Friday, May 2, 2025

Aaron Poreda


Photo Credit

This article was researched and compiled
by Carrie Birdsong

Born: October 1st, 1986
Birthplace: Walnut Creek, California
Position: Relief Pitcher
Batted: Left
Throws: Left
Professional Debut: 
MLB: June 12th, 2009, for the Chicago White Sox
NPB: March 28th, 2015, for the Yomiuri Giants
MLB Statistics: Win–Loss Record: 3 – 1
Earned Run Average: 4.67
Strikeouts: 33
NPB Statistics: Win–Loss Record: 9 – 11
Earned Run Average: 3.10
Strikeouts: 120
Teams: 
1.     Chicago White Sox (2009)
2.     San Diego Padres (2009)
3.     Texas Rangers (2014)
4.     Yomiuri Giants (2015 – 2016)

Aaron Poreda was born in Walnut Creek, California, to John Porada and Barbara Anderman(1). He is Jewish, as is his mother, and was raised Jewish (2) and grew up in Moraga, California (3)(4)

He attended Campolindo High School, where he played baseball, pitched a no–hitter, and was named Most Valuable Player in the Diablo Foothill Athletic League (DAFL) in 2003 – 2004(1)(5)(6)(7). He also played football for the Cougars – his primary focus in high school – as a defensive end / tight end, and was named second team ALL-DFAL defensive line(1)(5). He graduated in 2004. (8)

College Career

Poreda played college baseball at the University of San Francisco. He finished the 2005 season 2 – 0, with a 2.16 ERA (the fifth–lowest in team history) in 14 appearances, including 2 starts. (1)(9)

As a freshman in 2005, his ERA of 2.16 was third–best in the West Coast Conference (WCC), and his hits–per–9–innings ratio of 6.48 was second–best in the conference(10). Poreda was named WCC Pitcher of the Week for March 19th – 25th, 2006, during his sophomore year. He tossed the first complete game of his career, allowing one run off five hits and struck out a career–high nine(11). In 2006, he appeared in 18 games (17 as starts), and posted an 8 – 5 record with a WCC–best 2.49 ERA(1)(10). In the NCAA regional, he pitched the team to a 5 – 1 victory over the number 6 seed Nebraska. (1)

For his college career, he started 33 of 46 games, going 17 – 11 with 167 strikeouts and a 2.61 ERA in three seasons in which he threw a plus fastball (a higher-than-average fastball), slider, and change–up (1)(5)(12). He was twice All–West Coast First Team(12). Poreda was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the first round (25th overall) in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft. At the time, he was throwing a 97 miles per hour fastball.(5)(13)

Professional Career

Chicago White Sox

Poreda was named Pioneer League pitcher of the week on September 4th, 2007, while pitching for the Rookie–Level Great Falls White Sox(12). For the season with the team, he went 4 – 0 with a 1.17 ERA. He limited opposing batters to a 1.81 batting average and struck out an average of 9.3 per 9 innings(8). Baseball America named him as having the best pro debut in the White Sox 2007 draft class, and as having the best fastball, being the best athlete, and being the White Sox minor leaguer who was closest to the major leagues. (12)

He began 2008 ranked by Baseball America as the White Sox organization’s #1 prospect, and as having the best fastball(12). On May 19th, 2008, while pitching for Winston–Salem, he was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week(12). For the season, he was ranked third in the organization in ERA and strikeouts(12). In 2008, while playing for the Peoria Saguaros of the Arizona Fall League, Poreda was named one of the AFL Rising Stars. (12)

Poreda was ranked #63 on Baseball America’s top 100 prospect list before the 2009 season, and the #3 prospect of the White Sox(14)(15). In April 2009 Scout.com described him as “the hardest – throwing left – hander in the game.”(16) He was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week on May 11th, 2009, while pitching for the Birmingham Barons. (12)

On May 21st, 2009, the San Diego Padres struck a 4 – for – 1 deal with the White Sox for Jake Peavy, which reportedly included Poreda and Chicago’s other top pitching prospect, Clayton Richard. Peavy, however, invoked his no–trade clause to block the trade. (17)

Poreda was called up to the majors for the first time on June 9th, 2009(18). He struck out Mat Gamel, who was the first batter he faced for his first major league strikeout. On June 12th, 2009, he made his debut against the Milwaukee Brewers. Poreda picked up his first career win on June 25th, 2009, after pitching a perfect 13th in the Sox’s extra–innings win over the Los Angeles Dodgers(19). He went 1 – 0 with a 2.45 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 11 innings in 10 relief appearances with the White Sox before being optioned back to the minors on July 21st. (20)

San Diego Padres

On July 31st, 2009, Poreda was traded with Clayton Richard, Adam Russell, and Dexter Carter to the San Diego Padres for Jake Peavy(21). He was originally assigned to the Portland Beavers, but returned to the majors in September.

Poreda spent the entire 2010 season in the Padres’ minor league system, splitting the year between the San Antonio Missions and the Beavers. For the first time, he pitched the majority of his games as a relief pitcher, appearing in 39 games with a combined record of 1 – 2 and an ERA of 3.83. For the year, he faced 256 batters and only allowed one home run. (8)

Pitching for Tucson, in 41 games, he struck out 79 batters in 69.2 innings(8). On June 13th, 2011, Poreda was designated for assignment. (22)

Pittsburgh Pirates

On December 8th, 2011, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Poreda in the Triple-A portion of the 2011 Rule 5 draft. (23)

Poreda underwent Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in October 2012 and, as a result, missed pitching in all of 2013(14)(24)(25). He was released on March 12th, 2013. (26)

After a spring training with the Rangers in 2014 in which he pitched 8.1 innings and walked only one batter, he was assigned to the Rock Round Express in the AAA Pacific Coast League(28)(29). On April 18th, the Rangers brought him up to pitch out of the bullpen(30). In 2014, he was 2 – 1 with a 5.91 ERA in 26 games in relief for the Rangers(31). Shortly after he was sent to AAA Round Rock on July 12th, he reached 100 mph with his fastball on several pitches(31)(32). A short while later, he developed arm issues. (31)

Yomiuri Giants

Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reported on November 11th, 2014, that a major league source had told him that the Rangers planned to sell the rights of Poreda to the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League in Nippon Pro Baseball(31). On November 20th, the Rangers placed Poreda on unconditional release waivers, and he signed a contract with the NPB team for 2015.(33)(34)

In 2015, his first season in Japan with Yomiuri Giants, Poreda appeared in 24 games, compiling an 8 – 8 record with a 2.94 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched). Plagued by injuries in his second season with the Giants in 2016, Poreda made just five starts, posting a 1 – 3 record and a 4.00 ERA.

On December 2nd, 2016, it was announced that Poreda had been released by the Giants. (35)

For more statistics, click here: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/poredaa01.shtml

References:

1.     "University of San Francisco Athletics – Aaron 
        Poreda – 2006–07 Baseball". Usfdons.com. 
        October 1, 1986. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

2.     "Chicago Jewish News - Jewish Chicago's 
        Hometown Newspaper". Archived from the 
        original on January 19, 2013. Retrieved 
        January 4, 2021.

3.     "#44 Aaron Poreda". University of San 
        Francisco Athletics. October 1, 1986. 
        Archived from the original on January 2, 
        2011. Retrieved July 29, 2015.

4.     "Welcome to the Majors, Aaron Poreda » 
        Jersey Jewish News. June 13, 2009. Archived 
        from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved 
        April 19, 2014.

5.     Jump up to:abcd"Draft: Aaron Poreda, lhp, 
        White Sox". BaseballAmerica.com. June 7, 
        2007. Retrieved May 24, 2014.

6.     "DFAL All-League Football 2003–04" (PDF). 
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        Aaron Poreda". Lone Star Ball. Retrieved 
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15.   "Scout.com". Texas.scout.com. Retrieved 
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16.   "Scout.com". Diamondbacks.scout.com. 
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17.   "Peavy: San Diego 'best place for us',"
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18.   ""Sox call up Poreda; Colon on DL," 
        accessed August 19, 2009". ESPN. June 9, 
        2009. Retrieved March 26, 2010.

19.   "Temple, Jesse, "Poreda earns first win for 
        scoreless 13th inning,"". MLB.com. 
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        2011. Retrieved June 26, 2009.

20.   "Aaron Poreda Stats". Baseball-Reference.
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21.   "White Sox acquire Peavy from Padres"
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22.   Dierkes, Tim. "Padres Designate Aaron 
        Poreda For Assignment". MLBTrade
        Rumors.com. Retrieved June 13, 2011.

23.   Adams, Luke (December 8, 2011). "NL 
        Pirates, Poreda". MLBTradeRumors.com.

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        Feliz not ready yet". Dallas Morning 
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        bullpen". April 19, 2014. Archived 
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        Retrieved March 19, 2018.

26.   "Pirates Release LHP Aaron Poreda"
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27.   Morris, Adam J. (October 17, 2013). 
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28.   "Rangers ace Yu Darvish will miss 
        Opening Day". Detroit Free Press. 
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29.   "Summing it up: How the Jews did in 
        Spring Training". Jewish Baseball 
        News. Retrieved April 19, 2014.

30.   "Rangers place right-hander Tanner 
        Scheppers on disabled list". mlb.com. 
        March 27, 2014. Retrieved April 19, 
        2014.

31.   Jump up to:abcd"Texas Rangers 
        to Japanese club". Texas Rangers Blog. 
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32.   "Briefs: Rangers assistant GM A.J. 
        Padres job". Texas Rangers Blog. 
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33.   "Rangers set 40-man roster, include 
        four first-time players". Texas 
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        original on November 24, 2014.

34.   "Texas Rangers protect players, 
        Angels – ESPN Dallas". ESPN.

35.   "自由契約選手" [Free Contract 
        Players]. Nippon Professional Base-
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        Retrieved December 12, 2016.




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