Villalobos becomes 1,000th Jacksonville player to also play in major leagues
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following in the rich history of Jacksonville baseball dating back to 1904, former Jumbo Shrimp right-handed pitcher Eli Villalobos made his major league debut on Sunday for the Miami Marlins at the Oakland Coliseum , becoming the 1,000th Jacksonville player to also reach the big leagues. Villalobos
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Following in the rich history of Jacksonville baseball dating back to 1904, former Jumbo Shrimp right-handed pitcher Eli Villalobos made his major league debut on Sunday for the Miami Marlins at the Oakland Coliseum , becoming the 1,000th Jacksonville player to also reach the big leagues.
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, Calif., Villalobos had appeared in nine games with Jacksonville this season prior to his promotion. He was 1-0 with a 4.73 ERA, punching out 16 hitters in 13.1 innings. 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 (Huntington Beach, Calif.), 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 had appeared in 168 minor league games prior to his promotion, compiling a 10-11 record, 4.34 ERA and 312 strikeouts in 259.1 innings.
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 fifth 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).
ABOUT THE JUMBO SHRIMP: The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp offer affordable family fun at 121 Financial Ballpark. Their inaugural season garnered the Southern League’s Don Mincher Organization of the Year, Promotional Trophy and Jimmy Bragan Executive of the Year, won by general manager Harold Craw. The club added its second Promotional Trophy in three years following the 2019 season. The 2021 season marked the return of Triple-A baseball in Jacksonville. To experience the excitement with the terrific value of ticket and group options, call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 or visit www.jaxshrimp.com.