Jeremiah Estrada

Position(s): Right-handed pitcher
Bats / Throws: Both / Right
2025 opening day age: 26
Height / Weight: 6-foot-1 / 185 pounds
How acquired: Claimed off waivers in November 2023 (Chicago Cubs)
Contract status: Earned $741,500 in 2024; will not be arbitration-eligible until 2027.
fWAR in 2024: 1.6
Key 2024 stats: 6-3, 2.95 ERA, 1 save, 16 holds, 94 strikeouts, 23 walks, 1.07 WHIP, .188 opponent average, 61 innings (62 games)

STAT TO NOTE

161 — The Stuff+ rating of Estrada’s high-90s fastball, behind only Emmanuel Clase (206) among all pitchers with at least 60 innings in 2024. The Fangraphs metric attempts to identify the nastiest pitches in the game, based on release point, velocity, vertical and horizontal movement and spin rate. His overall Stuff+ rating (142) ranked sixth in the majors and that translated to a 37.3 strikeout rate, which ranked in the top 1% off qualifying pitchers.

Up — Estrada had a 5.51 ERA over 16⅓ innings with the Cubs when they waived him after the 2023 season. He’d already been working to refine a splitter with Cubs pitching coordinator Tony Cougoule. Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla and bullpen coach Ben Fritz had been influential, as had the team’s new biomechanics lab, on whipping his slider into shape. Estrada competed for a bullpen job in spring training, but the team was looking for him to be in the zone a bit more when he was sent to Triple-A El Paso after opening the season on the roster for the Seoul Series (1 IP, 0 ER, 2 BBs, 1 K). He had compiled 20 strikeouts in 8⅔ innings (2.08 ERA) in the minors when he earned a return trip to the majors. Estrada debuted with 2⅓ shutout innings on April 26, recorded his first save on May 17 and by May 28 had piled up an MLB-record 13 straight strikeouts. The surge pushed Estrada toward the back end of the bullpen, only for a bout with the flu to set him back. He lost some 15 pounds during the illness and largely yo-yoed between bad months (7.15 ERA in June and a 6.52 ERA in August) and good months (1.46 ERA in July and an 0.84 ERA in September) the rest of the season. Along the way, the trades for Tanner Scott and Jason Adam lowered Estrada’s usage in high-leverage spots. Estrada went on to appear in five postseason games, striking out five and allowing an unearned run on five hits and a walk.

2025 OUTLOOK

With Scott leaving as a free agent, Estrada will likely figure into the bridge to closer Robert Suarez. Of course, Suarez could opt out after the season, so the Padres may also look to get Estrada’s feet wet in save situations from time to time as he certainly has the stuff (see stat to note) to close games.

Padres Players Douse Pitcher Jeremiah Estrada After A 4-0 Win Against The Miami Marlins At Petco Park On Monday, May 28, 2024 In San Diego, Ca. Estrada Set The Mlb Record After He Struck Out 13 Batters In A Row. (K.c. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Roster rankings

16. RHP Matt Waldron
17. INF Eguy Rosario
18. RHP Randy Vásquez
19. RHP Bryan Hoeing
20. LHP Yuki Matsui
21. RHP Sean Reynolds
22. C Luis Campusano
23. RHP Alek Jacob
24. OF Tirso Ornelas
25. RHP Ryan Bergert
26. RHP Henry Baez
27. LHP Omar Cruz
28. OF Brandon Lockridge
29. LHP Tom Cosgrove
30. RHP Stephen Kolek
31. RHP Juan Nuñez
32. C Brett Sullivan
33. UT Tyler Wade
34. LHP Wandy Peralta

JEREMIAH ESTRADA

STAT TO NOTE

TRENDING

2025 OUTLOOK

Roster rankings