2021 Possible Aces Faces: Juniel Querecuto

Juniel Querecuto shouldn’t be a new name to Aces fans in 2021. The switch-hitting Venezuelan was assigned to the Aces from Arizona’s alternate training site in September after a non-roster invite to spring training this year, before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Minor League Baseball and delayed the big league season.

Querecuto has appeared in 170 games with Reno over the last two seasons, hitting .315 in 68 games after being called up from double-A Jackson in June 2018. In 2019, Querecuto was a regular in Aces manager Kevin Cron’s lineup, appearing in the second-most games on the team with 102 out of the 140-game season.

Querecuto’s 111 hits were good for third on the team, posted alongside a .288 average – fifth-highest on the team among players with at least 80 games played.

The 28 year old signed his first professional contract with the Tampa Bay Rays as a teenager in 2009, and made his big league debut in 2016 just three days after his 24th birthday. His debut came in a 2-0 win over the New York Yankees, with Querecuto starting at third base.

Heading into 2021, Querecuto should be a key piece near the top of the Aces order. With 801 career hits in 833 minor league games, the product of Barquisimeto, Venezuela should bring plenty of experience and consistency. In his career, he owns a .267 batting average and a .320 on-base percentage.

In his last two seasons, Querecuto’s posted the top two seasons of his career at the plate. If that trend keeps up, he should bring plenty of excitement to Greater Nevada Field in 2021.