Bartolome Fortunato
| IP | 29 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 6.207 |
| WHIP | 1.655 |
| BB/9 | 5.276 |
| SO/9 | 7.759 |
- Full name Bartolome Araujo Fortunato
- Born 08/24/1974 in Santo Domingo Centro, Dominican Republic
- Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- Debut 06/29/2004
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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The other player the Mets acquired in the Victor Zambrano/Scott Kazmir deal last July, Fortunato took a long and winding road from the Dominican Republic to the majors. The Devil Rays signed him as an outfielder, but quickly found out his arm was more valuable than his bat. They were less thrilled to discover he was actually six years older than originally believed, in the visa crackdowns after the Sept. 11 attacks. Fortunato likely wouldn't have gotten a chance at pro ball if it had been known he was nearly 22 at the time of his signing, but he has made it to the majors despite not making it out of the DSL until he was 25 years old. Equipped with a 93-95 mph fastball, an average slider and a solid changeup, he has the stuff to contribute to the big league bullpen this season. Throwing strikes on a consistent basis is his biggest obstacle. His ceiling is limited, of course, by his age.
