Sam Deduno

Samuel Deduno Lake

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 190 lb.
• High School Liceo Gaston Fernando Deligne
• Debut August 27, 2010
• Final Game May 13, 2015
• Born July 2, 1983 in La Romana, La Romana, D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Samuel Deduno won a pitching Triple Crown at AA in 2009 then made it to the majors the next year.

Playing Career

Deduno was signed by Colorado Rockies scout Felix Feliz in 2003. He made his pro debut that year with the DSL Rockies, going 3-4 with a 2.47 ERA. In 2004, he had a 6-4, 3.18 record for the Casper Rockies, striking out 118 in 76 innings and allowing a .216 average. He led the Pioneer League in innings, opponent average and strikeouts, tied Franklin Morales for the most starts (15) and was second in ERA behind Ray Liotta. He set a Rockies short-season affiliate record for whiffs. He was named the Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year. Baseball America rated him as the league's #8 prospect, second among Casper's four players in the top 20, behind Chris Nelson and ahead of Seth Smith and Morales.

Samuel fell to 8-8, 5.62 for the 2005 Asheville Tourists and missed over a month due to shoulder strain. He walked 65 in 89 2/3 innings but did strike out 110. With the Modesto Nuts the next year, the Dominican hurler was 5-8 with a 4.80 ERA. In the high-flying California League, he gave up a measly three home runs in 146 1/3 innings while allowing a .222 average. On the other hand, he led the league in hit batsmen (22), walks (92) and wild pitches (34). He was still rated the league's #18 prospect by Baseball America, third on his staff behind Morales and Greg Reynolds. He paced all of minor league baseball in both wild pitches and hit batsmen while ranking fourth in walks (22 behind leader Stephen Randolph).

Deduno was 1-1 with a 6.65 ERA in two starts for Modesto but was still called up to the Tulsa Drillers early in 2007; he was 5-8 with a 5.44 ERA for Tulsa. His 121 strikeouts led the Texas League. Baseball America listed him as owning the best curveball of a Rockies farmhand. In '08, a right arm injury sidelined him all year long.

Back and healthy in 2009, Samuel dazzled for the Drillers (12-4, 2.57, 123 K in 133 IP, .202 opponent average) before a late-season promotion to the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (0-1, 6.35 in one game). He tied Trey Hearne for the Texas League lead in wins and led in strikeouts, ERA and opponent average. He was named Pitcher of the Year for the second time in his career. Joining him as the TL's All-Star hurlers were Hearne, Jhoulys Chacin, Graham Godfrey, Andrew Johnston, Trevor Reckling and Lance Lynn. Baseball America rated him as the TL's #20 prospect and #12 in the Rockies system. He tied Travis Wood for the 5th-lowest opponent average by a minor league starter.

Deduno battled injury again in 2010, getting only 10 minor league starts with Colorado Springs (3-1, 2.93) and Tri-City Dust Devils (0-2, 5.51 on a rehab stint) through late August. He was then called up to the big leagues along with Morales when Manuel Corpas was put on the disabled list and Clint Barmes took family leave.

In his big league debut on August 27, 2010, he relieved longtime teammate Morales in the 9th with a 5-2 deficit to the Los Angeles Dodgers, two on and two out. He gave up a run-scoring single to Matt Kemp then retired James Loney on an inning-ending grounder. He pitched 3 more times for the Rockies that year, ending with no record and a 3.38 ERA in 2 2/3 innings. After the season, he was placed on waivers and then claimed by the San Diego Padres on January 28th. He made a couple of appearances with the Padres in early April, 2011, giving up a run on 5 hits in 3 innings. He then spent the remainder of the season in AAA with the Tucson Padres, making 40 appearances, including 12 starts. He was 4-6, 3.93, pitching 105 1/3 innings. he then became a free agent after the season and signed with the Minnesota Twins on November 17th.

Deduno started the 2012 sason with the Rochester Red Wings in the International League. In 9 starts, he posted an excellent ERA of 2.14, giving up only 27 hits in 42 innings. Even though his record was only 1-2, he was called back to the majors in early July. His first appearance on July 7th was his first major league start, and he gave up 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings facing the Texas Rangers but did not figure in the decision. He recorded his first major league win in his third start on July 22nd, giving up one run in 6 1/3 innings against the Kansas City Royals in a game the Twins won, 7-5. He went on to win his first four major league decisions before being charged with his first career loss. He completed the season with a record 6-5, 4.44 in 15 starts, although his K/W ratio of 57/53 was far from impressive.

Deduno was one of the stars of the 2013 World Baseball Classic, keeping an ERA of 0.69 and recording 17 strikeouts in 13 innings as one of the starters for the Dominican national team that swept through the tournament to the championship. He beat Spain in his first outing then battled reigning Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey evenly through four innings (allowing one run on a bases-loaded walk) in a no-decision against Team USA (his club rallied in the 9th to break the tie). He started and won the championship game against Puerto Rico on March 19th (2 H, 3 BB in 5 IP). He was one strikeout shy of Kenta Maeda for the Classic lead and tied Nelson Figueroa, Maeda, Danny Betancourt and Diegomar Markwell for second in wins, one behind leader Pedro Strop. He failed to make the tournament All-Star team as Maeda, Figueroa and teammate Fernando Rodney were the selected hurlers.

A whole of of good it did him, as the Twins assigned him to AAA Rochester to start the 2013 season. He then lost time to an injury, and had only made three starts, with no record and a 2.70 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, when the struggling Twins called him back on May 24th. He was hit hard by the Detroit Tigers that day, losing 6-0 after giving up all 6 runs on 9 hits in 5 1/3 innings. He was much better in his next game, on May 29th, when he defeated the Milwaukee Brewers, 4-1, giving up only one run in 7 innings. He ended up going 8-8, 3.83 in 18 starts in what was his best big league season.

Post-Playing Career

Deduno was pitching coach of the DSL Rockies in 2021-2024.

Notable Achievements

• 2004 Pitcher of the Year Pioneer League Casper Ghosts
• 2009 Pitcher of the Year Texas League Tulsa Drillers

Related Sites

• Samuel Deduno on mlb.com