Abdiel Velasquez

Abdiel Joel Velasquez King

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 185 lb.

• Born March 4, 1993 in Colón, Colón Panama

BR register page

Biographical Information

Abdiel Velasquez pitched in the minors and for the Panamanian national team.

Velasquez was signed by Los Angeles Dodgers scout Gustavo Zapata in July 2009. He was 2-1 with a save and a 2.53 ERA for the 2010 DSL Dodgers, with 20 walks but only 16 hits in 32 innings. With the same club in 2011, he had a 1-4, 4.05 record; he cut his walks (to 18) in 46 2/3 IP but allowed more hits (54). He split 2012 between the DSL Dodgers (0-1, 2.45 in 6 G) and AZL Dodgers (0-1, 3 R in 2 IP). He spent all of '13 in the US, going 3-2 with a save and a 4.72 ERA for the AZL Dodgers. He slipped to 2-5, 5.35 for the 2014 Ogden Raptors. He finished his minor league career at 8-14, 4.29 with two saves in 60 games (33 starts). In 216 innings, he allowed 207 hits and 92 walks while striking out 163.

He was 0-2 for Panama in the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games but did not pitch that badly (4.00 ERA, 5 H, 5 BB in 9 IP). He took the decision in a 7-5 loss to rival Nicaragua and a tough 3-1 loss to Mexico in which he allowed only two hits and two runs in seven, but a Luis Suárez two-run homer did him in as he got little support. He tied Carlos Teller and Jorge Rehwoldt for the event lead in defeats. He was back with Panama for the 2017 Bolivarian Games, but was the team's worst hurler (6 H, 2 BB, 3 R in 3 IP), struggling in a start against El Salvador; Andy Otero had the next-worst ERA at 4.82.