Jose Urena

Jose Urena

32-Year-Old PitcherSP
 Free Agent  
Free Agent
2023 Fantasy Outlook
Urena was mostly terrible last season for the Rockies, but he did post a 3.51 ERA over six starts in the final month and perhaps that was enough to convince the club to re-sign him to a one-year, $3.5 million contract. The 31-year-old was, unsurprisingly, much better on the road than at home, but he wasn't great in either situation and his career-long problems against left-handed batters continued. Urena should open 2023 in the Rockies' rotation, but his leash figures to be short and he's not worth your attention in fantasy leagues. Read Past Outlooks
$Signed a one-year contract with the White Sox in August of 2023.
Tosses quality start in loss
PChicago White Sox  
October 1, 2023
Urena did not factor into the decision, allowing four hits and three walks over six scoreless innings in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Padres. He struck out three.
ANALYSIS
Urena finished the season on a high note, working his way through the Padres lineup without difficulty. The right-hander finished his season with a 6.45 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 44.2 innings with 29 strikeouts. Urena is expected to look for a new contract in free agency this winter.
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Pitching Stats
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2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2023 MLB Game Log
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2022 MLB Game Log
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2021 MLB Game Log
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2020 MLB Game Log
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2019 MLB Game Log
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2018 MLB Game Log
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2017 MLB Game Log
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Pitching Appearances Breakdown
Average Pitch Count
77
Last 10 Games
77
Last 5 Games
82
How many pitches does Jose Urena generally throw?
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
 
1-10
 
11-20
 
21-30
 
31-40
 
41-50
 
51-60
 
61-70
 
71-80
 
81-90
 
91-100
 
101-110
 
111-120
 
121+
What part of the game does Jose Urena generally pitch?
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
 
 
 
1st
 
 
 
2nd
 
 
 
3rd
 
 
 
4th
 
 
 
5th
 
 
 
6th
 
 
 
7th
 
 
 
8th
 
 
 
9th
 
Extra
% Games Reaching Innings Threshold
% Games By Number of Innings Pitched
Left/Right Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-22%
BAA vs RHP
2023
 
 
-15%
BAA vs RHP
2022
 
 
-29%
BAA vs RHP
2021
 
 
-20%
BAA vs RHP
BAA Batters K BB H 2B 3B HR
Since 2021vs Left .322 574 67 62 163 29 6 18
Since 2021vs Right .250 517 92 45 115 25 1 20
2023vs Left .304 114 15 11 31 5 3 5
2023vs Right .257 89 14 11 19 3 1 8
2022vs Left .329 236 34 28 68 9 1 5
2022vs Right .234 196 29 15 41 8 0 6
2021vs Left .325 224 18 23 64 15 2 8
2021vs Right .261 232 49 19 55 14 0 6
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Pitching Splits
Since 2021
 
 
-21%
ERA on Road
2023
 
 
-19%
ERA on Road
2022
 
 
-34%
ERA on Road
2021
 
 
-9%
ERA on Road
ERA WHIP IP W L SV K/9 BB/9 HR/9
Since 2021Home 6.33 1.66 113.2 2 12 0 5.9 3.9 1.7
Since 2021Away 4.97 1.52 128.2 5 11 0 5.9 4.1 1.2
2023Home 6.91 1.60 28.2 0 4 0 6.9 3.8 3.1
2023Away 5.63 1.63 16.0 0 3 0 3.9 5.6 1.7
2022Home 6.14 1.66 44.0 2 5 0 6.3 3.9 1.4
2022Away 4.08 1.49 53.0 1 3 0 5.4 4.1 0.7
2021Home 6.15 1.71 41.0 0 3 0 4.8 4.0 0.9
2021Away 5.58 1.53 59.2 4 5 0 6.8 3.6 1.5
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Jose Urena compare to other starting pitchers?
This section compares his stats with all starting pitcher seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 120 innings)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity, Barrels/BBE %, Balls Hit 95+ MPH %, and Spin Rate are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 120 IP). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • K/BB
    Strikeout to walk ratio.
  • K/9
    Average strikeouts per nine innings.
  • BB/9
    Average walks per nine innings.
  • HR/9
    Average home runs allowed per nine innings.
  • Fastball
    Average fastball velocity.
  • ERA
    Earned run average. The average earned runs allowed per nine innings.
  • WHIP
    Walks plus hits per inning pitched.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many balls in play against a pitcher go for hits.
  • GB/FB
    Groundball to flyball ratio. The higher the number, the more likely a pitcher is to induce groundballs.
  • Left On Base
    The percentage of base runners that a pitcher strands on base over the course of a season.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Barrels/BBE
    The percentage of batted ball events resulting in a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Spin Rate
    Spin Rate is the rate of spin on a baseball after it is released. It is measured in revolutions per minute (rpm).
  • Balls Hit 95+ MPH
    The percentage of batted balls hit that met or exceeded the 95 MPH threshold.
  • Swinging Strike
    The percentage of pitches that result in a swing and a miss.
K/BB
1.32
 
K/9
5.8
 
BB/9
4.4
 
HR/9
2.6
 
Fastball
95.2 mph
 
ERA
6.45
 
WHIP
1.61
 
BABIP
.276
 
GB/FB
1.42
 
Left On Base
65.1%
 
Exit Velocity
83.7 mph
 
Barrels/BBE
7.0%
 
Spin Rate
2083 rpm
 
Balls Hit 95+ MPH
28.0%
 
Swinging Strike
9.5%
 
Advanced Pitching Stats
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Defensive Stats
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Stats Vs Today's Lineup
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
Urena was one of the many Miami players caught up in the team's COVID-19 outbreak and didn't pitch until early September. He was later denied a chance to pitch in the playoffs when he suffered a fractured forearm in the regular-season finale. The 29-year-old made five starts and had a 5.40 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 15:13 K:BB over 23.1 innings, compiling an 0-3 record. Urena was shifted to the bullpen during the 2019 campaign, and the Marlins could test their luck with that move again next season. The right-hander still features a fastball over 95 mph, but his strikeout and walk rates (16.3% and 8.3%, respectively) over the past two years don't offer much upside. It remains unclear whether the Marlins plan to keep him in the starting rotation or push him back to the bullpen for 2021, but he hasn't had much success in either role since 2018.
Urena worked both out of the rotation and the bullpen for the Marlins, with terrible results. The numbers in the rotation were bad, and the numbers in his limited time in the bullpen were even worse. He throws hard, but that is where the fun ends. His strikeout rate was in the bottom 10th percentile last season, and he gave up a lot of hard contact because his fastball lacks movement. If the Marlins are able to teach him a new pitch or change his repertoire up so he is not so reliant upon his fastball, it's possible he could have better results. Perhaps simply because of his 86th-percentile fastball velocity (95.8 mph), Miami was intent on giving him the ball in high-leverage spots down the stretch, so he can't be completely ruled out for saves, but he certainly won't be getting those chances based on merit without major changes in his profile.
Urena is the ultimate fantasy tease. Most of his underlying metrics are fine, and he throws 96 mph. However, the missing link, especially for fantasy, is the swing and miss. He generates a paltry 6.2% SwStr% on his four-seamer, a pitch he throws nearly 60% of the time. Urena sports a healthy 13.5% SwStr% on his slider and 12.3% SwStr% with his changeup, so perhaps a change in usage or sequencing could help improve a weak 18.3% strikeout rate. From a fantasy standpoint, there's breakout potential if something clicks. Betting on a groundball hurler with good control and a 96-mph fastball seems like a winning proposition. However, at least initially, Urena is best utilized as a streamer, especially for home games. Keep in mind his low strikeout total is particularly detrimental in leagues with an innings maximum.
Going by traditional (i.e. outdated) measures, Urena had a great season, but the underlying numbers paint a far less rosy picture. While he led the Marlins in wins and ended up with a very respectable 3.82 ERA over 169.2 innings, his FIP was nearly a run and a half worse at 5.20 (5.29 xFIP, 5.19 SIERA). Urena averaged just 6.0 K/9 while walking 3.4 per nine, resulting in the fourth-worst K-BB percentage among qualified starters. He had a 4.54 ERA outside of the pitcher-friendly confines of Marlins Park, and while Urena can flash impressive spin to go with mid-90s fastball velocity, there's little evidence to suggest a significant uptick in strikeouts is coming in future seasons (8.2 percent swinging-strike rate, 58.7 percent first-pitch strike rate, 28.8 percent O-Swing percentage). The biggest thing Urena has going for him is safety in the rotation, with the Marlins needing capable arms to eat innings in the first year of a rebuild.
Urena split time between Triple-A and the majors in 2016, as he was sent down and recalled by the Marlins on multiple occasions. While Urena made 12 starts and 28 overall appearances for Miami, his performance in the big leagues this season was relatively unspectacular. The 25-year-old earned a 6.13 ERA and 4.72 FIP in 83.2 innings of work. His struggles resulted in part from his inability consistently generate strikeouts, resulting in a disappointing 6.2 K/9 rate. The Miami right-hander also had fairly extreme splits, as righties slashed .236/.320/.405 off him while lefties were able to slash .298/.359/.506 in 2016. Urena is still young at 25 years old, so there is certainly still a chance that he will improve upon his first couple of stints in the big leagues. Urena likely won't be in the Marlins' rotation to start the season, but he has a good chance to be a spot-starter and the first guy asked to fill in if one of Miami's starters goes down with an injury.
As he had the previous three seasons, Urena moved up in the Marlins organization. Due to injuries, however, he made more appearances in the major leagues than was originally expected for him. The right-hander had his fair share of struggles in his first showing in the majors, going 1-5 with a 5.25 ERA, 1.59 ERA, and 1.12 K/BB. He did see success while pitching with Triple-A New Orleans, though, posting a career best 2.66 ERA while going 6-1 in 11 starts. The Marlins have plenty of young pitchers, but if the 24-year-old can carry that success he saw in the minors to the majors, he could find a spot as a long reliever with the Marlins or even push for a rotation spot with a strong spring.
Another year, another step up the Marlins’ ladder for Urena, who collected 162 innings with a  3.33 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 13 wins for Double-A Jacksonville during his fourth professional season. Urena continues to show exemplary control for a 23-year-old (1.61 BB/9 in 2014) while striking out a career-best 121 batters last season. Urena tends to work to contact with his mid-90s heater but is effective at keeping in the ball in the yard. Still, he’s unlikely to find much growth in his strikeout potential until a more effective secondary offering is established. Urena will likely take his superb command to Triple-A in 2015, but will be hard pressed to find opportunity in the majors this season with the Marlins possessing talented rotation options both in the big leagues and in the high minors.
Urena racked up a 3.73 ERA in 27 games (26 starts) at High-A Jupiter during his age-21 as he continued his climb up the ranks in the Marlins' pitching-rich farm system. The right-hander has modest strikeout ability -- registering 107 punchouts in 149.2 inning pitched last season -- but has already shown plus control, walking just 1.8 BB/9 over his past two seasons. Urena touches the mid-90s with the heater and also boasts an improving slider that will need further work to become a valuable offering. He is likely to start 2014 at Double-A and could have a shot to make his big league debut when rosters expand in September.
More Fantasy News
Takes another loss
PChicago White Sox  
September 26, 2023
Urena (0-7) took the loss Tuesday, allowing seven runs (four earned) on four hits and three walks over four innings against the Diamondbacks. He struck out two.
ANALYSIS
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Sharp in no-decision
PChicago White Sox  
September 19, 2023
Urena did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing one run on four hits over six innings against the Nationals. He struck out four.
ANALYSIS
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Remains winless
PChicago White Sox  
September 15, 2023
Urena (0-6) took the loss against Minnesota on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits while striking out eight batters over 6.1 innings.
ANALYSIS
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Picks up another start
PChicago White Sox  
September 14, 2023
Urena is scheduled to start Thursday's game against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field.
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Takes loss in team debut
PChicago White Sox  
September 10, 2023
Urena dropped to 0-5 on the season Saturday, allowing one run on four hits and two walks over four innings in the White Sox's 3-1 loss to the Tigers. He struck out three.
ANALYSIS
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