Watch Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt pitch in the Panamanian winter league
Last season, we got a taste of what Padres catcher Christian Bethancourt could do on the mound. The right-hander appeared in two games and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless frames. Because he wasn't really a pitcher (yet), he struggled with command and walked three. There was still plenty to get excited about as the catcher hit the mid-90s with his fastball and paired it with a low-80s change ... or even a 49-mph eephus.
This winter, Bethancourt went to Panama to stretch out as a pitcher/utilityman extraordinaire like Brooks Kieschnick. Though he's still playing in the outfield and at DH, Bethancourt came in to close out the game for the Caballos de Cocle on Wednesday night. And he looked pretty good doing it:
The Christian Bethancourt experiment is underway in Panama. He tossed 1 scoreless, 17 pitches, fastball 93-96 mph. Also DH-ing, playing OF.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) January 11, 2017
Want a peek for yourself? Here you go:
@ChristianBeth27 lanzando esta noche en la victoria de @CaballosdeCocle 13-3 sobre las @AguilasMetro @Padres @LosPadres pic.twitter.com/hn77BqR2X9
— ProbeisOficial (@ProbeisOficial) January 12, 2017
While we're plenty impressed by
