The San Diego Padres have a great bullpen, and Bradgley Rodriguez is making a compelling case to become part of it.
The San Diego Padres have run into some tough pitching luck this spring when it comes to injuries this spring, but they do have one positive storyline so far that’s all about the progress of reliever Bradgley Rodriguez. He’s becoming a familiar name to the fan base, and there are plenty of good reasons for his growing popularity.
Rodriguez is just 22, and scouts and evaluators know all about what Perla Paredes of MLB.com called his “electric” stuff. It’s a familiar term that comes up a lot to describe the pitching skills of the young right-hander, and now he’s getting the confidence to go with it.
“It’s something where you have to believe in yourself. That’s my confidence,” Rodriguez said. “Every time I’m pitching, It’s not about ego, but in that moment I feel like the best. Just like the hitter feels like he’s the best, I do too. I’m not afraid to face anyone, I just go out there to attack and compete.”
Rodriguez is one of those pitchers from Venezuela who throws fireballs, and the Padres signed him back in 2021. Elbow issues slowed his early development, but in 2024 he broke out, going from Single-A to Double-A and striking out 75 batters in 61-1/3 innings of relief, according to Paredes.
That momentum carried over into last season, she added, as Rodriguez made his major league debut with San Diego on May 31. He went back to Triple-A El Paso shortly after that, but when Rodriguez returned in September he showed enough to make the postseason roster.
“Honestly, that meant a lot to me,” Rodriguez said. “Like anyone, I felt I deserved to be on the roster. They took that into account and put me there.”
Rodriguez didn’t pitch against the Chicago Cubs in the Wild Card Series, but his 1.17 ERA with a 0.91 WHIP put him on the radar, as Paredes noted, and now he’s making a serious bid to stick for good.
“Bradgley's a great pitcher,” Stammen said. “He brings elite stuff out on the mound, throwing almost 100 miles an hour with a great changeup and a good slider. We're looking for big things for him this upcoming season.”
Rodriguez’s secret weapon is his changeup, which he throws in the upper 80s and has what Paredes described as “heavy arm-side run.” He still hasn’t mastered his command issues, but it’s hard to argue against his spring numbers that include a 1.13 ERA and a 0.75 WHIP to go with eight strikeouts in eight innings, along with an increased level of poise.
The Padres need bullpen depth badly, and the role Rodriguez is competing for is swing reliever in the middle innings. Given the numbers to date, he’s making it tough for San Diego to send him back down to Triple-A again.