Henry Baez

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Right / Right
2024 opening day age: 22
Height / Weight: 6-foot-3 / 175 pounds
How acquired: Signed as an international amateur in July 2019 (Dominican Republic)
Contract status: Has yet to make MLB debut
fWAR in 2024: N/A
Key 2024 stats (minors): 7-4, 2.99 ERA, 109 strikeouts, 40 walks, 1.09 WHIP, .212 opponent average, 126⅓ innings (26 starts)

.607 — Baez’s opponent OPS in 2024, a career low as he advanced to Double-A for the first time in his career. His opponent OPS has dropped from .693 in 2022 in rookie ball to .661 in 2023 at two A-ball stops to .562 to start the season at high Single-A Fort Wayne (2.95 ERA). Baez finished the year with a .674 opponent OPS over his nine starts at Double-A San Antonio (3.06 ERA).

Up — One of three players added to the 40-man roster this offseason to protect them from the Rule 5 draft, Baez has trended upward since signing for $125,000 out of the Dominican. While he lost his first season to the pandemic, Baez debuted in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 (4.25 ERA), pitched in Arizona the next year (3.82 ERA) and started his full-season arc in 2023 (3.84 ERA). That year ended with Baez allowing a 7.20 ERA over four starts at high Single-A Fort Wayne. But he was one of the Midwest League’s better pitchers to start 2024 (2.95 ERA) and held his own in the Texas League (3.06 ERA) over his final nine starts of the season, although his strikeout rate dropped from 9.2 per nine innings to 5.6 after the promotion. Ranked No. 7 in the Padres system by MLB.com, Baez pushed his fastball velocity to as high as 97 mph as he’s gained strength in pro ball. He also throws a slider and a change-up.

The Padres were looking at pitchers like Baez when justifying moving the likes of Robby Snelling and Dylan Lesko to fortify the 2024 bullpen. While the draft also injected starting pitching prospects to keep an eye on, Baez begins the season as one of the organization’s best starting pitching prospects after leading the system in ERA and WHIP in 2024. He’ll likely start 2025 back at Double-A San Antonio and could find his way to the majors in the second half of the season.

Padres Pitching Prospect Henry Baez At High Single-A Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne Tincaps).