Julio Alberto Teherán Pinto (born January 27, 1991) is a Colombian

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 leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

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 dr ...

in 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 penn ...

organization. He has played in

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(MLB) for the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

Los Angeles Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. Since 1966, the team h ...

, and

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 ...

. Teherán was signed by the Braves as an international

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player 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 contract at present but who i ...

in 2007.

Professional career

Atlanta Braves

Minor leagues

Teherán signed with the Atlanta Braves on July 3, 2007, and started his professional career in 2008, pitching for the

Danville Braves The Danville Braves were a Minor League Baseball team in Danville, Virginia. They were an Advanced Rookie-level team in the Appalachian League and were a farm team of the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have played home games at American Legion Post 3 ...

. During that season he started six games and had a 1–2 record with a 6.60 ERA and 17

strikeouts 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 ...

in 15

innings An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). Innings, in cricket, and rounders, is ...

. He spent the 2009 season pitching for Danville and the

Rome Braves The Rome Braves are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They are located in Rome, Georgia, and play their home games at AdventHealth Stadium. From 2003 to 2020, the team serve ...

. In 14 starts, he went 3–4 with a 3.65 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 81 innings. Prior to the 2010 season, ''

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'' ranked him as the Braves' third-best prospect, behind

Jason Heyward Jason Alias Heyward (born August 9, 1989), nicknamed "J-Hey" is an American professional baseball right fielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals ...

and

Freddie Freeman Frederick Charles Freeman (born September 12, 1989) is an American-Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Previously, Freeman played for the Atlanta Braves for 12 seasons. He mad ...

. Coming off a promising 2009 season, the Atlanta Braves decided to allow Teheran another full season in the minors. He spent the 2010 season pitching for the Rome Braves,

Myrtle Beach Pelicans The Myrtle Beach Pelicans are a Minor League Baseball team in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and the Single-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. The Pelicans compete in the Carolina League. Home games are played at TicketReturn.com Field, which open ...

, and

Mississippi Braves The Mississippi Braves, or M-Braves as they are referred to locally, are a Minor League Baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, a suburb of Jackson. The team is the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and plays in the Southern League. ...

. He finished the season with a 9–8 record, a 2.59 ERA, and 159 strikeouts in 142 innings over 24 starts. Prior to the 2011 season, Teherán was the top-ranked prospect by ''Baseball America'' in the Atlanta Braves system, and fifth overall of all prospects. Teherán started the year with the Triple-A

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevi ...

, going 3–0 with a 1.80 ERA in his first five starts. He was the starting pitcher for the World team in the 2011

All-Star Futures Game The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National Leag ...

on July 10, 2011, but gave up a home run on a 95- mph

fastball The fastball is the most common type of pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. " Power pitchers," such as former American major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, rely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit, and have thr ...

to the first batter,

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

prospect

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, who was leading off the bottom of the first inning for the United States.

Major Leagues

2011

Teherán made his Major League debut on May 7 against 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 took the loss, allowing three earned runs in 4.2 innings pitched with two walks and a strikeout. He was optioned back to Triple-A the next day. Teherán was called up again for another spot start on May 18, pitching four innings and getting a no-decision. He was again optioned back to Triple-A the next day. He completed the 2011 minor league season with a 15–3 win–loss record and a 2.55 ERA in 24 starts. Teherán rejoined the Atlanta Braves when rosters expanded in September. He earned his first major league win against the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

on September 8. He was named a starting pitcher on ''Baseball Americas 2011 Minor League All Star team.

2012

Teherán was ranked fifth by ''Baseball America'' among all prospects entering the 2012 season, and the second-best right-handed pitcher. With the five-man rotation in question, he was invited to spring training to make his case for a spot on the 25-man roster. In the 5 games he appeared in, including three starts, Teherán struggled to find a groove, giving up 22 hits and 18 runs in just 16.1 innings pitched. He was unable to consistently throw strikes as well, giving up eight walks. After struggling against Major League hitters, Teherán was assigned to re-join Gwinnett where he continued his inconsistencies. He fell to a 7–9 record in 26 starts with a 5.08 ERA, giving up 18 home runs. When injuries plagued the Major League roster, including a season-ending injury to

Brandon Beachy Brandon Alan Beachy (born September 3, 1986), is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers. Amateur career Beachy attended Northwestern Senior Hig ...

, Teherán was passed over by several other players for the call-up. Atlanta signed free agent

Ben Sheets Ben Michael Sheets (born July 18, 1978) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played for the Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, and Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball. Sheets is a four-time MLB All-Star (2001, 2004, 20 ...

, traded for Paul Maholm, and called Randall Delgado up as replacements rather than the highly touted prospect.

2013

Expectations for the 21-year-old Teherán were lower in 2013 than the previous spring. He was invited to the Major League spring training once again, however, where he showed flares of stardom, posting a 1.29 ERA through four starts, spanning 14.1 innings through March 16. He did not start the regular season off strong, with a 5.08 ERA in the first month, but 2013 ended up being his breakout year. He turned things around after April, finishing the season with 14-8 record, 3.20 ERA, 170 strikeouts, and 185.2 IP. On June 5, Teherán was pitching a

no-hitter In baseball, a no-hitter is a game in which a team was not able to record a hit. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in at least nine innings recorded no hits. A pitcher wh ...

against the

Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...

through 7.2 innings before giving up a single to pinch-hitter

Brandon Inge Charles Brandon Inge ( ; born May 19, 1977) is an American former professional baseball third baseman and catcher and currently a volunteer assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines baseball team. He played 12 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, on ...

2014

Teherán signed a 6-year, $32.4 million extension with the Braves on February 14, 2014. He was the Braves' Opening Day starter for the first time in his career, taking the loss in a 2–0 game 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 ...

. Teherán was selected to the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, his first

All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game that purports to showcase the best players (the "stars") of a sports league. The exhibition is between two teams organized solely for the event, usually representing the league's teams based on region or d ...

selection. However, he was ineligible due to previously pitching the Sunday before the All-Star break. He was honored as an All-Star in a pregame ceremony. Teherán became the second Colombian to be selected an All-Star, following former Braves player

Édgar Rentería Édgar Enrique Rentería Herazo (; born August 7, 1975), nicknamed "The Barranquilla Baby", is a Colombian former professional baseball shortstop. He threw and batted right-handed. He played for the Florida Marlins, the St. Louis Cardinals, th ...

. In 33 starts on the season, Teheran went 14–13 with a 2.89 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP, and 186 strikeouts in 221 innings.

2015

In 2015, Teherán was once again the Braves' Opening Day starting pitcher, winning a 2–1 game against the

Miami Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The fra ...

. In 33 starts, he went 11–8 with a 4.04 ERA.

2016

For the third consecutive year, the Braves began their season with Teherán on the mound. He earned a no-decision in a 4–3 loss to the

Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...

. During a game on May 24, he recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts, including four in one inning. He was named to his second All-Star Game after posting a 3–7 record with a 2.72 ERA. He finished the season with a 7–10 record and a 3.21 ERA in 188 innings pitched.

2017

For the fourth consecutive year, Teherán was the Braves' Opening Day starting pitcher, pitching six scoreless innings against the

before being pulled. He joined

Rick Mahler Richard Keith Mahler (August 5, 1953 – March 2, 2005) was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Atlanta Braves (1979–1988, 1991), Cincinnati Reds (1989–1990) and Montreal Expos (1991). His brother Mickey was a major ...

(1985–88) and

Greg Maddux Gregory Alan Maddux (born April 14, 1966) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for four teams. Maddux is best known for his accomplishments while playing for the Atlanta Braves ...

(1993-96) as the lone Atlanta pitchers to start four straight season openers. On April 14, Teheran was the starting pitcher for the first game in SunTrust Park history. He allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and five strikeouts in a 5–2 win against the

. He finished the season with an 11-13 record and a 4.69 ERA in 32 starts. Batters stole 26 bases against him, tied for tops in the major leagues, while being caught six times. He struggled mightily at

SunTrust Park Truist Park (originally SunTrust Park) is a baseball stadium in the Atlanta metropolitan area, approximately 10 miles (16 km) northwest of downtown Atlanta in the unincorporated community of Cumberland, in Cobb County, Georgia. Opened in ...

, going 3–10 with a 5.89 ERA in 17 home starts.

2018

Teherán was named the Opening Day starting pitcher for the 2018 season, and was the first Atlanta Braves pitcher to start five consecutive Opening Day games. Against the

on May 3, Teherán took a no-hitter through 6.2 innings until allowing a hit by Asdrubal Cabrera. Nevertheless, the Braves won 11–0. Teherán hit his first home run on August 5, while facing Mets' pitcher Corey Oswalt. For the season he was 9–9 with a 3.94 ERA, and led the major leagues in holding opposing batters to the lowest

batting average on balls in play In baseball statistics, batting average on balls in play (abbreviated BABIP) is a measurement of how often batted balls result in hits, excluding home runs. It can be expressed as, "when you hit the ball and it’s not a home run, what’s your b ...

(.217).

2019

Prior to the start of the 2019 Atlanta Braves season, Teherán began pitching exclusively from the stretch. He started on Opening Day of the 2019 season, tying

Warren Spahn Warren Edward Spahn (April 23, 1921 – November 24, 2003) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). A left-handed pitcher, Spahn played in 1942 and then from 1946 until 1965, most notabl ...

for the most consecutive Opening Day starts made in franchise history. For the season, Teherán compiled a 10–11 record and a 3.81 earned run average. Teherán became a free agent at the end of the season, as his contract option was declined.

Los Angeles Angels

2020

Teherán and the

agreed to terms on a one-year, $9 million contract on December 21, 2019. On July 19, 2020, Teherán disclosed that he had tested positive for

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

. Teherán made his Angels debut on August 5, 2020 against the Seattle Mariners. While under a 60 pitch limit, he threw innings, striking out two while allowing two runs. Teherán finished the season with a career high 10.05 ERA, going 0-4 in 10 appearances. He became a free agent at the end of the season.

Detroit Tigers

2021

On February 19, 2021, Teherán signed a minor league contract with the

organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. On March 24, 2021, Teherán's contract was selected to the 40-man roster. Having opted out of his initial minor league contract, Teherán and the Tigers agreed to a one-year deal worth $3 million, plus a $1 million bonus if he starts 20 games. On April 3, Teherán won his Tigers debut, allowing one run over five innings in the Tigers 5–2 win against the

. On April 10, 2021, Teheran was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right shoulder strain and was transferred to the 60-day IL a day later. On September 5, the Tigers officially shut Teheran down for the season.

Staten Island FerryHawks

On April 21, 2022, Teherán signed with the Staten Island FerryHawks 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 ...

. In 6 starts, he posted a 1–1 record with a 1.60 ERA over 33.2 innings.

Toros de Tijuana

On June 25, 2022, Teherán's contract was purchased by the

Toros de Tijuana The Toros de Tijuana (or Tijuana Bulls) are a Mexican Baseball team based in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They are members of the Mexican Baseball League and play their home games at Estadio Chevron. Team history Original Attempt The fr ...

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 ...

. In 6 starts, he posted a 4–1 record with a 4.88 ERA over 27.2 innings. He was released on August 1, 2022.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On August 1, 2022, Teherán signed 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 ...

of the

San Diego Padres

On November 27, 2022, Teheran signed a minor league deal with the

Scouting report

Teherán throws a four seam fastball that averages 92 mph, paired with a two seam fastball at 89 mph. His

slider Slider or Sliders may refer to: Arts * K.K. Slider, a fictional character within the ''Animal Crossing'' franchise * '' The Slider'', a 1972 album by T. Rex * ''Sliders'' (TV series), an American science fiction and fantasy television series * ...

and change up both are thrown at around 82 mph. His

curveball In baseball and softball, the curveball is a type of pitch thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball, causing it to dive as it approaches the plate. Varieties of curveball include the 12–6 curv ...

sits in the mid-70s. Teherán also has a

screwball A screwball is a baseball and fastpitch softball pitch that is thrown so as to break in the opposite direction of a slider or curveball. Depending on the pitcher's arm angle, the ball may also have a sinking action. The pitch is sometimes known ...

(65 mph) that he does not use very often. Teherán has a very effective pickoff move. His 22 successful attempts in 2014 through early September was the most for any pitcher during that period.

Personal life

Teherán's uncle Miguel worked for the Braves as a scout. Teherán's second cousin is Sugar Ray Marimón. They grew up together in Cartagena, and were Braves teammates in 2015. Teherán married Yoselin Rincón in February 2016. The couple's first child was born in August of that year.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Teheran, Julio 1991 births Living people Atlanta Braves players Colombian expatriate baseball players in the United States Danville Braves players Detroit Tigers players Gwinnett Braves players Los Angeles Angels players Major League Baseball pitchers Major League Baseball players from Colombia Mississippi Braves players Myrtle Beach Pelicans players National League All-Stars Sportspeople from Cartagena, Colombia Rome Braves players Tigres del Licey players Colombian expatriate baseball players in the Dominican Republic 2017 World Baseball Classic players Staten Island FerryHawks players Toros de Tijuana players Colombian expatriate baseball players in Mexico Toros del Este players