Jairo Iriarte

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #23 prospect in 2026
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Adjusted Grade: 30
  
  Track Record: Iriarte was one of the key pieces the White Sox received in the Dylan Cease trade prior to 2024, and he ranked ninth in the White Sox system when he opened 2025 in Triple-A Charlotte’s rotation, but his fastball velocity dipped to just 90 mph and he walked 14 batters in as many innings. Chicago sent Iriarte to its Arizona complex for a month of biomechanical work and he resurfaced in Charlotte in early June, pitching to inconsistent results out of the bullpen the rest of the season.
  
  Scouting Report: In addition to diminished fastball velocity from earlier in his career, Iriarte isn’t generating the same spin rates compared to his time with the Padres, either. His 94 mph four-seamer lost vertical ride and movement in 2025. His two secondaries, once above-average offerings, also took a step back, with his 83 mph late-breaking slider lacking the same movement while he struggled to command his 87 mph changeup. Iriarte’s strike-throwing backed up at the tail end of the season as well, and evaluators have noted his body has thickened up.
  
  The Future: Iriarte now looks more like a reliever, and he has some work to do to recapture his previous form, which would allow for a future role near the back end of a bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 50 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 40
• 
  Ranked Chicago White Sox #9 prospect in 2025
  BA Grade/Risk: 50/High.
  
  Track Record: Along with Drew Thorpe, Iriarte was was one of the key acquisitions from the Padres in the Dylan Cease trade trade and may turn out to be the most valuable return from that deal. He pitched in the rotation at Double-A Birmingham before finishing the year with six relief appearances with the White Sox. He has added more than 50 pounds since first signing with the Padres, resulting in a boost of fastball velocity. Iriarte fanned 122 batters in 126 innings in Double-A but also walked 57 and hit 17 batters.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte delivers his pitches from a lower arm slot, and he repeats his loose delivery and gets plenty of extension. His fastball sits 93-97 mph with cutting action. His slider is a potential plus pitch with varying shapes: one that’s more of a sweeper and one that’s a tighter pitch with -4.5 inches of induced vertical break. Those two pitches alone will get Iriarte back to the big leagues to stay, but the development of a changeup with late, fading action will ultimately determine his role. It’s an inconsistent pitch for which his feel comes and goes. If he can become more consistent and get a bit more control, he’ll find a job in the rotation. Otherwise, he has a good future as a mid-to-high-leverage, late-inning reliever.
  
  The Future: Iriarte was one of nine White Sox pitchers to make his big league debut in 2024. Like so many of the others, he was acquired when Chicago traded an MLB veteran for prospects. While Iriarte could use some Triple-A time, it’s just as likely that he makes the big league roster with a strong spring training. Substandard command will be an issue in the rotation, but he could become a bullpen weapon.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45.
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #9 prospect in 2024
  BA Grade: 50/High
  
  Track Record: Standing at 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds when he signed for $75,000 in 2018, Iriarte has matured into an imposing figure. The bullpen has long been a fallback option, but shaving nearly two runs off his ERA in his second full year in full-season ball will keep him in the rotation for at least another year. He shined at High-A Fort Wayne and flashed well in spurts in his first taste of Double-A, which included a stint in relief to both manage his workload and see what it looked like as the big league team sorted through bullpen issues over the summer.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte’s growth spurt pushed his fastball to 95-97 mph, and there’s little doubt that it would touch triple-digits regularly in short bursts. It plays up with carry through the top of the zone and teams with a mid-80s slider to produce silly swings and misses. Iriarte’s changeup has late fading action and could be a future plus offering, but it’s a bit firm and is clearly the third pitch in a bullpen-ready mix. Averaging more than four walks per nine innings as a pro, Iriarte might have already moved to relief if it weren’t for the gains he made in 2023. He’s added strength and strengthened his shoulders to better withstand a starter’s workload and made tremendous strides in repeating a loose delivery with huge extension. He was in the zone more in Fort Wayne than he was at San Antonio but also pushed his strikeout rate to 40.5% in the Texas League.
  
  The Future: Iriarte continues to intrigue in the rotation, but the Padres could need him sooner as a reliever as they look to replace high-priced arms over the next couple of seasons. He’ll head back to Double-A San Antonio to start the year and could be the first man up when a need arises in the rotation or the bullpen.
  
  Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 45
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #13 prospect in 2023
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds when he signed out of Venezuela for $75,000 in 2018 and has since matured into an imposing figure at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. He showed well in the Dominican Summer League after signing (3.31 ERA), started the following year in Arizona and was hit hard when COVID protocols forced an early promotion to Low-A Lake Elsinore. Iriarte returned to the California League in 2022 and showed intriguing arm strength that made him a frequent target of opposing teams in trade discussions.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte is a long, lean, athletic righthander whose growth spurt has pushed his fastball up to 95-97 mph. His fastball plays up beyond its velocity with good carry through the top of the zone and is a plus pitch, although he can be scattershot with it. Iriarte's best secondary offering is an 86-87 mph changeup with late fade could be a future above-average pitch. His mid-80s slider has been inconsistent in his early goings in pro ball but shows average potential. Iriarte is athletic on the mound, but struggles with timing in his delivery has led to fringy control.
  
  The Future: Iriarte will head to High-A Fort Wayne in 2023. His flashes of three average of better pitches will keep him as a starter for now, but his stuff will play up in the bullpen if he has to move to relief.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #26 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 160 pounds when he signed with the Padres for $75,000 in 2018 out of Venezuela. He had a growth spurt and packed on muscle after signing and now stands an imposing 6-foot-5, 200 pounds. Iriarte showed well in the Dominican Summer League after he signed and was pitching in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 when the Padres pushed him to Low-A Lake Elsinore after the Storm lost multiple players to Covid-19 protocols. Iriarte wasn’t ready for the assignment and got hit hard, but still showed enough to emerge as a sleeper.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte’s fastball sat 85-87 mph when he signed but now sits 95-97 after his explosive growth spurt. His fastball plays up with carry through the top of the strike zone and his 86-87 mph changeup with late fade has the makings of a future plus pitch. Iriarte’s 83-85 mph slider could become above-average and gives him the three-pitch mix to be a starter. Iriarte’s stuff is mostly potential at this point and he is still very raw as a pitcher. He got shelled for 25 hits and 27 earned runs in nine innings at Lake Elsinore and has a long way to go. His control is fringy and needs work.
  
  The Future: The Padres see Iriarte as a starting pitching prospect who just needs reps. His stuff could make him a hard-throwing reliever if his control doesn’t come.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #92 prospect in 2023

• February, 2023 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds when he signed out of Venezuela for $75,000 in 2018 and has since matured into an imposing figure at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. He showed well in the Dominican Summer League after signing (3.31 ERA), started the following year in Arizona and was hit hard when COVID protocols forced an early promotion to Low-A Lake Elsinore. Iriarte returned to the California League in 2022 and showed intriguing arm strength that made him a frequent target of opposing teams in trade discussions.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte is a long, lean, athletic righthander whose growth spurt has pushed his fastball up to 95-97 mph. His fastball plays up beyond its velocity with good carry through the top of the zone and is a plus pitch, although he can be scattershot with it. Iriarte's best secondary offering is an 86-87 mph changeup with late fade could be a future above-average pitch. His mid-80s slider has been inconsistent in his early goings in pro ball but shows average potential. Iriarte is athletic on the mound, but struggles with timing in his delivery has led to fringy control.
  
  The Future: Iriarte will head to High-A Fort Wayne in 2023. His flashes of three average of better pitches will keep him as a starter for now, but his stuff will play up in the bullpen if he has to move to relief.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• December, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade/Risk: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and 160 pounds when he signed out of Venezuela for $75,000 in 2018 and has since matured into an imposing figure at 6-foot-5 and 200 pounds. He showed well in the Dominican Summer League after signing (3.31 ERA), started the following year in Arizona and was hit hard when COVID protocols forced an early promotion to Low-A Lake Elsinore. Iriarte returned to the California League in 2022 and showed intriguing arm strength that made him a frequent target of opposing teams in trade discussions.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte is a long, lean, athletic righthander whose growth spurt has pushed his fastball up to 95-97 mph. His fastball plays up beyond its velocity with good carry through the top of the zone and is a plus pitch, although he can be scattershot with it. Iriarte's best secondary offering is an 86-87 mph changeup with late fade could be a future above-average pitch. His mid-80s slider has been inconsistent in his early goings in pro ball but shows average potential. Iriarte is athletic on the mound, but struggles with timing in his delivery has led to fringy control.
  
  The Future: Iriarte will head to High-A Fort Wayne in 2023. His flashes of three average of better pitches will keep him as a starter for now, but his stuff will play up in the bullpen if he has to move to relief.
  
  Scouting Grades: Fastball: 60. Slider: 50. Changeup: 55. Control: 45
• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 45/High
  
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 160 pounds when he signed with the Padres for $75,000 in 2018 out of Venezuela. He had a growth spurt and packed on muscle after signing and now stands an imposing 6-foot-5, 200 pounds. Iriarte showed well in the Dominican Summer League after he signed and was pitching in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 when the Padres pushed him to Low-A Lake Elsinore after the Storm lost multiple players to Covid-19 protocols. Iriarte wasn&#39t ready for the assignment and got hit hard, but still showed enough to emerge as a sleeper.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte&#39s fastball sat 85-87 mph when he signed but now sits 95-97 after his explosive growth spurt. His fastball plays up with carry through the top of the strike zone and his 86-87 mph changeup with late fade has the makings of a future plus pitch. Iriarte&#39s 83-85 mph slider could become above-average and gives him the three-pitch mix to be a starter. Iriarte&#39s stuff is mostly potential at this point and he is still very raw as a pitcher. He got shelled for 25 hits and 27 earned runs in nine innings at Lake Elsinore and has a long way to go. His control is fringy and needs work.
  
  The Future: The Padres see Iriarte as a starting pitching prospect who just needs reps. His stuff could make him a hard-throwing reliever if his control doesn&#39t come.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Iriarte stood 6-foot-2 and weighed 160 pounds when he signed with the Padres for $75,000 in 2018 out of Venezuela. He had a growth spurt and packed on muscle after signing and now stands an imposing 6-foot-5, 200 pounds. Iriarte showed well in the Dominican Summer League after he signed and was pitching in the Arizona Complex League in 2021 when the Padres pushed him to Low-A Lake Elsinore after the Storm lost multiple players to Covid-19 protocols. Iriarte wasn’t ready for the assignment and got hit hard, but still showed enough to emerge as a sleeper.
  
  Scouting Report: Iriarte’s fastball sat 85-87 mph when he signed but now sits 95-97 after his explosive growth spurt. His fastball plays up with carry through the top of the strike zone and his 86-87 mph changeup with late fade has the makings of a future plus pitch. Iriarte’s 83-85 mph slider could become above-average and gives him the three-pitch mix to be a starter. Iriarte’s stuff is mostly potential at this point and he is still very raw as a pitcher. He got shelled for 25 hits and 27 earned runs in nine innings at Lake Elsinore and has a long way to go. His control is fringy and needs work.
  
  The Future: The Padres see Iriarte as a starting pitching prospect who just needs reps. His stuff could make him a hard-throwing reliever if his control doesn’t come.