Ariel Prieto

Infobox MLB retired
name=Ariel Prieto
position=Pitcher
bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birthdate and age|1969|10|22
debutdate=July 2
debutyear=by|1995
debutteam=Oakland Athletics
finaldate=May 10
finalyear=by|2001|
finalteam=Tampa Bay Devil Rays
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=15-24
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=4.85
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=231
teams=
*Oakland Athletics (by|1995-by|2000)
*Tampa Bay Devil Rays (by|2001)
highlights=

Ariel Prieto (born October 22, 1969 in Havana, Cuba) is a former major league right-handed baseball pitcher.

Prieto graduated from college in the city of Fajardo, and he immigrated to Puerto Rico soon after. In Puerto Rico, he played professional winter league baseball for the first time in his career. As a member of the Cangrejeros de Santurce, Prieto was able to attend the Caribbean World Series for the first time.

In by|1995, Prieto made his major league debut for the Oakland Athletics. He won two games and lost six. In by|1996, Prieto had what was arguably his best season, winning 6 games and losing 7 with an ERA of 4.15.

Prieto was traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays before the by|2001 season. With the Devil Rays, Prieto saw action in three games, without any decisions, but he posted his best ERA (2.45) by allowing only one earned run in 3.2 innings pitched. His one season with the Devil Rays was his last season in the major leagues.

Prieto surfaced in Mexico during the middle 2000s, playing with the Venados de Mazatlán, a team with which he reappeared at the Caribbean World Series, held that year in Venezuela. Although he was drilled in the chest by a line drive, he pitched a complete-game shutout in Game 3 of the series.

During six MLB seasons, Prieto won 15 games and lost 24, with a 4.85 ERA.

External links

* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/stats?playerId=3280 Prieto's page on ESPN.com]
* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/prietar01.shtml Baseball Reference]