DRB Prospect Review: #18 Jose Urbina
The 18-year old advanced to Single-A by the season’s end
Over the offseason, the Draybay community takes part in an exercise in which we compile a list of 30 prospects in the Rays system based on popular vote.
Now that the 2024 season has concluded, we can look back at these rankings and see how each individual player performed.
We have already covered
- #30. Erick Lara.
- #29. Kenny Piper
- #28. Tanner Murray
- #27. Jacob Lopez
- #26. Marcus Johnson
- #25. Cole Wilcox
- #24. Dru Baker
- #23. Trevor Martin
- #22. Joe Rock
- #21. Ian Seymour
- #20. Tre’ Morgan
- #19. Brailer Guerrero
We resume the reviews at #18.
18. Jose Urbina
Before the Season
18 | 6’ 3” | 180
Rk | 5.32 ERA, 23.2 IP (11 G, 8 GS) 21 K, 12 BB
As a seventeen-year old out of Venezuela nearing 98 mph with his fastball, Urbina was signed for $210k and moved to the US without much pomp and circumstance despite skipping the DSL. His bulked up shoulders belong more on a swimmer than a pitcher, but it’s a good body. The delivery has hints of high effort red flags, but that’s to be expected for his age and velocity. Despite his youth, the fastball should play at every level. His best pitch, the breaking ball, shows major league potential in any part of the zone, and he’s shown feel for a change. If he were a high schooler, you might not blush if Urbina was considered a first round talent. (video)
How it Went
Jose Urbina endured an inconsistent 2024 campaign but did move up to Single-A by the season’s end and won’t turn 19-years old until November. According to FanGraphs write-up of Urbina in July, his stuff wasn’t fully there in June but he had vamped back up by the time of their publication. His best point during the season was a nine game stretch in which he compiled a 3.21 ERA over 33 2⁄3 IP. This resulted in Urbina’s promotion to Single-A, where he registered 17 innings before the season’s conclusion.
Final 2024 Statline
CPX: 4.50 ERA | 4.78 FIP | 21.7 K% | 12.1 BB% | .207 AVG | 11.6 WHIFF% | 48 IP
A: 5.29 ERA | 6.11 FIP | 18.2 K% | 6.1 BB% | .230 AVG | 7.7 WHIFF% | 17 IP