JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Jumbo Shrimp right-handed pitcher Eli Villalobos made his major league debut last Sunday for the Miami Marlins at the Oakland Coliseum, becoming the 1,000th Jacksonville player to reach the big leagues.
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Villalobos tossed a scoreless inning for the Marlins to cap their 12-3 victory over the Athletics. He walked one batter but fanned Abraham Toro to end the game and record his first big league strikeout.
A native of La Habra, California, Villalobos appeared in 9 games with Jumbo Shrimp this season before his promotion. He was 1-0 with a 4.73 ERA, punching out 16 hitters in 13.1 innings.
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Villalobos also pitched with the Jumbo Shrimp in both 2022, when he went 2-0 with a 1.04 ERA in 12 appearances, and 2023, when he registered an 0-1 record and 4.43 ERA in 16 games.
Originally a collegiate catcher at Golden West College out of Huntington Beach, California, Villalobos was discovered by the Long Beach State coaching staff in a college summer wooden bat league game in which he had volunteered to pitch. He wound up pitching to a 3.65 ERA in 51 games with the Dirtbags before being selected by the Marlins in the 14th round of the 2018 draft.
The 26-year-old appeared in 168 minor league games before his promotion, compiling a 10-11 record, 4.34 ERA and 312 strikeouts in 259.1 innings.
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Of the 1,000 Jacksonville players to also play in the major leagues, Villalobos is the 163rd former Jumbo Shrimp to reach The Show. Jacksonville’s illustrious baseball history features 11 players enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, including legends Henry Aaron (1953 Jacksonville Braves), Tom Seaver (1968 Jacksonville Suns), Phil Niekro (1960 Jacksonville Braves), Nolan Ryan (1967 Jacksonville Suns) and Randy Johnson (1987 Jacksonville Expos).
Notable Jacksonville alumni also include Los Angeles Dodgers left-handed pitcher Clayton Kershaw (2007-08 Jacksonville Suns), New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton (2009-10 Jacksonville Suns) and Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (2013-14 Jacksonville Suns).
Villalobos is the 5th Jumbo Shrimp alumnus this season to make his major league debut, following catcher Jhonny Pereda (April 17, Marlins) and right-handers Roddery Muñoz (April 20, Marlins), Anthony Maldonado (April 24, Marlins) and Emmanuel Ramírez (April 28, Marlins).
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