Camilo Doval (born July 4, 1997) is a Dominican professional baseball relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He signed with the Giants as a free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut with them in 2021. His fastball has reached 104.5 miles per hour (168.2 km/h).[1]
| Camilo Doval | |
|---|---|
| San Francisco Giants – No. 75 | |
| Relief pitcher | |
| Born: (1997-07-04) July 4, 1997 (age 25) Yamasá, Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 18, 2021, for the San Francisco Giants | |
| MLB statistics (through 2022 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 11–7 |
| Earned run average | 2.66 |
| Strikeouts | 117 |
| Saves | 30 |
| Teams | |
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Doval was born in Yamasá, in the Dominican Republic.[2] His parents are Rosa, an elementary school teacher, and Sergio, a farmer, who have separated.[3] He is the third of Rosa's four children, and has a combined 23 siblings and half-siblings, with whom he communicates often in a group chat on Whatsapp.[3] He has a son who was one year old in October 2021, Lian.[3]
Doval signed with the San Francisco Giants as an international free agent at 18 years of age in October 2015, for a signing bonus of $100,000, as a shortstop.[4][5][6][7] In 2016 as a pitcher he had a 2–0 win–loss record with one save and a 1.66 earned run average (ERA) for the Rookie-level DSL Giants in the Dominican Summer League.[8] In 2017 he was 1–2 with one save and a 3.90 ERA, and had 14.2 strikeouts per 9 innings (2nd in the Arizona League) for the Rookie-level AZL Giants.[8]
In 2018 he was 0–3 with a 3.06 ERA and had 11 saves (5th in the South Atlantic League) in 44 games (2nd), as he struck out 13.2 batters per 9 innings (3rd).[8][9] Doval was a 2018 MiLB.com Organization All-Star, pitching for the Class A Augusta Greenjackets.[10][8] In 2019 he was 3–5 with a 3.83 ERA in 45 relief appearances (3rd in the league) for the Class A-Advanced San Jose Giants, as he allowed only 6.6 hits per 9 innings and struck out 12.8 batters per 9 innings.[8][11] He was a 2019 California League Mid-Season All-Star.[10] Doval averaged 12.8 strikeouts per 9 innings in his first four minor league seasons.[2]
Doval did not play in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Minor League Baseball season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] The Giants added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.[13]
He split 2021 between the Triple-A West Sacramento River Cats and the major league Giants.[9] In July, pitching for the River Cats, Doval threw a pitch that was timed at 104.5 mph.[14] For the 2021 season for the River Cats, he was 3-0 with one save and a 4.99 ERA, and averaged 12.9 strikeouts per 9 innings over 28 relief appearances covering 30.2 innings.[15]
On April 16, 2021, Doval was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[16] He made his MLB debut at 23 years of age on April 18, pitching a scoreless inning of relief with 2 strikeouts against the Miami Marlins.
In September 2021 he became the second Giants pitcher since Statcast started tracking in 2008 to throw a pitch faster than 102 mph, joining Brian Wilson.[17] That same month, he became the youngest Giants pitcher, at 24 years and three months old, to record a save since Rod Beck in 1992.[18] Doval was named the National League Reliever of the Month for September/October after throwing 14.1 scoreless innings. He struck out 20 and walked only three batters in those appearances, and by the end was serving as the team’s closer.[19]
In the 2021 regular season with the Giants, Doval was 5-1 with three saves and a 3.00 ERA. In 29 relief appearance he pitched 27 innings in which he struck out 37 batters, averaging 6.3 hits and 12.3 strikeouts per 9 innings with a 1.037 WHIP.[20] His average fastball velocity of 98.6 mph was in the fastest 1% in MLB.[21]
In the post-season, Doval threw a scoreless ninth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 4-0 win in Game 1 of the 2021 National League Division Series.[3] He next pitched two perfect innings to save the Giants 1-0 win over the Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. He became the first rookie to have a two-plus inning save in the postseason without allowing a baserunner since saves became an official statistic in 1969. It extended his scoreless streak to 19.1 innings, in which he allowed 8 hits, walked 3, and struck out 25.[22]
The 2022 season was Doval's first full season in the major leagues, and his first full season as the Giants' closer. He was 6-6 with 27 saves (6th in the NL) in 30 save opportunities, a 2.53 ERA in 68 relief appearances (6th) and 51 games finished (2nd), and in 67.2 innings struck out 80 batters.[23][24] His average fastball velocity of 99 mph was in the fastest 1% in MLB.[21]
His four-seam fastball reaches 104 mph, and he also throws a high-80s hard slider and an occasional change-up. In the middle of the 2022 season, Doval added a sinker averaging in the high-90s to his pitch repotoire.[1][6][8][25] He throws from a very low, nearly sidearm arm slot.[26] He relied primarily on his 88 mph slider (against which batters hit .154), 99 mph cutter, and 98 mph sinker.[27]
He was again named the NL Reliever of the Month for September.[28]
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