Jesús Rafael Tinoco Bio
Jesús Rafael Tinoco (born April 30, 1995) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a free agent. Over a professional career that began in 2012, he has pitched in Major League Baseball for the Colorado Rockies, Miami Marlins, Texas Rangers, and Chicago Cubs, and has also played in Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. A right-handed pitcher, Tinoco has worked as both a starter and a reliever, logging time across every full-season minor league level before reaching the majors in 2019. He is best known for a long relief outing in 2022 in which he surrendered Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62nd home run.
Early Life and Background
Jesús Rafael Tinoco was born on April 30, 1995, and grew up in Venezuela, a country that has produced a steady stream of Major League Baseball talent. From a young age, he developed an interest in pitching, and his size and arm strength drew the attention of international scouts working across South America. Limited public information is available about his parents, siblings, or formal education, as is common for prospects who enter professional baseball as teenagers.
His pathway to professional baseball followed the international free agent route that is typical of Venezuelan players. He signed his first professional contract before turning 17, which set him on a multi-year development path through the Toronto Blue Jays’ Latin American and domestic minor league system. The structure of that pipeline shaped his early understanding of pitch design, workload management, and the daily routine of a starting pitcher.
Path to Professional Baseball
Jesús Rafael Tinoco signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent in September 2011. He made his professional debut in 2012 with the DSL Blue Jays, going 0-4 with a 4.14 ERA in 12 games, including seven starts, and also appeared in two games for the GCL Blue Jays at the end of the year. In 2013, he returned to the GCL Blue Jays and posted a 0-5 record and 5.09 ERA in 12 games, before moving up to the Bluefield Blue Jays in 2014, where he went 1-9 with a 4.95 ERA in 13 games.
He opened 2015 with the Lansing Lugnuts before being traded to the Colorado Rockies on July 28, 2015, in the deal that sent Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins to Toronto. The Rockies assigned him to the Asheville Tourists, and across the two stops in 2015 he went 7-6 with a 2.97 ERA in 22 starts. He split 2016 between Asheville and the Modesto Nuts, going 3-11 with a 6.86 ERA, and spent 2017 with the Lancaster JetHawks, where he turned in an 11-4 record and 4.67 ERA in 24 starts, a season that earned him a spot on the Rockies’ 40-man roster.
Jesús Rafael Tinoco Career
Minor League Foundation (2012–2018)
Tinoco’s developmental years were spent climbing the lower levels of the minor leagues. His strongest campaign came in 2017 with the Lancaster JetHawks of the California League, when he went 11-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 24 starts and was added to Colorado’s 40-man roster after the season. The Rockies then sent him to the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats in 2018, where he went 9-12 with a 4.79 ERA in 26 starts, and he began 2019 at Triple-A Albuquerque before getting the call to the majors.
Colorado Rockies Debut (2019–2021)
On May 31, 2019, Tinoco was promoted to the major leagues for the first time and made his MLB debut that evening, pitching a scoreless ninth inning in a win over the Blue Jays, the organization that had originally signed him. His first stint with the Rockies was brief, and he bounced between Triple-A Albuquerque and the majors over the next two seasons. On August 13, 2020, he was traded to the Miami Marlins for Chad Smith, was designated for assignment on August 30, was claimed back by the Rockies on September 3, and was designated for assignment again in November 2020. He returned to the Rockies’ major league roster on July 28, 2021, and remained with the organization through the end of that season.
Texas Rangers First Stint (2022)
After electing free agency, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers on December 3, 2021. Texas selected his contract on June 10, 2022, as a COVID-19 replacement player, sent him back to the minors on June 20, and recalled him on September 1 following a stint with the Triple-A Round Rock Express. On October 4, 2022, he gave up a home run to Aaron Judge that was the 62nd of the season, breaking Roger Maris’ long-standing American League single-season record. He was removed from the 40-man roster on November 10, 2022, and elected free agency the same day.
Saitama Seibu Lions (2023)
On December 16, 2022, Tinoco signed with the Saitama Seibu Lions of Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. In 38 appearances during the 2023 season, he went 0-3 with a 2.83 ERA and 29 strikeouts over 35 innings, working primarily as a reliever. He became a free agent after the season, returning to North American baseball.
Texas Rangers Second Stint (2024)
Tinoco signed another minor league deal with the Texas Rangers on December 11, 2023, and pitched for the Round Rock Express, going 3.80 ERA with 27 strikeouts in 21+1⁄3 innings. Texas selected his contract on May 23, 2024, but he struggled to an 8.10 ERA across 10 innings in nine games. He was designated for assignment on June 16, cleared waivers, was sent outright to Round Rock on June 20, and rejected the assignment to elect free agency.
Chicago Cubs (2024)
On June 25, 2024, Tinoco signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and pitched for the Triple-A Omaha Storm Chasers, posting a 4.05 ERA with 10 strikeouts in 6+2⁄3 innings. On July 16, 2024, he was traded to the Chicago Cubs for cash considerations and had his contract purchased on July 19. He made two scoreless appearances for the Cubs before being designated for assignment on July 27.
Miami Marlins Second Stint (2024–2025)
The Miami Marlins claimed Tinoco off waivers on July 30, 2024. Down the stretch that year, he went 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA, 30 strikeouts, and three saves across 26+2⁄3 innings in 21 appearances, emerging as a reliable late-inning option. In 20 appearances to open 2025, he posted a 5.12 ERA with four saves and 10 strikeouts before being placed on the injured list on June 6, 2025, with a right forearm strain, and transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 16. On August 22, it was announced that he would require flexor tendon surgery, ruling him out for the rest of 2025 and the majority of 2026, and on November 5, he was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to Jacksonville, electing free agency the following day.
Driving Style and Strengths
Tinoco works with a power pitcher’s frame and has shown the ability to generate swings and misses with his fastball while mixing in a breaking ball. He has spent the bulk of his time in relief, leaning on his strikeout ability and his experience working multiple innings at a time, but he has also shown he can handle a starting workload when needed. His best stretch in the majors came in a relief role with the Marlins, when he recorded three saves and posted a sub-2.50 ERA in the final weeks of the 2024 season.
Notable Events and Milestones
His MLB debut on May 31, 2019, came against the Blue Jays, the team that had originally signed and developed him. His single most memorable appearance came on October 4, 2022, when he gave up Aaron Judge’s 62nd home run, which set the all-time American League single-season record. He also recorded his first three MLB saves with the Marlins in 2024 and reached NPB in 2023 with the Saitama Seibu Lions.
Jesús Rafael Tinoco Career Wins
Tinoco has never won a Major League Baseball game as a starting pitcher, but he has produced wins in relief and at the minor league level. Across his international career, he has accumulated victories in the Venezuelan summer leagues, the Blue Jays’ lower-level affiliates, the Rockies’ minor league system, and Nippon Professional Baseball, with a high point of 11 wins during the 2017 season with the Lancaster JetHawks.
Minor League Highlights
His strongest minor league season came in 2017, when he went 11-4 with a 4.67 ERA in 24 starts for the Lancaster JetHawks, a performance that earned him a spot on Colorado’s 40-man roster. His first full professional season with a winning record came in 2015, when he went 7-6 with a 2.97 ERA in 22 starts split between Lansing and Asheville.
Other Wins & Performances
In Nippon Professional Baseball with the Saitama Seibu Lions in 2023, Tinoco did not record a decision win, going 0-3 despite a strong 2.83 ERA in 38 appearances. His most recent major league win came during the 2024 season with the Miami Marlins, when he went 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in 21 relief appearances.
Jesús Rafael Tinoco Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Tinoco’s parents, siblings, and extended family is limited. Like many Venezuelan prospects, he signed his first professional contract as a teenager and has kept his personal and family life largely out of the public eye.
Personal Life
Tinoco has not publicly shared details about a spouse or children, and there is no widely confirmed information about his marital status or residence. He continues to identify as Venezuelan and has spent most of his career based in the United States, with a one-season stint in Japan in 2023.
2025 Season Performance
Tinoco opened the 2025 season in the Miami Marlins’ bullpen and recorded four saves with a 5.12 ERA across 20 appearances, generating swings and misses with his fastball but struggling with consistency. His role as a late-inning option gave the Marlins a power arm to deploy in high-leverage spots.
On June 6, 2025, Tinoco was placed on the injured list with a right forearm strain and was transferred to the 60-day injured list on July 16. On August 22, the Marlins announced that he would require flexor tendon surgery, ruling him out for the remainder of 2025 and the majority of 2026.
On November 5, 2025, the Marlins removed Tinoco from the 40-man roster and sent him outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, and he elected free agency the following day, ending his time on Miami’s roster. His next opportunity will likely come in a bullpen role once he has fully recovered from surgery.