Horacio Acosta

Horacio A. Acosta Marthe

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 194 lb.

• School Point Park University, Wabash Valley College
• High School Westwood Christian High School

• Born October 24, 1990 in Miami, FL USA

BR minors page

Biographical Information

Horacio Acosta has pitched in the US and Colombia.

Acosta was 3-0 with two saves and a 2.12 ERA for Point Park University in 2012. He went 6-0 with a save and a 3.14 ERA in 39 games for the 2015 Normal CornBelters, his pro debut in the US. He had a very good winter for the Caimanes de Barranquilla, going 1-0 with a save and a 1.00 ERA in the regular season with only 8 hits in 18 innings with a 18 K:3 BB ratio. In the finals, he tossed 4 1/3 shutout frames, saving two, as the Caimanes won the Colombian League title.

He pitched for the Colombian national team that won the 2015 South American Championship for a spot in the 2015 Pan American Games. With Colombia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers, Acosta was their lone pitcher to appear in all three games. In the opener, he relieved Greg Nappo in the 8th with a 9-2 lead over Spain (defending its spot from the 2013 World Baseball Classic). He retired Engel Beltre then whiffed Jesús Ustariz on three pitches. Blake Ochoa and Jesús Golindano both singled, but Acosta got Daniel Martinez to end the frame; Yesid Salazar closed it out in the 9th. In game 2, he relieved Carlos Diaz in the 9th with a 6-2 lead over host Panama. He walked Anthony Amaya, who advanced on a grounder by Isaias Velasquez. After a wild pitch, Carlos Ruiz singled to make it 6-3. Javy Guerra flew out and José Camarena went down swinging to end the threat. In the finale, also against Panama, with a spot in the 2017 World Baseball Classic at stake, the right-hander replaced Diaz in the 9th with one out and a 2-1 lead. He got Carlos Quiroz and Velasquez to ground out for the save, sealing the deal as Colombia made it to their first World Baseball Classic. His 3.38 ERA wound up second-highest on a strong staff (only Kendy Batista was higher) that put Colombia into the Classic.

He was 9-4 with a 3.64 ERA for Normal in 2016, tying Clay Chapman and Jay Fisher for third in the Frontier League in wins. In the 2016 South American Championship, he had mixed results. He was the only hurler with multiple saves, against eventual Silver Medalist Argentina and Chile; Jonathan Farías was the only other hurler to save a game in the tournament. On the other hand, he took two tough losses. Colombia led 4-3 against eventual Gold Medalist Brazil when Acosta took over for Juan Corpas in the 9th, but he allowed four hits and four runs (two earned) in a loss. In the semifinals, he came in during the 10th and took the loss to Argentina as defending champ Colombia fell to the Bronze Medal game (which they won). He joined Kevin Yamamoto, Farías and Walter Vargas as the only pitchers with multiple losses in the event.

Sources

• World Baseball Classic
• Point Park University
• Normal CornBelters
• Colombian League
• 2016 South American Championship Final Report