Patiño Rises From The Ashes! San Diego Former Top Prospect Embarks On Gritty Comeback Journey
Luis Patiño was once a promising pitching prospect in the San Diego system. He was expected to reach the major leagues and be a foundational piece of the Padres’ rotation for years to come. Although he did make his major league debut with San Diego, he did not remain with the team for long.
Patiño debuted with the Padres in 2020 and appeared in 11 games, finishing the season with a 5.19 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 14 walks. Not exactly eye-popping numbers, but good enough to entice another team to take him in a trade.
As is often the case with promising young minor league talent, General Manager A.J. Preller sent Patiño and others to the Tampa Bay Rays to acquire Cy Young winner Blake Snell in the 2020 offseason.
The road for Patiño since the trade to the Rays has had twists and turns. He spent two years in Tampa Bay, with his best season coming in 2021 where he finished 5-3 with a 4.31 ERA with 74 strikeouts and 29 walks. His performance declined in 2022 and 2023 and he was then traded to the Chicago White Sox at the 2023 trade deadline. Patiño appeared in seven games for Chicago and finished with a 3.57 ERA with 13 strikeouts and 12 walks before being placed on waivers at the end of the year.
Patiño made his way back to San Diego when he was claimed off waivers a week later. He missed all of 2024 after Tommy John Surgery and in January, Patiño agreed to a minor league contract with the Padres for the 2025 season.
At just 25 years old, Patiño is a Padre once again and healthy. He is looking to show he is the same promising pitcher he was as a minor leaguer with San Diego.
It hasn’t been confirmed if Patiño is on track to be ready for the start of the season but if he is, he’ll have an opportunity to earn a spot on the roster if he can make an impression with Pitching Coach Ruben Niebla and Manager Mike Shildt. Will that be as a starter or as another piece to an already solid bullpen? Patiño may not have a say and he may not even care, as long as he breaks camp as a member of the major league squad.
