Jhony Brito’s latest Triple-A gem gives Padres another rotation option to watch

If the Padres are still looking for options in their starting rotation, maybe it’s time to give Jhony Brito a real look. In five starts in June, the guy has put together quite the performance. His latest start for Triple-A El Paso should at least make the Padres pay attention. He took the loss, technically, but that part doesn’t matter. His line was much more interesting than the decision next to his name. Brito worked five innings, allowed just two hits, gave up three runs but none earned, walked two and struck out six.

The mess came early off of a first-inning throwing error that opened the door, Brito issued a walk, and then a two-out homer definitely turned the inning sideways. But after that, he settled in and retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced. Not saying it’s enough to insert him into the rotation tomorrow, but the organization should really look closely here.

Jhony Brito is giving the Padres a real internal rotation option

The Padres’ rotation isn’t remotely peaceful. After a strong start to the season, Randy Vásquez is suddenly looking dangerously human. There’s no timeline on Joe Musgrove or Nick Pivetta. Matt Waldron is still working his way back, but not looking deserving of a rotation spot. Germán Márquez has been rehabbing, but he still comes with his own list of questions. And Griffin Canning…you know? 

That is where Brito at least becomes interesting. And there’s no need to oversell it, let’s just look at the numbers. His 0.96 ERA through 18 2/3 innings in the Pacific Coast League looks excellent, but the 4.76 FIP underneath it tells us that they still need some caution.

At the same time, the Padres aren’t in a position where every internal option is going to be perfect anyway. They need more depth. Craig Stammen implied as much after the Padres were lapped in a 15-3 loss, with the bullpen clearly getting taxed with heavy usage this season. The Padres need pitchers who can get through a lineup without making the bullpen start stretching in the fourth inning.

Brito just gave them five innings with no earned runs and six strikeouts in one of the tougher offensive environments in the minors. That’s worth the attention. And even if it’s not a serious option for the rotation right away, a bridge arm coming out of the bullpen could work wonders.

He’s also giving batters a really different look. In his last start, he leaned heavily on his changeup and slider, throwing those two pitches for 52 of his 72 offerings. That’s a notable pitch mix that can change how we look at a depth arm.

The changeup was especially sharp, generating a 50 percent whiff rate on 16 swings. Getting that pitch to sell is the story.

If Brito has found something with that changeup, the Padres have to pay attention. Rotation depth with a legitimate swing-and-miss weapon is worth it. That does not make Brito a hidden gem, but it does make him more useful than a generic next man up kind of option.

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