Omar Bencomo Jr.

Omar David Bencomo Lamas

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 170 lb.

• Born February 10, 1989 in Valencia, Carabobo Venezuela

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Pitcher Omar Bencomo began playing in the minor leagues in 2007, after having been signed an international amateur free agent by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. As of 2023, he was still active playing in the winter leagues. He is the son of Omar Bencomo Sr.

Omar's first stint in organized baseball lasted from 2007 to 2011, starting with a couple of seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League. He moved to the U.S. with the Princeton Rays of the Appalachian League in 2009, going 2-1, 3.47 in 9 games as a starter, then was with the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York-Penn League in 2010 and the Bowling Green Hot Rods of the Midwest League in 2011. While he did not pitch badly, he also failed to distinguish himself as a top prospect, going 1-3, 4.60 in 2010 and 4-5, 3.97 as a full-time reliever in 2011.

After not playing in 2012, he resurfaced in the Venezuelan League in 2013-14 and 2014-15, with the Bravos de Margarita, then in 2015 moved to the independent leagues in the U.S. with the Wichita Wingnuts and Laredo Lemurs of the American Association, showing enough for the Minnesota Twins to give him another shot in the affiliated minors. He finished that season with 3 games for the Fort Myers Miracle of the Florida State League and that winter pitched in the 2016 Caribbean Series on loan to the Tigres de Aragua from Margarita. In 2016, he continued to move his career back on track by pitching in both AA and AAA in the Twins' system, for the Chattanooga Lookouts and Rochester Red Wings, finishing a combined 7-7, 3.74 in 24 games as a swingman. That winter, he returned to the Caribbean Series, again on loan to Aragua for the tournament, and had a brilliant outing in his only start on February 2nd, limiting the Criollos de Caguas to one run in five innings to earn a 4-3 win. In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, he was one of Venezuela's few players without MLB experience. He was not in the back of the bullpen either, getting a key start against Italy for the last spot in the second round. He allowed a John Andreoli double and Daniel Descalso RBI single but then pitched three shutout innings, turning the ball over to Deolis Guerra with a 1-0 deficit against A.J. Morris. Venezuela would rally for a 3-1 win after he left.

In 2017, he moved to the Miami Marlins as a free agent and again pitched in AA and AAA, going 5-6, 4.95 in 22 games between the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp and New Orleans Baby Cakes. He was also very busy with Margarita in the winter of 2017-18, going 5-7, 4.42 in 14 starts and 75 1/3 innings, very high totals for a winter league season. He returned to the Twins system in 2018 and again pitched in AA and AAA. He was named a mid-season All-Star in the Southern League after going 8-6, 3.45 in 26 games for Chattanooga, and also pitched twice for Rochester in the International League. He followed that with a great year for Margarita in 2018-19, going 6-1, 1.25 in 9 games. But for all of his success everywhere he pitched, he failed to get a chance at the Show and after signing with the Baltimore Orioles in the winter of 2019, he was cut in spring training and thus ended his second stint in the affiliated minors.

In 2019, he pitched for three teams in the Mexican League, going 6-9, 6.30 in 25 games. From 2019-20 to 2021-22, he pitched three consecutive season for Margarita in the Venezuelan League, and nowhere else, but combined to go 1-14. He was signed by Italy's Parma team but did not get into a game in 2021. In 2022-23, he played for the Caribes de Anzoategui in Venezuela, and the Caimanes de Barranquilla in the Colombian League, combining to go 3-3, 6.25 in 14 starts, as it appeared increasingly that he was reaching the end of the line at age 33.