Alexander Reyes (born August 29, 1994) is a Dominican–American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
who is a free agent. He was signed by the
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
as an amateur free agent in 2012, and made his
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) debut with the team in 2016.
The Cardinals' top prospect entering both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' named him the second-best prospect overall in their 2016 mid-season ranking. He has played in two
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
s and was one of two Cardinals' Co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year in 2015.
In 2021 Reyes set the MLB record for most consecutive saves to start a career and was named to the 2021 National League all-star team, but (as of 2025) has not pitched in the major leagues since that year, due to injuries.
Early life
Born in
Elizabeth, New Jersey
Elizabeth is a City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Union County, New Jersey, Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. While he was attending Elizabeth High School, he was and threw a maximum of . He lived in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
until he was 18. With his family unable to afford to send him to showcases and tryouts, he moved to the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...
in December 2011. There, it would be much easier to gain the attention of
scouts
Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...
to increase his chances of signing with a
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) team as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
rather than be selected through the amateur draft had he remained in the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
In the Dominican Republic, Reyes lived with each of his grandmothers in San Cristóbal, enabling him to gain residency and the notice of scouts, known colloquially as ''buscones''.
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
and former MLB
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to catch ...
Raúl Mondesí, worked out with Reyes and attracted the attention of a buscón known simply as Valera, who also noticed Reyes. Reyes tried out with Valera before
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
scout Rodny Jiménez noticed him. The Cardinals observed Reyes work out in Palenque, of the Sabana Grande de Palenque municipality, near San Cristóbal, and invited him for a private workout in their team academy in
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, formerly known as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic and the List of metropolitan areas in the Caribbean, largest metropolitan area in the Caribbean by population. the Distrito Na ...
. At that point, he had reached speeds of up to . Cardinals
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
John Mozeliak commented that Reyes' athleticism was one important factor that caused the team to consider the young pitcher. Because he had emigrated from the United States, MLB regulations stated that Reyes must wait one year to sign with an MLB franchise as an international free agent, delaying the Cardinals' opportunity to sign him for six months. In December 2012, he signed a $950,000 deal with St. Louis.
Professional career
St. Louis Cardinals
Minor leagues
Reyes made his professional debut in 2013 for the
Johnson City Cardinals
The Johnson City Cardinals were a Minor League Baseball team based in Johnson City, Tennessee. The team was affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals organization from 1975 through 2020 and played in the Rookie League, Rookie-level Appalachian Leagu ...
of the
Appalachian League
The Appalachian League is a Collegiate summer baseball, collegiate summer baseball league that operates in the Appalachian regions of Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Designed for rising freshmen and sophomores using wooden ...
. In 12 starts, he went 6–4 with a 3.39
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) with 68
strikeouts
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
(SO) in
innings pitched
In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
(IP).
Prior to the 2014 season, ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' ranked him as the seventh-best prospect in the Cardinals organization. Also, ''
Baseball Prospectus
Baseball Prospectus (BP) is an organization that publishes a website, BaseballProspectus.com, devoted to the sabermetric analysis of baseball. BP has a staff of regular columnists and provides advanced statistics as well as player and team perf ...
'' determined him the 98th-best prospect in all of baseball. He spent the 2014 season with the Single-A Peoria Chiefs of the
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
. There, he notched a 7–7 record to go with a 3.62 ERA and 137 strikeouts in innings. He said: "I learn from watching. I don't think ... he even knows, but Rob Kaminsky is definitely the number one guy I've studied. From day one in Peoria he just separated himself from everyone on the pitching staff, including me."
Prior to the start of the 2015 season, ''Baseball America'' ranked Reyes as the 51st-best prospect in all professional baseball, and ''Baseball Prospectus'' ranked him 55th. Jim Callis selected Reyes as the Cardinals' top prospect for 2015, and although he did not make MLB.com's top 100, Callis named him the best pitching prospect not on that list. The beneficiary of a late
growth spurt
Human height or stature is the distance from the bottom of the feet to the top of the head in a human body, standing erect. It is measured using a stadiometer, in centimetres when using the metric system or SI system, or feet and inches when u ...
, Reyes grew to a height of and began throwing at up to in Single–A.
Playing for the High–A Palm Beach Cardinals of the
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
(FSL) in
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, Reyes was the Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the month in April. He led the FSL with 35 SO and allowed a 1.71 ERA over innings. His 13-strikeout performance on June 17 was a season-high. Including his previous 10 outings, he had posted a 1.79 ERA and 70 SO in innings. On June 25, Reyes was selected to represent the World Team in the
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
after leading all of the minor leagues with a ratio of 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (SO/9). He had registered a 2–5 record and 2.08 ERA while striking out 90 and walking 30 in IP. He was also selected to play in the 2015 FSL mid-season All-Star game.
With a 2.26 ERA, 49 hits and zero home runs allowed with 96 strikeouts in innings over 13 FSL starts, the Cardinals promoted Reyes to the Double–A Springfield Cardinals of the
Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
in July 2015. The next month, ''Baseball America'' rated him as throwing the FSL's best fastball, best breaking pitch, and as the "best pitching prospect" in the league in 2015, according to a poll of managers and coaches. He totaled a 5–7 record and 2.49 ERA over 22 starts in 2015, striking out 151 in innings while allowing a .197 opposing batting average. The Cardinals selected him to play for the Surprise Saguaros of the off-season
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an off-season baseball league owned and operated by Major League Baseball (MLB) which operates during autumn in Arizona, United States, at six different baseball complexes. Arizona Fall League rosters are filled ...
(AFL). ''Baseball America'' also selected Reyes for the high Class-A minor leagues All-Star team for the 2015 season. He and Austin Gomber were selected the Cardinals' co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year for 2015. After he tested positive for
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
, Major League Baseball announced on November 9, 2015, that they were suspending Reyes for 50 games including the remainder of the AFL season and the start of the 2016 season.
''Baseball America'' selected Reyes as the top Cardinals' prospect entering the 2016 season. MLB.com ranked him as the tenth-best prospect in all the minor leagues, and ''Baseball Prospectus'' at number 13.
Reyes was activated from his suspension on May 22 to make his first start for the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple–A
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
. ''Baseball America'' moved his rank to second of all prospects in baseball in their 2016 mid-season update. Selected to play his second All-Star Futures Game for 2016 at Petco Park in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, Reyes was the starting pitcher for the World team, striking out four of the five outs he recorded as World won, 11−3. His 2016 totals with Memphis included a 2−3 record, 4.96 ERA, 93 strikeouts and 32 walks in 65 innings.
Major leagues
2016
The Cardinals purchased Reyes' contract on August 9, 2016, and added him to the major league roster to serve as a
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
. He made his major league debut the same night against the
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, pitching a perfect inning and striking out fellow rookie Adam Duvall for his first in the major leagues. Reyes earned his first major league win on August 13, 2016, against the
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...
, and first save on August 19 against the
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
. After five appearances and innings in relief with 13 strikeouts and no runs surrendered, he made his first MLB start on August 27 against the
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
. He completed innings, allowing one run, two hits and four walks while striking out four. The first run charged to Reyes in his major league career occurred when reliever Zach Duke walked Khris Davis with the bases loaded to score Bruce Maxwell in the fifth, ending 14 consecutive scoreless innings. The Athletics won, 3−2.
The Cardinals, attempting to make the
playoffs
The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...
, called upon Reyes to start against fellow contenders, including seven scoreless innings against
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
on September 23 and, in his next outing, three runs in five innings against
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. As a starting pitcher, Reyes was credited with a 4−1 record; his only loss came against the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
on September 7. He completed relief innings, surrendering one earned run and eight hits while striking out 23. In 46 total innings with St. Louis in 2016, Reyes struck out 52; his 1.57 ERA ranked second among all major league rookie relief pitchers with at least 20 innings.
2017
On February 14, 2017, Reyes was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The next day, it was announced Reyes would undergo
Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, sometimes referred to as Tommy John surgery is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's body, ...
, shelving him for the entire 2017 season. He had successful surgery on February 16.
2018
After sitting out all of 2017, Reyes began rehabbing in 2018. In a rehab start on May 19 with the Springfield Cardinals he pitched 7 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and striking out 13, tying Springfield's team record. On May 24 during a rehab start with the Memphis Redbirds, Reyes struck out nine consecutive batters, making him the first pitcher in
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...
history to strike out nine batters in a row. In four total rehab starts between Springfield, the Peoria Chiefs, Palm Beach Cardinals and Memphis, he pitched 23 scoreless innings in which he struck out 44, walked seven, and gave up only seven hits.
Reyes was activated from the 60-day DL on May 30 to start against the
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. The Brewers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Di ...
. Making his first major league appearance since September 29, 2016, Reyes pitched four scoreless innings, allowing three hits while walking two and striking out two. He was placed on the 10-day DL the next day with a right lat strain that he suffered during his start against Milwaukee. On June 6, Reyes underwent surgery for a torn tendon in his lat muscle, effectively ending his season.
2019
Reyes entered the 2019 season and began the year in St. Louis' bullpen. However, in his first three innings of the year, he allowed five runs and six walks and was ultimately optioned to the
Class AAA
Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Reyes rejoined the Cardinals for the pandemic-shortened2020 season and posted a 2–1 record with a 3.20 ERA and 27 strikeouts in innings.
2021
Prior to the start of the 2021 season, Reyes was named the Cardinals' closer. After pitching to a 1.12 ERA and 20 saves (one of only two in the major leagues to not blow a save) over innings, he was named to the 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. On July 18, he set the MLB record for most consecutive saves to begin a career, with 24. After pitching to a 1.52 ERA over the first half of the season, Reyes struggled in the second half, going 5–5 with a 5.52 ERA over 31 innings, and was eventually removed from the closer role.
In the 2021 National League Wild Card Game, Reyes gave up a two-out, two-run, walk-off home run to Chris Taylor in the bottom of the ninth inning.
2022
Reyes was placed on the 60-day injured list to begin the season on March 25, 2022, after struggling with a shoulder issue in Spring Training and receiving a stem-cell injection. On May 23, it was announced that Reyes would require shoulder surgery and miss the season without making an appearance. He was non-tendered and became a free agent on November 18.
Los Angeles Dodgers
On February 16, 2023, Reyes signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract with the
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
. On June 11, it was announced that Reyes had undergone surgery on his right shoulder and would not pitch during the 2023 season. The Dodgers declined his 2024 option after the season, making him a free agent.
Pitching profile
The pitches which Reyes regularly throws are a
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
which regularly reaches , a power curveball, and a changeup. Noted to have prodigious lateral and horizontal movement, the fastball typically ranges from to , making it very difficult for batters to hit solidly. It is most effective high in the strike zone. The curveball has been called a "wipeout" pitch with a vertical falling pattern following the points from " 12-to-6" on the
clock
A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest Invention, human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such as the day, the lunar month, a ...
, making it equally difficult for batters to hit well. The combination of both the fastball and curveball contributes to the significantly-above normal strikeout rates. Reyes typically throws both pitches for strikes, although his command of the fastball was below average. The changeup will need increased refinement. His walk rate is higher than normal, but he gave up just one total home run in 2015. In 2016, ''Baseball Prospectus'' pronounced that Reyes "has one of the highest ceilings of any current pitching prospect."
Personal life
Reyes has a daughter who was born in July 2016.
Awards
* ''
Baseball America
''Baseball America'' (BA) is a sports publication company that covers baseball at every level, including Major League Baseball (MLB), with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in Minor League Baseball (MiLB) college, high school, and inte ...
'' Minor Leagues Classification All-Star (2015)
* ''Baseball America'' Best Tools –
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
(2015):
** Best pitching prospect
** Best
fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch (baseball), pitch thrown by pitchers in baseball and softball. Its distinctive feature is its high speed. "Power pitchers," such as former major leaguers Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, relied on the ...
Florida State League
The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...
Mid-season All-Star (2015)
* 2×
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
All-Star Futures Game
The All-Star Futures Game is an annual baseball exhibition game hosted by Major League Baseball (MLB) in conjunction with the mid-summer MLB All-Star Game. A team of American League-affiliated prospects competes against a team of National League- ...
(2015, 2016)
*
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
Minor Leagues Pitcher of the Month (April 2015)
* St. Louis Cardinals Minor Leagues Pitcher of the Year (2015)