Chad Tracy impressed by what he is seeing from Jorge Benitez
Through the first four games of the WooSox season, their bullpen has been dominant. They have gotten contributions throughout the roster, but one player who has stood out is Jorge Benitez. In the WooSox’s home opener, he continued to impress.
On Tuesday night, Benitez added two scoreless innings to his resume. He also struck out three batters and did not allow a hit for the second straight outing. With improved control, the 25-year-old looked unhittable against a talented Buffalo Bison lineup.
Although Benitez has a small sample size, WooSox manager Chad Tracy is impressed by what he has seen and highlighted Benitez’s improved command.
“ Second time in a row, he looked good. In Lehigh, he was outstanding but went 3-2 a lot,” said Tracy. “Today, he was ahead early and often and put the hitter away.”
As Benitez pounded the strike zone, Tracy showed no hesitation in letting him pitch multiple innings. That is a situation he could find himself in with some regularity as the season progresses.
“ He is very tough on left-handers, but he is also tough on right-handers,” Tracy said following the WooSox’s home opener. “You are going to see him go out there for multiple ups a lot and be able to get through seven or eight hitters. I think he was another guy who was awesome today.”
While the 2024 campaign is far from over, Benitez has picked up where he left off last season. In 45 appearances between the Mariners' High-A and Double-A affiliates, Benitez posted a 1.95 ERA. The San Juan native also struck out 82 batters while holding opponents to a .183 batting average. If he can replicate those numbers, then he will be a valuable piece to the WooSox bullpen.
So far, Benitez has made a great first impression, and Tracy is taking notice.