This week, the Cincinnati Reds made an intriguing move by signing Irvin Machuca, a 24-year-old right-handed reliever from Mexico, to a minor league contract. Machuca has spent his entire career in Mexico, playing in both the Mexican League and the Mexican Pacific League, the latter of which is a winter league.
Machuca made his professional debut at age 19 with Campeche in the Mexican League, where he appeared in 36 games, logging 37.2 innings with a 4.54 ERA. For context, the league ERA was 5.79, and his team’s ERA was 6.26.
The average age of pitchers in the league was 29.5. That winter, he joined Los Mochis in the Mexican Pacific League, making 31 appearances with a 3.96 ERA over 25 innings, while the league’s ERA was 3.60.
Since then, Machuca has continued to play for Campeche in the summer and Los Mochis in the winter, missing the 2021 season. In the past two winters, he has been especially effective for Los Mochis, posting a 1.15 ERA over 55 innings, striking out 64 batters and walking 18.
While the competition in Mexico’s leagues doesn’t reach Major League Baseball standards, the level of play is still solid, with some players possessing big league experience. The Mexican League is closer to Double-A than MLB in terms of competition.
Although translating his stats directly to MLB success is difficult, Machuca’s performances are visible thanks to the Mexican Pacific League’s games being broadcast on YouTube. After reviewing his four most recent appearances, a few things stood out. His fastball consistently ranged from 94-97 mph with good velocity and movement, and his slider, which works in the mid-80s with 12-6 action, showed promise.
However, one notable issue was his struggles with command. During these four outings, he threw strikes only 62% of the time. This contrasts with his overall performance this winter, where he walked just seven batters in 106 plate appearances. This rough stretch might have been an anomaly, though, as he still managed to avoid walks and struck out seven batters in these games.
It’s unlikely that Machuca will challenge for a big league roster spot this spring, but his arsenal suggests he has the potential to make it to the majors. His fastball shows solid velocity and movement, while his slider also has promise in terms of velocity and movement. However, his inability to consistently locate the slider and fastball could hinder his effectiveness against major league hitters, making it a key area for improvement.
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