Michell Miliano

MICHELL MILIANO, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
Born: December 22, 1999
Height: 6’3″
Weight: 185
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Signed: Int’l Free Agent, 2016, Padres
How Acquired: Trade (from Padres)
Country: Dominican Republic
Agent: N/A

WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE
The Padres paid Miliano a mid-six figures bonus out of the Dominican.  He throws 92-95 mph, with a curve that’s sometimes above average.  He’s struggled to progress so far, getting mired in rookie ball for three years.  He misses both bats and the plate a lot.  The Pirates got him in the Adam Frazier trade.

2017
R:  1-3-0, 6.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 15.0 IP, 4.8 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

Miliano made five starts and two relief appearances in the Arizona League.  He had a very good K rate and a walk rate that was a little high but not alarming.  The ERA was largely the product of an incredibly low strand rate of 43%.

2018
R:  1-3-0, 9.21 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 28.1 IP, 6.0 BB/9, 10.8 K/9

The Padres sent Miliano back to rookie ball, where he made 11 starts.  The one real change was that his walk rate went up.  He was still beset by a terrible strand rate, this time 47.2%.

2019
R:  2-0-0, 5.14 ERA, 1.95 WHIP, 21.0 IP, 11.1 BB/9, 15.0 K/9

Miliano went back to rookie ball for a third year and moved to the bullpen.  This time his walk rate went off the charts.  He did strike out more batters than ever and, somehow, his ERA was only bad.

2020
DNP

Miliano didn’t play during the pandemic year.

2021
A (SD):  2-2-2, 3.16 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 7.4 BB/9, 18.2 K/9
A+ (SD):  0-0-0, 6.23 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.1 IP, 8.3 BB/9, 14.5 K/9
A+:  2-2-0, 6.30 ERA, 2.30 WHIP, 20.0 IP, 11.7 BB/9, 10.4 K/9

The Padres sent Miliano to low A and he improved some, with an extremely high K rate and an opponents’ average of just .167.  The walks, of course, remained very high.  In July, he moved up to high A and pitched along the same lines through four games.  The Pirates acquired him in late July.  In 16 games at Greensboro, his control went backwards and he was pretty awful.

2022
R:  0-1-0, 1.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 5.1 IP, 3.4 BB/9, 10.1 K/9
A+:  1-2-1, 7.36 ERA, 1.91 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 9.8 BB/9, 13.0 K/9

Miliano opened the season at Greensboro and struggled badly, with control the major problem.  In early July the Pirates put him on the development list.  He made three appearances in the FCL in August and three more for the Hoppers near the end of the season.

Miliano has struggled to command his stuff for a long time and still hasn’t shown he can pitch in high A.  In fact, it’s been such a long time that he’s eligible for minor league free agency in another year.

CONTRACT INFORMATION
2023: Minor League Contract
PLAYER INFORMATION
Signing Bonus: $450,000
MiLB Debut: 2017
MLB Debut: N/A
MiLB FA Eligible: 2023
MLB FA Eligible: N/A
Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible
Added to 40-Man: N/A
Options Remaining: 3
MLB Service Time: 0.000
TRANSACTIONS
July 2, 2016: Signed by the San Diego Padres as an international free agent.
July 25, 2021:
Traded by the San Diego Padres with Tucupita Marcano and Jack Suwinski to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Adam Frazier and cash.