| Vidal Nuño | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Nuño with the Baltimore Orioles | |
| El Águila de Veracruz – No. 70 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1987-07-26)July 26, 1987 (age 38) National City, California, U.S. | |
Bats: Left Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 29, 2013, for the New York Yankees | |
| MLB statistics (through 2018 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 8–21 |
| Earned run average | 4.06 |
| Strikeouts | 312 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
Vidal Vicente Nuño [vee-dahl' nooh'-nio] (born July 26, 1987) is an American professionalbaseballpitcher forEl Águila de Veracruz of theMexican League. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theNew York Yankees,Arizona Diamondbacks,Seattle Mariners,Baltimore Orioles, andTampa Bay Rays. TheCleveland Indians selected Nuño in the 48th round of the2009 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut in 2013 with the Yankees.
Nuño attendedSweetwater High School inNational City, California, where he played for the school's baseball team. As a junior, in 2004, Nuño recorded 107strikeouts and was named the Mesa League Pitcher of the Year.[1][2]
Due to his poor academic track record, Nuño could not receive a scholarship from aDivision I school. Wanting to leave theSan Diego metropolitan area, he attendedBaker University inBaldwin City, Kansas, where he playedcollege baseball for theBaker Wildcats in theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. In two seasons at Baker, Nuño had a 15–7win–loss record.[3] He was named theHeart of America Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year as a junior in 2008.[4]
TheCleveland Indians selected Nuño in the 48th round of the2009 Major League Baseball draft,[4] with the 1,445th overall selection.[5] That year, he pitched for theMahoning Valley Scrappers of theLow–ANew York–Pennsylvania League. He began the season as arelief pitcher, but was moved into thestarting rotation.[6] He finished the season with a 2.05earned run average (ERA).[5] In 2010, Nuño was promoted to theLake County Captains of theSingle–AMidwest League. After pitching to a 4.96 ERA in 21 games, the Indians released Nuño on March 26, 2011, and suggested that in order to continue his career, he should develop achangeup.[4]
Nuño began the 2011 season pitching in independent baseball for theWashington Wild Things of theFrontier League, where he worked on his changeup. In six games with the Wild Things, Nuño recorded a 2.83 ERA with 34 strikeouts.
_(Cropped).jpg)
On June 18, 2011, Nuño signed with theNew York Yankees organization, and was assigned to theStaten Island Yankees of the New York–Penn League. He also pitched for theCharleston RiverDogs of the Single–ASouth Atlantic League.[4] In 2012, Nuño played for theTampa Yankees of theHigh–AFlorida State League andTrenton Thunder of theDouble–AEastern League.[7] Across both levels, Nuño pitched to a 10–6 win–loss record with a 2.54 ERA, the best among all Yankees' minor league pitchers, across138+1⁄3innings pitched.[8]
The Yankees invited Nuño tospring training in 2013. He won theJames P. Dawson Award as the best rookie in camp.[8] Assigned to theScranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of theTriple–AInternational League, he was named the league's pitcher of the week for the week ending April 21, after he won both of his starts, allowing one run in11+2⁄3 innings, with twowalks and 14 strikeouts.[9]
WithIván Nova on thedisabled list, the Yankees promoted Nuño to the major leagues on April 27, 2013.[10] He made his major league debut on April 29, pitching three scoreless innings in relief.[11] On May 13, he made his second appearance, his first major league start, in the second game of adoubleheader against theCleveland Indians.[12] Nuño pitched five scoreless innings and got his first career win.[13] The next day, the Yankees optioned Nuño to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to activateCurtis Granderson from thedisabled list.[14]
On May 17, 2013, Nuño was recalled back to the New York Yankees MLB roster, following an injury toAndy Pettitte that forced him to the 15-day disabled list. In a relief outing against theBaltimore Orioles on May 21, he recorded his first major league loss after surrendering a lead-off home run toNate McLouth in the 10th inning. He was again optioned to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on May 30, 2013. Nuño was placed on the disabled list in June and missed the remainder of the 2013 season.[15]
Nuño competed withMichael Pineda,David Phelps, andAdam Warren for the final spot in the Yankees' starting rotation during spring training in 2014.[16] Pineda won the final spot, and Nuño made the Yankees'Opening Day roster as a relief pitcher.[17] After pitching in relief in three games, Nuño made his first start of the 2014 season on April 20.[18] Nuño started 14 games for the Yankees, going 2–5 while allowing up 15 home runs in 78 innings.
On July 6, 2014, Nuño was traded to the Diamondbacks for pitcherBrandon McCarthy.[19] Nuño pitched to a 3.74 ERA as a member of the Diamondbacks' starting rotation, but did not win a game in 14 starts, going 0–7 with the Diamondbacks and finishing the year with a win–loss record of 2–12 and a 4.56 ERA in 28 starts.[20] Nuno began the 2015 season with theReno Aces of the Triple–APacific Coast League. He was promoted to the majors on May 11 and made one appearance before he was optioned to Reno on May 16.[21]
_(cropped).jpg)
On June 3, 2015, the Diamondbacks traded Nuño andMark Trumbo to theSeattle Mariners for catcherWelington Castillo, relieverDominic Leone and prospectsGabby Guerrero andJack Reinheimer.[22] Nuño pitched to a 1–4 record with a 5.08 ERA in ten games started, and a 1.91 ERA in 25 appearances as a relief pitcher.[23] When he won a start on September 9, it was his first major league victory since June 27, 2014, and he broke a string of 44 appearances and 20 starts without a win; his 20-start winless streak had been tied for the longest active streak without a win in the major league's with Atlanta'sShelby Miller.[24]
In 2016, the Mariners determined that they would use Nuño solely as a relief pitcher.[23] In 56 appearances, including onestart, he posted a 3.53 ERA in58+2⁄3 innings.
On November 6, 2016, the Mariners traded Nuño to theLos Angeles Dodgers for catcherCarlos Ruiz.[25] Nuño and the Dodgers avoided salary arbitration on January 10, 2017, by agreeing to a one-year, $1.125 million contract.[26] On February 19, he was traded to theBaltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitcher Ryan Moseley.[27] In 12 appearances for Baltimore, Nuño struggled to an 0-1 record and 10.43 ERA with 13 strikeouts across14+2⁄3 innings pitched. On August 23, Nuño was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-ANorfolk Tides.[28] He elected free agency on October 1.
On November 7, 2017, Nuno signed a minor league contract with theTampa Bay Rays organization.[29] He began the 2018 season with the Triple-ADurham Bulls of the International League, and was promoted to the major leagues in May.[30] Nuno ended the season with an earned run average of 1.64 in 33 innings (17 appearances) out of the bullpen.[31] He threw aslider 67.0% of the time, tops in MLB.[32] Nuño was removed from the 40-man roster on November 2, and sent outright to Durham.[33] He subsequently elected free agency the same day.[34]
On January 17, 2019, Nuño signed a minor league contract with theWashington Nationals that included an invitation tospring training.[35] In 18 appearances for the Triple-AFresno Grizzlies, he logged a 1–1 record and 7.25 ERA with 25 strikeouts and two saves across22+1⁄3 innings pitched. Nuño was released by the Nationals organization on May 27.[36]
On June 3, 2019, the Rays signed Nuño to a minor league deal.[37] In 27 games for the Triple–ADurham Bulls, he recorded a 7.58 ERA with 33 strikeouts across29+2⁄3 innings of work. Nuño became a free agent following the season on November 4.[38]
On February 18, 2020, Nuño signed with theToros de Tijuana of theMexican League. Nuño did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of theCOVID-19 pandemic.[39] Nuño recorded 11 scoreless innings in 2021 for Tijuana.
On June 1, 2021, Nuño signed a minor league contract with theLos Angeles Dodgers organization.[40] He pitched in 18 games (seven starts) for the Triple–AOklahoma City Dodgers, compiling a 6–2 record and a 6.58 ERA with 43 strikeouts over53+1⁄3 innings.[41]
On February 28, 2022, Nuño signed with theToros de Tijuana of theMexican League.[42] Nuño made seven appearances for Tijuana, logging a 1.35 ERA with six strikeouts in6+2⁄3 innings pitched. On January 23, 2023, Nuño was released by Tijuana.[43]
On March 8, 2023, Nuño signed with theAcereros de Monclova of theMexican League.[44] In 28 appearances for Monclova, he posted a stellar 0.86 ERA with 30 strikeouts in31+1⁄3 innings pitched.[45]
Nuño made 42 appearances for Monclova in 2024, recording a 3.06 ERA with 27 strikeouts across32+1⁄3 innings of relief. He was released by the Acereros on February 12, 2025.[46]
On April 18, 2025, Nuño signed with theCharros de Jalisco of theMexican League.[47] In 14 appearances for Jalisco, he struggled to a 1–1 record and 6.57 ERA with nine strikeouts across12+1⁄3 innings pitched. Nuño was released by the Charros on June 8.[48]
On June 9, 2025, Nuño signed withEl Águila de Veracruz of theMexican League.[49]
He was selectedMexico national baseball team at the2017 World Baseball Classic.
On October 29, 2018, he was selected as a member of the MLB All-Stars in the2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series.[50]
· Baseball Almanac