginia.  He spent the rest of the season closing games for the Power and did very well despite continuing control issues.  He had a very high K rate and opponents batted just .164 against him.  That included just .109 by right-handed hitters.

2014
A+:  3-0-3, 0.72 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 50.0 IP, 5.2 BB/9, 8.5 K/9

Medina spent the season in the Bradenton bullpen.  He allowed only four earned runs all year and obviously was extremely hard to hit; opponents batted only .174 against him, although that was partly due to an unrealistic .240 batting average on balls in play, as he didn’t fan as many as the previous year.  Opponents also slugged only .233 and had no HRs (until the playoffs, when he served up a grand slam on the first pitch he threw in the opener).  The control problems continued.  Medina pitched only twice all year on fewer than three days’ rest and often got 5-6 days.  I don’t know whether that’s because the Pirates consider him very fragile or because they don’t consider him a prospect.  Ryan Hafner, for example, threw over 50% more innings out of the bullpen.

2015
AA:  3-6-12, 2.76 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 62.0 IP, 5.4 BB/9, 6.4 K/9

Medina was eligible for the Rule 5 draft but wasn’t selected.  He served as the primary closer for Altoona.  He had a good ERA and hitters batted only .189 against him with little power, but he had trouble throwing strikes and his K rate dropped sharply.  In fact, he had only one month in which his strikeouts exceeded his walks by more than one.  He was slightly more effective against left-handed than right-handed hitters.

2016
AA:  2-2-0, 3.70 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 56.0 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 9.6 K/9
AAA:  1-1-0, 2.63 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 4.6 BB/9, 6.6 K/9

The Pirates sent Medina back to AA to open the season.  He continued to have trouble throwing strikes, but greatly increased his K rate.  The Pirates promoted him to Indianapolis four separate times, as they juggled rosters, due to their constant need for help with their beleaguered major league staff.  Medina pitched much the same in AAA, with a much lower K rate.  The ERA is probably not a good indicator of how he pitched there; his FIP was 4.41.

Medina will be a minor league free agent after the season.