With every strikeout, scoreless inning and impressive start, Randy Vasquez has shown he has arrived as a major league starting pitcher. Yes, the road has been bumpy with a few setbacks and minor league demotions. However, his perseverance has allowed him to re-enter the conversation about making a postseason start.
Vasquez came from the back of the bullpen to the starting rotation
The Padres’ third-year starter began his big league career as the long man coming out of the New York Yankees bullpen in 2023. Vasquez became a key piece heading to San Diego in the Juan
Soto blockbuster trade two winters ago.
His first season with the Friars was a learning experience, as he failed to throw strikes consistently. It forced the Padres’ front office to demote him to the minors. Despite the roller-coaster ride between the majors and Triple-A baseball, Vasquez recorded 20 starts with the big league club last season.
2025 is the turning point in career
Coming into Spring Training at Peoria, the right-hander focused on competing for the fifth starter role. Vasquez won the competition and began the 2025 campaign in the majors. It was a surprise when Team President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller acquired veteran starter Nestor Cortes from the Milwaukee Brewers at the trade deadline. The move forced the organization to remove Vasquez from the starting rotation and demote him to the minors once again.
Instead of going into obscurity, Vasquez was motivated to refine his delivery with the hopes of making another big league start this season. He has handled the setback by using the information provided to improve his approach on the mound. All the hard work paid off with a major league recall to replace Cortes in the rotation earlier this month.
Vasquez has become more consistent with pitch selection from the standpoint of keeping opposing hitters off-balance during their at-bats. It is impossible to be perfect in every start. However, he eliminated the flaws in his delivery that have plagued him the last two seasons.
You love Vasquez’s demeanor on the mound. Rarely does he show emotion during an outing. Vasquez has raised the bar of expectation through the work done before and during a scheduled start.
What lies ahead for Vasquez
As the schedule nears to a conclusion, Vasquez gives off an air of confidence that he has been here all season. His pitching numbers (5-6 with a 3.72 ERA in 24 starts) are good, but the recent performance level must continue through October.
Choosing who starts in the postseason is above his pay grade, but Vasquez can make their decision difficult by focusing on what he can control: pitching well in each remaining start.
Starters like Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Dylan Cease and Yu Darvish figure to get more consideration, but Vasquez has pitched himself into the mix.
