What were you doing at age 18? Victor Lizarraga was facing batters four years his senior. How’d he do?
- Born: November 30, 2003
- B/T: Right/Right
- 6’3″, 180-lbs
- Signed as a free agent by the San Diego Padres in 2021
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
Lizarraga began his pro carer as a 17-year-old at Rookie ball. He struck out enough batters, but he walked too many, and it hurt his WHIP and xFIP.
In 2022 he had his first full year — as an 18-year-old — and he spent the year at A ball. His walk rate was cut by a third, and while his strikeout rate slid backward, his WHIP and his xFIP improved.
Monthly Splits
In the monthlies we see that his walk rate was worse in the first half of the season, and his strikeout rate actually got better as the season went on, until he finished September with a flourish. That’s a good sign of a growing arm.
Handedness K% and BB%
A (vs RH): 23%K and 9%BB. (vs LH): 24%K and 8%BB.
Virtually the same no matter who he faces.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: Not on their Top 400
- Fantrax: Not on their Top 400
- RotoProspects: #370 on Top 500
Warnings
We need to see more consistent command so that he doesn’t hurt his WHIP.
Would love to see that September strikeout rate carried more over the full season.
Conclusion
Hey, he was only 18, so we cut him some slack! His command is a work in progress, as are his curve and changeup, and the shape of his fastball.
No rush for such a young kid. Let 2023 be the year he starts at High-A and transitions to Double-A. Then we can see if he is developing the skills he would need to be an eventual part of the San Diego rotation.
So far, so good, Victor.