Alex Reyes

Alexander Reyes (born August 29, 1994) is a Dominican–American professional baseball pitcher who is a free agent.

Also, Baseball Prospectus determined him the 98th-best prospect in all of baseball.

With his family unable to afford to send him to showcases and tryouts, he moved to the Dominican Republic in December 2011.

There, it would be much easier to gain the attention of scouts to increase his chances of signing with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team as a free agent rather than be selected through the amateur draft had he remained in the United States.

In the Dominican Republic, Reyes lived with each of his grandmothers in San Cristóbal, enabling him to gain residency and the notice of scouts, known colloquially as buscones.

Shortstop Raúl A. Mondesí, the son of San Cristóbal mayor and former MLB outfielder Raúl Mondesí, worked out with Reyes and attracted the attention of a buscón known simply as Valera, who also noticed Reyes.

Reyes tried out with Valera before St. Louis Cardinals scout Rodny Jiménez noticed him.

The Cardinals observed Reyes work out in Palenque, of the Sabana Grande de Palenque municipality, near San Cristóbal, and invited him for a private workout in their team academy in Santo Domingo.

At that point, he had reached speeds of up to 94 mph. Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak commented that Reyes' athleticism was one important factor that caused the team to consider the young pitcher.

Because he had emigrated from the United States, MLB regulations stated that Reyes must wait one year to sign with an MLB franchise as an international free agent, delaying the Cardinals' opportunity to sign him for six months.

He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals as an amateur free agent in 2012, and made his Major League Baseball (MLB) debut with the team in 2016.

In December 2012, he signed a $950,000 deal with St. Louis.

Reyes made his professional debut in 2013 for the Johnson City Cardinals of the Appalachian League.

In 12 starts, he went 6–4 with a 3.39 earned run average (ERA) with 68 strikeouts (SO) in 58 1⁄3 innings pitched (IP).

Prior to the 2014 season, Baseball America ranked him as the seventh-best prospect in the Cardinals organization.

He spent the 2014 season with the Single-A Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League.

There, he notched a 7–7 record to go with a 3.62 ERA and 137 strikeouts in 109 1⁄3 innings.

He said: "I learn from watching. I don't think ... he even knows, but Rob Kaminsky is definitely the number one guy I've studied. From day one in Peoria he just separated himself from everyone on the pitching staff, including me."

The Cardinals' top prospect entering both the 2015 and 2016 seasons, Baseball America named him the second-best prospect overall in their 2016 mid-season ranking.

He has played in two All-Star Futures Games and was one of two Cardinals' Co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year in 2015.

Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Tomás Sr. and Dignora Reyes, Alexander Reyes is the youngest of three sons, including Tomás Jr. and Adriel.

While he was attending Elizabeth High School, he was 5ft 11in and threw a maximum of 87 mph. He lived in New Jersey until he was 18.

Prior to the start of the 2015 season, Baseball America ranked Reyes as the 51st-best prospect in all professional baseball, and Baseball Prospectus ranked him 55th.

Jim Callis selected Reyes as the Cardinals' top prospect for 2015, and although he did not make MLB.com's top 100, Callis named him the best pitching prospect not on that list.

The beneficiary of a late growth spurt, Reyes grew to a height of 6ft 4in and began throwing at up to 100 mph in Single–A.

Playing for the High–A Palm Beach Cardinals of the Florida State League (FSL) in 2015, Reyes was the Cardinals' Minor League Pitcher of the month in April.

He led the FSL with 35 SO and allowed a 1.71 ERA over 20 1⁄3 innings.

His 13-strikeout performance on June 17 was a season-high.

Including his previous 10 outings, he had posted a 1.79 ERA and 70 SO in 50 1⁄3 innings.

On June 25, Reyes was selected to represent the World Team in the All-Star Futures Game after leading all of the minor leagues with a ratio of 13.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (SO/9).

He had registered a 2–5 record and 2.08 ERA while striking out 90 and walking 30 in 60 2⁄3 IP.

He was also selected to play in the 2015 FSL mid-season All-Star game.

With a 2.26 ERA, 49 hits and zero home runs allowed with 96 strikeouts in 63 2⁄3 innings over 13 FSL starts, the Cardinals promoted Reyes to the Double–A Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League in July 2015.

The next month, Baseball America rated him as throwing the FSL's best fastball, best breaking pitch, and as the "best pitching prospect" in the league in 2015, according to a poll of managers and coaches.

He totaled a 5–7 record and 2.49 ERA over 22 starts in 2015, striking out 151 in 101 1⁄3 innings while allowing a .197 opposing batting average.

The Cardinals selected him to play for the Surprise Saguaros of the off-season Arizona Fall League (AFL).

Baseball America also selected Reyes for the high Class-A minor leagues All-Star team for the 2015 season.

He and Austin Gomber were selected the Cardinals' co-Minor League Pitchers of the Year for 2015.

After he tested positive for marijuana, Major League Baseball announced on November 9, 2015, that they were suspending Reyes for 50 games including the remainder of the AFL season and the start of the 2016 season.

Baseball America selected Reyes as the top Cardinals' prospect entering the 2016 season.