The most recent studies, such as the Delta Method and the Aging Curve from FanGraps, say that at age 28 the Major Leagues have discarded the average player who reaches that level and those who survive and their performance is on the decline. At that age Samuel Méndez wants to start his journey.
Mendez, a San Cristobal right-hander who can shoot over 100 miles per hour, was selected in the 597th place in the last round (20) of the MLB draw on Monday and when he signs his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers, he will be the Dominican who will older signs his first professional agreement with that league.
In 2019, pitcher coach Ricardo Payano identified him in the community of Hato Damas (10 kilometers north of the main municipality) and convinced him to join his program. Then, with his 6’7 height, he stood out in presuperior basketball.
“I showed it to many organizations and they all rejected it because of its age. He told me that now, he had better go find a job and I told him no, that I was not going to look for a job, ‘you are a Major League Baseball’, I told him, “recalls Payano, on the phone with Diario Libre. “Since I saw him I said he was a Major League Baseball player, because of the conditions, the ability to pitch, what happens is that because of his age he really developed late, it was his problem.”
Payano and agent Juan Mosquea arranged for him a scholarship to Cisco Junior College in Texas, where he landed last January, with little knowledge of English, but hungry to demonstrate his potential.
He won pitcher of the week three times in a summer league with college players from Kansas City with the Braves team, which caught the attention of scouts and is currently negotiating the modest bonus he will receive. In the draft, the MLB suggests bonuses up to the 10th round, the lowest of $ 142,000.
Diómedes Olivo was 36 when Cincinnati signed him in 1956, but he was a veteran of the Caribbean leagues. Michael Martinez was 23 years and 271 days old when Cleveland signed him in 2005 and is the Creole who has signed his first senior professional deal with the MLB.
The most refined studies, such as the Delta Method and the Aging Curve by FanGraps, say that at 28 the Major Leagues have discarded the average player who reaches that level and those who survive are already lowering the peak of their performance. At that age Samuel Méndez wants to start his journey.
Mendez, a San Cristobal right-hander who can shoot over 100 miles per hour, was selected 597th in the last round (20) of the MLB draw on Monday and when he signs his contract with the Milwaukee Brewers it will be, by far, the Dominican who is older than he signs his first professional contract with that league.
A wait so long that he even stopped following the draw on the web and the information came to him through relatives.
Before turning 26, in 2019, pitcher coach Ricardo Payano identified him in the community of Hato Damas (10 kilometers north of the main municipality) and convinced him to join his program. Then he took advantage of his 6’7 height to excel in basketball in the presuperior tournaments and occasionally threw baseball games in peasant leagues.
“I showed it to many organizations and they all rejected it because of its age. He told me that now, he had better go find a job and I told him no, that I was not going to look for a job, ‘you are a Major League Baseball’, I told him, “recalls Payano, on the phone with Diario Libre. “Since I saw him I said he was a Major League Baseball, because of the conditions, the ability to pitch, what happens is that because of age he really developed late, it was his problem.”
Payano, in whose program he assures, increased his speed to 98 miles, and agent Juan Mosquea managed a scholarship for him to Cisco Junior College in Texas, where he landed last January, with little knowledge of English, but hunger to show the world that they claim to have on the ball.
He won pitcher of the week three times in a summer league with college players from Kansas City with the Braves team, which caught the attention of scouts and is currently negotiating the modest bonus he will receive. In the draft, the MLB suggests bonuses up to the 10th round, the lesser of $ 142,000 for the team and player to trade.
Where so much faith?
“What happens is that he and his family are Christians, I am a Christian too. God says in his word that there is nothing impossible for him and if we have faith in him we can achieve everything, as you have faith and are willing to take this journey with me, this journey is short, we are going to give it ”, says Payano.
Old
When Cincinnati Redlegs signed Diómedes Olivo in 1955 he was 36 years old, but with a long professional experience in the Caribbean, from Mexico to Puerto Rico. Timoniel Pérez signed with the Mets at the age of 25 in 2000, but from the Japanese Hiroshima Toyo Carp, where he had arrived at 21. The same happened with pitcher Esmailin Caridad, who was signed by the Cubs at age 24, but came from baseball. nippon. Michael Martínez, who was 23 years and 271 days old when he signed in 2005, is the player from Quito who has signed his first professional contract and with the MLB at an older age.