Enmanuel De Jesus of the Miami Marlins delivers a pitch in the seventh inning against the New York Mets during game one of a double header at Citi Field on September 27, 2023 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. De Jesus will pitch in South Korea’s KBO League during 2024. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Venezuelan left-handed pitcher Enmanuel De Jesus signed with the Kiwoom Heroes for the 2024 Korean Baseball Organization season and will earn $800,000 in his one-year contract with the franchise, Yoo Jee-ho of Yonhap News Agency English-South Korea platform reported on December 16.
De Jesus, 27, was born in Valencia, Venezuela, and signed a minor league contract as an international free agent at age 16 with the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 9, 2013.
De Jesus is currently playing with the Navegantes del Magallanes in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional and has posted a 0-2 record with a 6.81 ERA, making nine starts and throwing 35.2 innings while allowing 46 hits, 27 earned runs, three home runs, 10 walks, 24 strikeouts, and a 1.570 WHIP.
De Jesus signed a one-year deal for $720,000 with the Miami Marlins on December 10, 2022.
In the 2023 regular season, De Jesus split time between High-A Jupiter and Triple-A Jacksonville, starting in 17 games and going 5-5 with a 4.70 ERA, throwing 92 innings and allowing 100 hits, 48 earned runs, nine home runs, 52 walks, and 70 strikeouts alongside a 1.652 WHIP.
De Jesus was called up to the Marlins on September 8 and appeared in two games out of the bullpen, throwing 6.1 innings and posting an 11.37 ERA, allowing nine hits, eight earned runs, four walks, and five strikeouts.
During March, De Jesus played for Venezuela at the 2023 World Baseball Classic, helping them reach the quarterfinals at loanDepotPark where they lost to the United States 9-7. De Jesus appeared in one game out of the bullpen, throwing 3.2 innings and allowing four hits, one earned run, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Last winter, De Jesus played for the Estrellas Orientales in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana. In six appearances and two starts, De Jesus had an 0-1 record and threwing 15 innings with a 4.80 ERA, allowing 12 hits, eight earned runs, three home runs, six walks, 24 strikeouts, and a 1.200 WHIP.
In the 2022 season, De Jesus pitched for Triple-A Sacramento in the San Francisco Giants organization, starting 19 games and making 16 appearances out of the bullpen, going 4-5 and throwing 101.2 innings with a 4.51 ERA, allowing 108 hits, 51 earned runs, 11 home runs, 51 walks, and striking out 118 batters.
De Jesus has spent nine seasons in the minor leagues, going 49-45 with a 4.01 ERA in 178 appearances and 135 starts, throwing 749.1 innings and allowing 781 hits, 334 earned runs, 55 home runs, 283 walks, and 696 strikeouts with a 1.420 WHIP.
All 10 KBO teams will report to training camp in the middle of January for the 2024 regular season, which will start on March 23. The league has not announced the start times of all regular season games for the 2024 season.