Call to the pen
Fansided

San Francisco Giants: Dereck Rodriguez, son of Pudge, called up

By Benjamin Chase

SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Pitcher Dereck Rodriguez (83) poses for a photo during the San Francisco Giants photo day on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Pitcher Dereck Rodriguez (83) poses for a photo during the San Francisco Giants photo day on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018 at Scottsdale Stadium in Scottsdale, Ariz. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit


The San Francisco Giants have announced that they are calling up Dereck Rodriguez, the son of Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez

While the call-up of a pitcher from AAA isn’t usually big news, when the San Francisco Giants announced early Monday that they were calling up Dereck Rodriguez, it was a different situation. For most, the difference will be in his family connection in the game, as his father is former Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

Dereck was born in Arlington in 1992 while his father was playing for the Rangers, but he went to high school in Florida, where the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 6th round in 2011 as an outfielder.

This is where Rodriguez’s story gets unique and fun, and also why he’s making this debut with the San Francisco Giants instead of the team that drafted him, the Minnesota Twins.

Rodriguez struggled in three seasons as an outfielder, showing good raw power and a solid eye at the plate, but he hit just .216 with 6 home runs over 342 at bats in first three pro seasons. He transitioned to the mound in 2014 in the bullpen and moved to the rotation in 2015 with impressive success and an ability to handle heavy workloads.

In 2017, Rodriguez finally made it to the upper minors, splitting his season between high-A and AA. he tossed 143 1/3 innings, allowing a 3.27 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, and 38/121 BB/K ratio. However, the first three seasons as an outfielder meant that Dereck Rodriguez was eligible for minor league free agency after the 2017 season.

The San Francisco Giants signed Rodriguez, and he was assigned to the club’s AAA club. In spite of the hitting environment of the Pacific Coast League, Rodriguez has posted a 3.40 ERA over 50 1/3 innings, allowing a 1.19 WHIP and a 11/53 BB/K ratio.

Next: Top 10 Giants Prospects for 2018

Dereck Rodriguez will be utilized out of the bullpen at this time for the San Francisco Giants, but he will be a fun pitcher to track for not just his father’s legacy, but also for his own journey to the big leagues!

Home/San Francisco Giants