Former Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Reyes Moronta died in a car accident in his native Dominican Republic. Moronta was 31 years old.
As the news began to trickle out about the incident, fans, teams and organizations, including the National Baseball Hall of Fame and MLB Players Association, posted in remembrance of the right-hander.
Moronta’s career in Major League Baseball spanned parts of six seasons, pitching for the San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Angels. Moronta began his professional career in 2010, when signing with the Giants as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic.
Having a terrific big league career left an imprint on all who watched, even in his last few seasons, when Moronta became a contributor in the bullpen. With the Dodgers, he pitched to a 4.18 ERA, 5.11 FIP and 1.14 WHIP over 22 games.
The Hall of Fame remembers Giants, Dodgers, Diamondbacks and Angels pitcher Reyes Moronta, who passed away Sunday. pic.twitter.com/l8TQh9GPvi
— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) July 29, 2024
The player community was shocked and saddened to learn of Reyes Moronta’s death in a traffic accident Sunday. We send our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends in his native Dominican Republic and throughout the game. pic.twitter.com/UdMB81Eru8
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) July 29, 2024
Following his time with the Dodgers, Moronta was claimed by the Diamondbacks, where he finished out the remainder of the 2022 season. Moronta’s final year in MLB came in 2023, when he made a brief appearance on the Angels’ roster but otherwise spent most of the year with their Triple-A affiliate.
Rather than sign with an MLB team this year, Moronta latched on to the Mexican League’s Bravos de Leon.
In his Major League career, Moronta held a 3.05 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, with 202 strikeouts in 171.1 innings.
Reyes Moronta’s MLB career
Moronta’s peak in MLB spanned from 2018-2019, when he posted a 2.66 ERA in 121.2 innings pitched with the Giants.
He made 125 appearances in those two seasons and emerged as an anchor for the Giants’ bullpen. Moronta averaged 11.02 strikeouts per nine innings and allowed just 0.59 home runs per nine.
Among qualified relievers in that span, Moronta ranked 24th in MLB in strikeouts per nine and 18th in ERA. Stranding 79.7% of baserunners, he was 26th-best in the league.
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