Hansel Paulino

Hansel Paulino Tavarez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 190 lb.

• Born January 3, 1996 in La Vega, La Vega D.R.

BR Register page

Biographical Information

Hansel Paulino has pitched in the minors and for the Dominican national team.

He was signed by Houston Astros scouts Oz Ocampo, Roman Ocumarez and Francis Mojica in 2014. He split the summer between the DSL Astros Blue and DSL Astros Orange (a combined 0-1 with a 12.71 ERA and 4.94 WHIP). He was 1-4 with a save and a 4.93 ERA for the 2015 DSL Astros Blue, walking only 5 in 42 innings. He pitched in 2016 for the DSL Astros Orange (3 R in 12 IP) and GCL Astros (1-1, 2 Sv, 5.04 in 12 G). During 2017, he was 4-3 with a 3.48 ERA for the Greeneville Astros; his 54 1/3 IP were the most of his career in the minors. He tied Gilmael Troya and Nick Brown for 8th in the Appalachian League with 54 K.

Paulino split 2018 between the Tri-City ValleyCats (0-1, Sv, 3.57 in 9 G) and Quad Cities River Bandits (2-1, Sv, also a 3.57 in 9 G!), fanning 45 in 40 1/3 IP overall. In '19, he was back with Tri-City (2-1, 1.42 in 4 G) and Quad Cities (0-1, 2.25 in 2 G). He had gone 10-13 with 5 saves and a 4.15 ERA in 71 minor league games (17 starts), whiffing 192 in 195 innings.

In the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games, he relieved Joel Cesar with a 5-5 tie in the 7th, the bases loaded and no outs against Nicaragua. He turned in a clutch performance, striking out the side (Jacksell Mairena, Jose Orozco and Sandy Bermúdez). After the Dominicans took the lead in the 8th, he threw another scoreless frame, ending it with a strikeout of Rodolfo Bone to get the win over Jorge Bucardo. His next game, he relieved Cesar Rosado and threw two shutout innings to beat Mexico and Yoanner Negrín; it was Mexico's lone loss of the Games. In the Bronze Medal Game, he again was given a big role, replacing Rosado again. This time, he gave up 3 runs, but all were unearned and he took a 8-7 loss to Eduardo Paredes. He tied Paredes, Wilmer Ríos and Yoennis Yera for the most wins in the Games, tied Paredes for the ERA lead, tied for 8th in appearances and was second with 9 strikeouts (7 shy of Yera). He pitched two shutout innings in the 2023 Pan American Games; in the 5th/6th place game, he beat Carlos Juan Viera and Cuba. Relieving Rafael García with a 5-4 deficit, he retired Roberto Baldoquín, allowed a Yurisbel Gracial single (Gracial was then caught stealing) and got Dayán García on a grounder. When the Dominicans scored a pair, eh got the victory.