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Reno's Rotation Projects to be Deep and Dominant 

March 17, 2025

Limiting runs is a difficult task in the hitting friendly confines of the PCL and Greater Nevada Field, but the Reno Aces are more equipped than ever to keep their foes at bay this season. Let’s predict and project the 2025 pitching staff as we near Opening Day. The Diamondbacks

Limiting runs is a difficult task in the hitting friendly confines of the PCL and Greater Nevada Field, but the Reno Aces are more equipped than ever to keep their foes at bay this season. Let’s predict and project the 2025 pitching staff as we near Opening Day.

The Diamondbacks officially optioned Cristian Mena and Yilber Diaz to Triple-A, supplying Reno with two of the most exciting young starters in the league to open the season. Mena, 22, saw his 2024 campaign end prematurely after suffering a forearm strain in July. He’s a sizable right-hander with a five pitch mix, including a mid-90s fastball. His slider was one of the best in the PCL with tight action that consistently garnered whiffs. He made his MLB debut against Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers last season and hopes to re-join the Diamondbacks in short order.

Diaz burst onto the scene in 2024 with a handful of dominant performances for Double-A Amarillo. His arm is electric, driven by a 95-97 mph fastball and a fantastic slider. He tied for sixth among 92 PCL pitchers in ERA (3.22) after his promotion to Reno last season, minimum 50 innings. The DBacks couldn’t ignore his breathtaking six inning, 13-strikeout obliteration of the River Cats in Sacramento and made the call shortly after. Diaz has the upside to be a mainstay in Arizona’s rotation for years to come.

Southpaw Tommy Henry has thrown nearly 200 innings in the big leagues since 2022 and remains on the 40-man roster, so he's a consistent option should the DBacks need an arm. He was stingy for Reno in 2024, posting a sterling 4.25 ERA and starting game one of the PCL Championship in Sugar Land. He’s just over 150 frames from becoming Reno’s all-time leader in innings pitched.

Bullpen

The DBacks’ front office took a markedly different approach to minor league free agency this offseason. Last year, Reno’s first half bullpen was full of high velocity strikeout machines, but that archetype also led to walks and blown games. Reno turned things around in the second half and posted the second best bullpen ERA in the league from late June on, a key factor in the team’s run to the PCL Championship.

If last year was a test on untapped huge arms, this one is on established and experienced veterans. The average age of the offseason minor league bullpen signings is 32, with Shelby Miller (34), Casey Kelly (35), Jeff Brigham (33), Josh Winder (28) John Curtiss (31), and J.P Feyereisen (32) joining the re-signed José Castillo (29) and Scott McGough (35). Winder is the youngest of the bunch and he’s unfortunately going to miss the entire season due to right elbow surgery, as is flamethrower Thyago Vieira.

Drey Jameson and Kyle Nelson, both returning from serious injuries, will begin their seasons in Reno. The sturdy righties Christian Montes De Oca and Kyle Amendt would then likely finish off the group, and Austin Pope is aiming for a May return from offseason knee surgery. Nine of the projected relievers have pitched in the majors, with Curtiss, McGough, Brigham, Nelson, Kelly, Feyereisen, and Miller all at 90 or more innings at the highest level.

This should be a seasoned, strike-throwing, high floor unit with a chance to be one of the more steady arm barns in the PCL. Injuries and call-ups threaten at every turn, but there’s reason to be optimistic about Reno’s Opening Day bullpen, especially with a rotation that should regularly pitch deep into games.

The Reno Aces will open the 2025 season on the road in Las Vegas on Friday, March 28. They will make their home debut at Greater Nevada Field on Tuesday, April 1, hosting the Tacoma Rainiers, the Seattle Mariners' Triple-A affiliate, at 2:05 p.m. PDT.

Season memberships for the 2025 season are available via RenoAces.com by texting "MEMBER" to 21003 or calling (775) 334-7000.