Cesar Carrillo (born April 29, 1984) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

with the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

in 2009. Carrillo was a 2005 first round draft pick by the Padres, selected #18 overall. He was inducted to the University of Miami Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019, where he went 24–0 to start his career. Carrillo was released by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

in 2013, after he was implicated in the Bio-Genesis scandal, he served a 100- game suspension under the Tigers minor league system. He was with the

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

in 2014.

Amateur career

High school

Carrillo attended Mt. Carmel High School in Chicago which boasts other famous sports alums such as

Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. Before his NFL career, he played football and b ...

Simeon Rice Simeon James Rice (; born February 24, 1974) is a former American football defensive end. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals third overall in the 1996 NFL Draft. In his 12-year NFL career, Rice recorded 122 sacks, forced 25 fumbles, recov ...

Antoine Walker Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008. Walker ...

Chris Chelios Christos Kostas Chelios (born January 25, 1962) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman. He was one of the longest tenured players in the National Hockey League, and is a three-time Stanley Cup champion—one with the Montreal Can ...

, and

Denny McLain Dennis Dale McLain (born March 29, 1944) is an American former professional baseball player. He played for ten seasons in Major League Baseball as a right-handed pitcher, most prominently as a member of the Detroit Tigers. In 1968, McLain became ...

, where he was a two sport star in both

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

and baseball. As a junior, Carrillo decided to concentrate solely on baseball. He played both shortstop and pitcher. As a

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

, he broke the school's single season hit record with 52 hits his junior year to go along with a 5–1 record and a 1.12

ERA An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth. Comp ...

. His senior year, Carrillo posted a 9–1 record with an ERA of 0.96 while batting .370 with 5

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 48 RBI which led to his selection to the All-State team.

College

Carrillo chose to attend the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private research university in Coral Gables, Florida. , the university enrolled 19,096 students in 12 colleges and schools across nearly 350 academic majors and programs, incl ...

to play baseball for head coach

Jim Morris James Samuel Morris Jr. (born January 19, 1964) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for two seasons with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Although brief, Morris' career is noted for making his M ...

. However, under

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

regulations, a low score on the

ACT exam The ACT (; originally an abbreviation of American College Testing) Name changed in 1996. is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States. It is currently administered by ACT, a nonprofit organization of the same name ...

which Carrillo took to gain entry into the University forced him to sit out the entire 2003 season. In Carrillo went 12–0 with two saves while keeping his ERA at 2.69 and compiling 91

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...

s in 113.2 innings pitched. After the 2004 season, he played

collegiate summer baseball Collegiate summer baseball leagues are amateur baseball leagues in the United States and Canada featuring players who have attended at least one year of college and have at least one year of athletic eligibility remaining. Generally, they operat ...

with the

Brewster Whitecaps The Brewster Whitecaps are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Brewster, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Whitecaps play their home games at Stony Brook ...

of the

Cape Cod Baseball League The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over one thousan ...

. Carrillo continued the undefeated streak at Miami in by going 12–0 in his first 15 games until his winning streak was ended against the

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...

Tigers. Carrillo still managed to obtain one of the most remarkable (albeit not record breaking) streaks in the history of college baseball by starting his career with a record of 24–0. However, Carrillo lost his last two decisions as a starter, the final one coming against

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

and

Joba Chamberlain Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain (''né'' Heath; ; born September 23, 1985) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Cleveland ...

in the 2005 Super Regional. Carrillo still compiled impressive stats in the 2005 season by going 13–3 with one save and a 2.22 ERA while striking out 127 batters in 125.2 innings pitched.

Professional career

San Diego Padres

Minor leagues

Carrillo was drafted in the 1st round, 18th overall in the 2005 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Carrillo signed immediately even though he felt that what the Padres offered him did not match what he felt he deserved. However, Carrillo felt that in the end, his skills would do all the negotiating for him and when he signed his next contract, his loyalty and willingness to prove himself would ultimately translate into a large contract. Carrillo, by most scouts' accounts, was the most "Major League ready" pitcher in the entire draft and it was expected that he could reach the big leagues as a starter within the next year or so. According to ''

Sports Illustrated ''Sports Illustrated'' (''SI'') is an American sports magazine first published in August 1954. Founded by Stuart Scheftel, it was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twic ...

'', Carrillo's "stuff" (his array of pitches) is of Major League caliber. In 2007 scout.com ranked him as the number 1 prospect in the Padres' organization, while ''Baseball America'' moved him down to the number 2 prospect, after ranking him number 1 the year before. Carrillo throws a fastball, which has been clocked at 97 MPH, along with a change-up, curveball, and two-seam fastball that reaches somewhere between 89 and 91 MPH and has a lot of movement. Carrillo began his professional career with the Single-A

Lake Elsinore Storm The Lake Elsinore Storm are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The Storm plays their home games at Lake Elsinore Diamond (Pete Lehr Field), which opened in 1994; the park se ...

where he started 7 games and went 1–2 with a 7.01 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 25.2 innings pitched. He then made his way up to Double-A

Mobile Mobile may refer to: Places * Mobile, Alabama, a U.S. port city * Mobile County, Alabama * Mobile, Arizona, a small town near Phoenix, U.S. * Mobile, Newfoundland and Labrador Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Mobile ( ...

where he went 1–3 with a 3.02 ERA to go along with 43 strikeouts in 50.2 innings pitched. On May 19, Carrillo joined the Triple-A

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams ...

. However, he was only able to pitch 2.2 innings because of tightness in his right throwing elbow. Carrillo was sent to the Padre team specialist in San Diego and was told that he would need to rehab the elbow for roughly a month. Carrillo, as well as the Padre organization, were pleased with this as opposed to Carrillo being forced to have surgery. However, in early 2007, Carrillo's arm had not responded to rest and it was determined he needed

Tommy John surgery Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...

on his elbow. He rehabbed and came back to pitch in June 2008, finishing up the year with Lake Elsinore Storm. His arm strength and control improved during the summer. Carrillo played with the

San Antonio Missions The San Antonio Missions are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. They are located in San Antonio, Texas, and are named for the Spanish missions around which the city was founded. ...

in 2009. Carrillo pitched well in

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

during the second half of 2009, and was promoted to

AAA AAA, Triple A, or Triple-A is a three-letter initialism or abbreviation which may refer to: Airports * Anaa Airport in French Polynesia (IATA airport code AAA) * Logan County Airport (Illinois) (FAA airport code AAA) Arts, entertainment, and me ...

Portland on July 29. Carrillo made his Major league debut on August 13, 2009 against the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, giving up three home runs. He went 1–2 in three starts with San Diego. Carrillo competed for a spot in the starting rotation in Spring training 2010. However, he did not make the team and was optioned to Triple A Portland. On September 2, 2010, he was designated for assignment by the Padres

Philadelphia Phillies

On September 9, 2010, Carrillo was claimed off waivers by the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. He was only with the organization for 3 days, as the Phillies designated him for assignment on September 12. The Padres then reclaimed Carrillo off waivers on September 15.

Houston Astros

On September 22, 2010 Carrillo was claimed off waivers by the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

. He was released on April 29, 2011.

Detroit Tigers

At the beginning of spring training in 2012, however, Carrillo remained an unsigned free agent. In June 2012, Carrillo signed a minor league contract with the Detroit Tigers. On January 29, 2013, Carrillo was one of seven baseball players involved in a ''

Miami New Times The ''Miami New Times'' is a newspaper published in Miami, Florida, United States, and distributed every Thursday. It primarily serves the Miami area and is headquartered in Miami's Wynwood Art District. Overview It was acquired by Village Voic ...

'' steroid probe investigation. On March 15, he was suspended for 100 games for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Sugar Land Skeeters

The Tigers released him after the conclusion of his suspension and he signed with the independent

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

Arizona Diamondbacks

Carrillo signed a minor league deal with the

in January 2014.

Broncos de Reynosa

In 2015, he signed with the

Broncos de Reynosa The Reynosa Broncos (''los Broncos de Reynosa'') were a Mexican team that played in the Adolfo Lopez Mateos stadium in the city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. The Broncos de Reynosa played in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol and it was part of the Zona Nort ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. After the season, he was selected to the roster for the

Mexico national baseball team The Mexico national baseball team (Spanish: ''Selección de béisbol de México'') is the baseball team that represents Mexico in international tournaments. It is currently the 4th-ranked baseball team in the world. Roster Results and fixtures ...

at the

2015 WBSC Premier12 The 2015 WBSC Premier12 was an international baseball championship sponsored by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), the inaugural event of the WBSC Premier12. It was held from November 8 to 21 in Taiwan and Japan. The South Korean ...

. Carrillo began the 2016 season with the Broncos.

Pericos de Puebla

Partway through the season, Carrillo joined the

Pericos de Puebla The Pericos de Puebla (English: "Puebla Parrots") are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Puebla, Mexico. History The state of Puebla came upon baseball in the early 1920s when returning Poblanos that had come from militar ...

Sultanes de Monterrey

Carrillo completed the 2016 season with the

Sultanes de Monterrey The Sultanes de Monterrey ( en, Monterrey Sultans) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Monterrey, Mexico. They compete in the Northern Division. The team also joined the Mexican Pacific League for the 2019–20 season f ...

. Carrillo played the entire 2017 season with the Sultanes.

Bravos de Leon

Carrillo joined the

Bravos de León The Bravos de León (English: León Braves) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in León, Guanajuato, Mexico. History Cachorros de León (1979–80) Mexican League baseball in León began in 1979 when the Alijador ...

for the 2018 season, and began the 2019 season with the Bravos.

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos

Partway through the 2019 season, Carrillo joined the

Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (''Owls of the Two Laredos''), formerly known as the Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo (''Owls of Nuevo Laredo''), are a Minor League Baseball team based in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and Laredo, Texas in the Mexican Leagu ...

. He was released on July 27, 2019.

References

External links

, o
CPBL
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carrillo, Cesar 1984 births Living people American baseball players of Mexican descent American expatriate baseball players in Mexico American expatriate baseball players in Taiwan Baseball players from Chicago Bravos de León players Bravos de Margarita players Brewster Whitecaps players Broncos de Reynosa players Brother Elephants players Corpus Christi Hooks players Criollos de Caguas players Erie SeaWolves players Gigantes del Cibao players American expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Lake Elsinore Storm players Lakeland Flying Tigers players Laredo Lemurs players Lancaster Barnstormers players Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente pitchers Major League Baseball pitchers Mexican League baseball pitchers Miami Hurricanes baseball players Mobile BayBears players Peoria Saguaros players Pericos de Puebla players Portland Beavers players San Antonio Missions players San Diego Padres players Sugar Land Skeeters players Sultanes de Monterrey players Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Tigres de Quintana Roo players