After plenty of adversity, Cleveland Guardians' Daniel Espino finally made his MLB debut.
The Cleveland Guardians may have dropped their game and series to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday evening, but the real story of the game was Daniel Espino finally making his MLB debut.
After multiple shoulder surgeries, years lost to development, and personal hurdles, the 25-year-old stepped on a big-league mound for the first time, and he didn’t disappoint.
Here are a few takeaways from the pitcher’s long-awaited big-league debut.
Espino’s Elite Fastball
Espino has always been known for his elite fastball, and it didn’t disappoint in his first MLB outing.
The right-hander threw the pitch eight with an average exit of 99.8 mph. In fact, Espino now makes four of the six fastest pitches thrown by a Guardians pitcher so far this year, with two of them hitting at least 100 mph.
Brewer hitters just simply couldn’t catch up to it, with the heater alone generating five swings and misses, and being the putout pitch for both of his strikeouts.
Espino Has the Potential For a Devastating Combo
Again, Espino’s fastball proved that it played. However, it wasn’t the only pitch that did damage against Milwaukee.
Espino also showed potential for his slider to be a lethal secondary pitch. The Guardians pitcher only threw the pitch three times, but the movement showed the potential to generate plenty of chase deeper in counts.
It’s not a surprise that Espino has multiple pitches that can do damage. He’s a natural starting pitcher, which comes with a large arsenal of pitches.
An Incredible Comeback Story
There’s no way to talk about Espino’s MLB debut without acknowledging just how amazing a comeback story his debut marked.
Espino acknowledged that “I feel like for the last couple of years, everything has been, quote like ‘bad news,’ but now we’re seeing the good side of it.”
Amid all the adversity that Espino faced, between the injuries and the passing of his father, seeing him get his first big-league strikeout in front of his family was the culmination of all his perseverance and patience, and it’s something he’ll never forget.
Guardians Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Guardians. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.
