José Manuel Pirela (born November 21, 1989) is a Venezuelan professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

second baseman In baseball and softball, second baseman, abbreviated 2B, is a fielding position in the Infielder, infield, between Baseball field#Second base, second and Baseball field#First base, first base. The second baseman often possesses quick hands and f ...

and

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...

for the

Diablos Rojos del México The Diablos Rojos del Mexico (English: Mexico Red Devils) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Mexico City, Mexico. The team was founded in 1940 by Salvador Lutteroth and Ernesto Carmona. The Diablos Rojos play their ho ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican Baseball League (, or LMB, ) is a professional baseball league in Mexico. It is the oldest running professional sports league in the country. The league has 20 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games ...

. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...

(MLB) for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

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 (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...

, and

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

. He has also played in

Nippon Professional Baseball is a professional baseball league and the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning simply ''Professional Baseball''; outside of Japan, NPB is often referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league ...

(NPB) for the

Hiroshima Toyo Carp The is a professional baseball team based in Hiroshima, Japan. They compete in the Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball. The team is primarily owned by the Matsuda family, led by , who is a descendant of Mazda founder Jujiro Matsuda ...

and in the

KBO League The KBO League () is a professional baseball league in South Korea. The league comprises ten teams. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers are the most success ...

for the

Samsung Lions The Samsung Lions () are a South Korean professional baseball team founded in 1982. They are based in the southeastern city of Daegu and are members of the KBO League. Their home stadium is Daegu Samsung Lions Park. They have won the Korean Cha ...

Early life

Pirela was born in

Valera Valera is a city in Trujillo State in Venezuela, situated between the rivers Momboy and Motatán. The mayor is José Karkom, who has had that post since 2013. The city is home to Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Colombian and Spanish commun ...

Trujillo, Venezuela Trujillo is the capital city of Trujillo State in Venezuela. About 40,000 people live in this city, located in El Valle de Los Mukas. History Founded by one of the "Conquistadores de America", Diego García de Paredes (1506–1563), Diego Garc ...

.Jose Pirela Stats, Highlights, Bio , MiLB.com Stats , The Official Site of Minor League Baseball
/ref>

Professional career

New York Yankees

Minor leagues

Pirela signed with the

as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...

, receiving a $300,000

signing bonus A signing bonus or sign-on bonus is a sum of money paid to a new employee (including a professional sports person) by a company as an incentive to join that company. They are often given as a way of making a compensation package more attractive ...

. He made his professional debut with the Yankees in 2007 for the Dominican Summer League Yankees. Jose Pirela 2013-05-03

He reached Triple-A for the first time in 2013 with the

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders, are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pen ...

of the Triple–A

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...

. After the season, he played for the Aguilas del Zulia of the

Venezuelan Professional Baseball League The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (, or LVBP) is the top-level professional baseball league in Venezuela. The league's champion takes part in the Caribbean Series each year. History Background and predecessors Baseball had been play ...

. Pirela began the 2014 season with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. He ended the International League season with a .305

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

(5th in the league), 87 runs (leading the league), 11 triples (leading the league), 10

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the Baseball (ball), ball is hit in such a way that the batting (baseball), batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safe (baseball), safely in one play without any error ( ...

s, and 60

runs batted in A run batted in or runs batted in (RBI) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if th ...

(RBI). He was named a midseason All-Star, a postseason All-Star, and an MiLB.com Organization All Star.

Major leagues

On September 16, 2014, the Yankees promoted Pirela to the major leagues. He made his major league debut on September 22, hitting a

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * I ...

in his first

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens upon completion of his turn at bat, ...

, and a

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later in the game. In seven games with the Yankees in 2014, he batted .333 with two triples and three RBIs. On September 25, 2014, Pirela's single in the Yankees' last home game of the season against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...

set up Derek Jeter's walk-off hit in his final at-bat at Yankee Stadium. Pirela singled to leftfield and subsequently replaced by pinch-runner

Antoan Richardson Antoan Edward Richardson (born October 8, 1983) is a Bahamian-American professional baseball coach currently serving as the first base coach for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves and New Yor ...

, who scored the winning run on Jeter's hit. Pirela suffered a

concussion A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include headache, dizziness, difficulty with thinking and concentration, sleep disturbances, a brief ...

on March 22, 2015, in a

spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...

game against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

while playing center field. He ran into the outfield wall while chasing a fly ball. On April 2, he was placed on the 7-day

disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...

to begin the season due to his concussion, and a week later he was transferred to the 15-day disabled list. On June 7, he hit his first major league home run against the

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, ...

. He batted .256 with 1 RBI in 18 games before he was optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on June 10.

San Diego Padres

On November 11, 2015, the Yankees traded Pirela to the

for minor league pitcher Ronald Herrera. He began the 2016 season with the

El Paso Chihuahuas The El Paso Chihuahuas are a Minor League Baseball team based in El Paso, Texas. The Chihuahuas compete in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) as the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres. The team plays its home games at Sou ...

of the Triple–A

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

, and was promoted to the Padres on April 22. Pirela played in 15 games with the Padres in 2016, making nine starts at second base and one in right field, before being optioned to El Paso when Yangervis Solarte was activated from the disabled list on May 21. Pirela was shut down in June with an

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcane ...

injury after playing in only 35 minor league games on the season. He had originally hurt the Achilles in the spring and it affected his performance all season. Pirela was non-tendered in the 2016 offseason, and became a free agent. He re–signed with San Diego on a minor league contract on December 13, 2016. Pirela began the 2017 season with El Paso, where he batted .331/.387/.635 with 13 home runs in 181 at bats. The Padres promoted Pirela to the Major Leagues on June 6. Pirela was slotted into

left field In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering syst ...

and impressed with his bat, securing the number three spot in the batting order by August and holding onto the left field position after

Opening Day Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball (MLB) and most of the American minor leagues, this day typically falls during the first week of April, although in recent year ...

left fielder Travis Jankowski came off the disabled list. Pirela saw his season ended in mid-September with a sprained finger, but he led the Padres regulars in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage, and was the Padres nominee for the

Hank Aaron Award The Hank Aaron Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball (MLB) players selected as the top hitter in each league, as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It was introduced in 1999 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Han ...

. He finished 2017 with a .288/.347/.490 batting line with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 83 games, playing 72 games in the outfield, 7 games at second base, 5 games at first base, and 1 game at third base.Jose Pirela Stats , Baseball-Reference.com
/ref> Pirela began 2018 as a starter for the Padres, but he saw his playing time significantly shrink as the season progressed. He began the season as the regular left fielder, but took over second base from

Carlos Asuaje Carlos Alberto Asuaje (; born November 2, 1991) is a Venezuelan-American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and in the KBO League for the Lotte Giants. Amateur career A nat ...

in May as Franchy Cordero moved over to left. When Asuaje was recalled from El Paso on July 1 and moved back onto second base, Pirela had no regular position but continued to appear as a pinch hitter and utility player. In 2018 with San Diego he batted .249/.300/.345 with 5 home runs and 32 RBI in 146 games. Pirela started the 2019 season in Triple–A but was recalled to the majors on April 19, 2019, before being placed on the injured list with an oblique strain five days later. For El Paso he batted .353/.401/.674 with 18 home runs in 221 at bats. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...

on July 22.

Philadelphia Phillies

On July 27, 2019, the Padres traded Pirela to the

in exchange for cash considerations. With the Triple–A

Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...

he batted .281/.331/.455 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 121 at bats. With the Phillies he batted .235/.316/.471 with one home run and two RBI in 17 at bats. In the major leagues through 2019, Pirela had played 127 games at second base, 105 games in left field, 14 games at first base, 14 games in right field, and one game at third base.

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

On November 2, 2019, Pirela signed with the

(NPB). On June 19, 2020, he made his NPB debut. In 99 games for the Carp, Pirela batted .266/.312/.411 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI. On December 2, Pirela became a free agent.

Samsung Lions

On December 16, 2020, Pirela signed with the

of the

for $600,000 in salary and signing bonus, with an additional $200k possible from incentives. Pirela led the team with 29 home runs and 97 RBIs in 140 games played. On December 16, 2021, Pirela re-signed with the club for the 2022 season for $800,000 in salary and signing bonus, with an additional $400k possible from incentives. Pirela was named a KBO All-Star in 2022. On December 7, 2022, Pirela re-signed a one-year deal for the 2023 season worth $1.7 million. Pirela was named a KBO All–Star for the second time in 2023. In 139 games for Samsung, he batted .286/.339/.426 with 16 home runs and 80 RBI.

Diablos Rojos del México

On January 26, 2024, Pirela signed with the

of the

. In 23 appearances for the Diablos, he slashed .333/.414/.480 with two home runs, 11 RBI, and three stolen bases. With the team, Pirela won the

Serie del Rey The Serie del Rey () is the annual championship series of the Mexican Baseball League (LMB), held since . The champions from the league's two divisions, the North and South Zones, compete in a best-of-seven series, with the winner being awarded ...

. Pirela re-signed with México for a second season in 2025.

Playing style

Pirela is a free-swinger in the batter's box, with a 6.4% walk rate in the major leagues. Despite this, he has kept his strikeout rate at 19.9%. In the field, Pirela has appeared in the majors at first base, second base, third base, and in both of the outfield corners.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Pirela, Jose 1989 births Living people Águilas del Zulia players Charleston RiverDogs players Diablos Rojos del México players Dominican Summer League Yankees players El Paso Chihuahuas players Gulf Coast Yankees players Hiroshima Toyo Carp players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players Major League Baseball left fielders Major League Baseball players from Venezuela 21st-century Venezuelan sportsmen Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball right fielders New York Yankees players Nippon Professional Baseball outfielders People from Valera Sportspeople from Trujillo (state) Philadelphia Phillies players Phoenix Desert Dogs players San Diego Padres players Samsung Lions players Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Japan Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in Mexico Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in the United States Venezuelan expatriate baseball players in South Korea

Early life

Professional career

New York Yankees

Minor leagues

Major leagues

San Diego Padres

Philadelphia Phillies

Hiroshima Toyo Carp

Samsung Lions

Diablos Rojos del México

Playing style

See also

References

External links