Julio Pimentel

Julio Cesar Pimentel

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 195 lb.

• Born December 14, 1985 in La Romana, La Romana D.R.

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Julio Pimentel played in the minor leagues from 2003 to 2008 before arm issues derailed his career. After sitting out a year, he attempted an unsuccessful comeback in 2010, then retired for good. The highlight of his career was being named to play in the 2008 Futures Game as a member of the World Team.

He was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 14, 2003 season and immediately began his career with the DSL Dodgers North, going 1-1, 4.09 in 8 games. Moving to the United States, he was with the Columbus Catfish of the South Atlantic League in 2004, going 10-8, 3.48 in 23 starts, logging 111 1/3 innings. In 2005, he was with the Vero Beach Dodgers in the Florida State League, but he fell to 8-10, 5.08 in 26 games. He started the 2006 season back with Vero Beach and 3-8, 5.69 in his first 30 games, just 9 of which were starts. On July 26th, however, he was traded to the Kansas City Royals along with Odalis Perez and Blake Johnson in return for Elmer Dessens. The Royals assigned him to the High Desert Mavericks of the California League and he managed to turn things around, going 2-1, 3.18 in 12 appearances, all in relief.

In 2007, he had a fantastic season with the Wilmington Blue Rocks of the Carolina League, finishing at 12-4, 2.65. He was back to starting, making 22 starts in 27 appearances, logged 152 2/3 innings. He was named a mid-season All-Star. There were a few caveats, such as the fact it was his third straight full season at the level, and a very mediocre strikeout rate, with 73 Ks and 43 walks. But it put him back on the prospect radar and led to his appearance in the Futures Game the next year. In 2008, he was with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals of the Texas League, but he fell back to 7-13, 5.38. He had pitched briefly for the Azucareros del Este in the Dominican League the previous winter, but when he returned to the team for the 2008-09 winter league season, something was obviously wrong, as he gave up 10 runs on 13 hits in just 5 2/3 innings and was given his release. Turns out that he had hurt his arm. He missed all of 2009, then in 2010 pitched 9 innings for the AZL Royals in a failed comeback attempt. He spent all of 2011 back on the disabled list then was let go after the season, ending his career.

Pimentel became a coach with the DSL Royals (likely DSL Royals 2) in 2018 and moved up to the AZL Royals in 2019. He was slated to return to the AZL in 2020 before the coronavirus pandemic shut down minor league baseball. When play resumed in 2021, Pimentel was a pitching coach for one of the two ACL Royals teams. In 2022 he served as the organization's pitching rehabilitation coach before working as a pitching coach for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League. Pimentel returned to the field, once again as an ACL Royals pitching coach in 2023-2024.