Miguel Del Pozo’s Final Miami Marlins Season

Throughout the 2018/2019 offseason, Marlin Maniac will devote one article each for every player who appeared in the Miami Marlins system for the 2018 season. Every. Single. Player. This is Part 156 of 286. For the first 100, click here.

Miami Marlins left-handed reliever Miguel Eduardo Del Pozo is a 6’1″, 180 lb. from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Born on October 14th, 1992, Del Pozo has been in the Miami Marlins system for the last eight seasons.

Del Pozo signed with the Miami Marlins through international free agency on November 20th, 2010, soon after his 18th birthday. In his first professional look, with the rookie-level DSL Marlins in the Dominican Summer League in 2011, he struck out a team-second 47 in 40 2/3 innings, going 3-3 with a 5.09 ERA and a 1.574 WHIP. He started six times and came out of the bullpen six other times for the eventual 24-43 club.

That first season was good enough for the Miami Marlins to laterally promote Del Pozo to the Florida-based, rookie-level GCL Marlins, in the Gulf Coast League for the 2012 season. He only started in three-of-18 games for the 29-30 club, going 1-2 with a 4.02 ERA and 32 whiffs in 31 innings.

2013 would see the Miami Marlins split Del Pozo’s time between the short-season-A Batavia Muckdogs and the high-A Jupiter Hammerheads, in the New York-Penn League and the Florida State League, respectively. In 19 combined games, Del Pozo racked up a 12.3 K/9 with 36 K’s in 26 innings.

In 2014, Del Pozo led the single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers with 41 games of South Atlantic League play, all in relief. He continued his impressive whiff rate, getting 85 to miss in only 66 innings for an 11.59 K/9. He also set a career high with four saves on the season.

Del Pozo took up residence with the Hammerheads through the 2015 campaign to mixed results. He had a 4.25 ERA and for the first time in his career failed to strike out at least a batter per inning. He whiffed a still-respectable 55 in 59 frames.

After the 2015 season, Del Pozo underwent Tommy John Surgery and didn’t return to the mound until June 26th, 2017. Between GCL, Greensboro, Jupiter, and the double-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, he went 3-0 with a 0.70 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings. The Miami Marlins responded by placing him on their 40-man roster.

More from Marlins Prospects

• Miami Marlins: Checking in on prospects from the 2022 Arizona Fall League
• Miami Marlins: How top 2022 MLB Draft picks performed this season
• What’s wrong with Kahlil Watson?
• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 2
• Miami Marlins: Farm System rankings part 1

After the regular season, Del Pozo was sent to the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League for additional seasoning, and did not perform very well. He allowed 13 runs in 12 1/3 innings and struck out only nine. See above (courtesy of Baseball Census).

In 2018, Del Pozo remained with the Jumbo Shrimp, and went 5-0 over 28 relief appearances. He held opponents to a 1.529 WHIP, a .274/.349/.415 slashline, and turned in a 3.97 ERA, with 34 strikeouts in 34 innings. In his best appearance of the season, on July 23rd, he struck out two in two perfect innings in an eventual 7-6, 10-innings win over the Montgomery Biscuits.

After the season, on November 2nd, Del Pozo elected free agency. He’s currently pitching for the Gigantes del Cibao in the Venezuelan Winter League, where he is 3-1 with a 5.56 ERA and 13 whiffs in 11 1/3 innings. He is now free to sign with any major league team without the use of the rule 5 draft.

Thanks for reading. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to our daily newsletter to keep up with the Miami Marlins.