Kendy Batista

From BR Bullpen

Kendy J. Batista

  • Bats Right, Throws Right
  • Height 6' 2", Weight 165 lb.

BR register page

Biographical Information[edit]

Kendy Batista has played as high as AAA.

Batista was 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA for the 2000 DSL Athletics East, allowing 17 hits in 9 1/3 IP. With the DSL Athletics West in 2001, he improved to 4-3, 3.41 with 72 K in 74 IP. Released by the Oakland A's that year, he was signed by the Baltimore Orioles five years later. With the 2006 VSL Orioles/White Sox, he went 2-1 with five saves and a 2.35 ERA, striking out 27 in 15 1/3 IP with a WHIP under 1. He tied for 6th in the Venezuelan Summer League in saves but was the oldest hurler in the league to appear in 12+ games. The Texas Rangers took him in the AAA portion of the 2006 Rule V Draft.

In the 2006-2007 Venezuelan Winter League, the right-hander was 1-3 with a 4.10 ERA for the Tiburones de La Guaira. He moved around the Rangers chain in 2007 with stops for the AZL Rangers (0 R in 2 IP, 4 K), Bakersfield Blaze (6-2, Sv, 3.97, 94 K:27 BB in 95 1/3 IP) and Frisco RoughRiders (0-1, 5 R in 5 IP). He was 9th in the Texas chain in whiffs, between Andrew Walker and Doug Mathis. In 2007-2008, he was 2-0 with a 3.44 ERA for La Guaira. He tied for 9th in the VWL in games pitched (27). He allowed two runs in seven postseason innings.

Kendy split 2008 between Frisco (2-2, 2 Sv, 3.91 in 17 G) and the Oklahoma RedHawks (1 shutout inning). He struggled in the winter for the Tiburones (1-1, 5.96 in 22 G) but had a 2.19 ERA in five postseason games. Let go by Texas, he was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers, his 4th MLB organization. He pitched in the summer of '09 for the Inland Empire 66ers (1-2, 4.99 in 12 G, 39 K in 30 2/3 IP) and Chattanooga Lookouts (5-1, Sv, 2.17 in 24 G). He allowed five runs (three earned) in three innings for La Guaira in 2009-2010.

Let go by Los Angeles, he did not play in the minors for the first time in five summers. In 2010-2011, he was 0-1 with a 3.98 ERA for the Tiburones then reinforced the Caribes de Anzoátegui for the postseason, with two saves and a 3.24 ERA as they won the title. In 2011, he played for the independent Wichita Wingnuts and was 1-3 with a 3.16 ERA in 35 relief outings. He had a fine winter for La Guaira, going 5-2 with a 2.10 ERA in 22 games and allowing 17 hits (but 13 walks) while striking out 27 in 25 2/3 IP. He tied Yusmeiro Petit, Yohan Pino, Andrew Baldwin and Jerome Williams for 5th in the circuit in victories.

He next appeared for La Guaira in the 2013-2014 VWL (presumably missing the prior year with injury), going 1-0 with a save and a 4.12 ERA in 18 games, walking 13 in 19 2/3 IP. He allowed four runs in 5 1/3 postseason innings. He began 2014-2015 back with La Guaira, going 0-1 with a 6.55 ERA in 8 games, then was traded with Johan Puello to Anzoátegui for Ramon Ramirez. He was 2-0 with a 3.65 ERA in 19 games following the deal. He was 1-0 in the postseason, tossing 5 1/3 shutout frames for the Caribes. In the 2015 Caribbean Series, he worked two games and allowed two runs in one inning. In the semifinals against Pinar del Río, he relieved Amalio Diaz with two on, one out and a 4-4 tie in the 7th. Alfredo Despaigne hit into a Niuman Romero error then Batista hit Yosvani Alarcón. Richard Salazar relieved and allowed both inherited runners to score, putting the Caribes behind for good.

Batista was 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA for the 2015-2016 Tiburones and was 6th with 31 games pitched. He was 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in 10 postseason games. He then joined the Colombian national team for the 2017 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. He struggled in his lone outing for them. Relieving William Cuevas in the 5th inning of the opener against Spain, he allowed hits to Jesús Golindano and Jesús Merchan but retired Yasser Gómez, Luis Guillorme and Oscar Angulo to get out of the jam. In the 6th, he walked Yunesky Sanchez and Engel Beltre, then Angel Vilchez relieved him. Both runners scored, giving Batista a 18.00 ERA; it was Colombia's highest mark as they won a spot in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. Horacio Acosta was next-highest on the staff at 3.38 ERA.

After being traded to the Cardenales de Lara in 2016, he was 0-1 with a save and 10 runs in 10 innings for them that winter. He was on the Colombian designated pitcher pool for the 2017 World Baseball Classic but was not activated. In the 2017 Bolivarian Games, he pitched in four of Colombia's five games as they won Gold for the first time since 1973. He allowed two hits and three walks in 2 2/3 IP but no runs. He led the event in games pitched. In the Gold Medal game, he relieved Kevin Escorcia with a 6-4 lead over defending champion Panama in the 8th and got the last two outs of the inning. Jhon Romero took over in the 9th to close it out.

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