Juan Noriega (minors02)

Juan Ramón Noriega Tavarez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 231 lb. (as per 2018 CACG site; BR registers list 5' 7", 145 lb.)

• Born September 3, 1990 in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco Mexico

BR register page

Biographical Information

Juan Noriega has pitched in over 650 games as a pro before his 30th birthday and for the Mexican national team.

Noriega debuted with the Acereros de Monclova in the 2010 Mexican League; the teenager saw regular action, working 46 games (second on the team to LOOGY Adrian Ramirez) and going 5-1 with a 4.30 ERA. He spent the winter with the Cañeros de Los Mochis, pitching one shutout inning. In 2011, he was signed by Los Angeles Dodgers scout Mike Brito. He split the summer between Monclova (0-1, 3 Sv, 4.42), the AZL Dodgers (0 R in 13 IP) and the Ogden Raptors (0 R in 4 IP), making a strong US debut. He was 3-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 40 games that winter for Los Mochis. He was second in the Mexican Pacific League in pitching appearances, two shy of Hugo Castellanos.

In 2012, he pitched 38 games for the Great Lakes Loons (3-2, Sv, 2.78), 6 for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (11.37 ERA) and then worked in 31 more that winter for the Cañeros (2-3, Sv, 4.23). He tied for 10th in the LMP in games pitched. He did much better for the 2013 Quakes (1-2, 1.45 in 14 G) but spent most of the season with Monclova (4-5, 3.26 in 34 G). He was 1-2 with a save and a 2.90 ERA in 35 games for Los Mochis in 2013-2014. He tied veteran Gaudencio Aguirre for 6th in the league in games pitched. He did not pitch in the 2014 Mexican League, spending the summer with the Chattanooga Lookouts (5-5, Sv, 3.58 in 39 G) and making the Southern League All-Star Game in his last season in the Dodgers chain. He had another busy winter for Los Mochis (2-1, Sv, 1.82 in 32 G).

The Jalisco native was 1-2 with 9 saves and a 4.99 ERA in 53 games for Monclova in 2015. He was 1-1 with a 5.24 ERA in 26 games in winter ball. He pitched 60 games for the 2016 Acereros (5-2, 4.44) to tie Arcenio León for 4th in the LMB in appearances. In the winter, he moved from Los Mochis to the Tomateros de Culiacán, going 4-0 with a 0.56 ERA in 32 games for a stellar performance. Among pitchers with 30+ IP, only Jake Sanchez and Derrick Loop had lower ERAs. He started 2017 with Monclova and was 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA in 27 games. He then moved to the Pericos de Puebla and went 1-2 with two saves and a 3.80 ERA in 21 games the remainder of the year. He had a save and a 2.57 ERA for the Tomateros in 2017-2018. He opened 2018 back with Monclova and was 5-1 with a 3.70 ERA in 26 games in the spring season as Mexico tried a two-season format for the year.

Noriega pitched three games for Mexico in the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games (3 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 K). He only pitched three times for Monclova in the second half (4.91 ERA) before joining Puebla again, where he struggled (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 18 H in 11 IP). He was much better in the winter with 10 1/3 innings without allowing a run over 18 games, going 2-0. He then made Mexico's squad for the 2019 Pan American Games Qualifier.