Position: OF
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 198 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/R
Born: 07/30/1995
College: Auburn University
Drafted: 4th Round, 132nd Overall, 2016 (Blue Jays)
How Acquired: Rule 5 Draft, Minor League Phase (from Nationals)
Bonus: $438,100
40-man Roster: Yes
Rule 5 Eligible: N/A
Minor League Free Agency: N/A
Options Left: 0
Overview
Drafted and signed by Toronto, Palacios is a classic tweener, an outfielder who can play average defense at all three positions, with a strong arm (87th percentile arm strength, per Statcast). He has decent contact ability and, as a minor leaguer, has hit for average with good walk rates, but he doesn’t have much power. He hasn’t had platoon splits in the minors. Palacios has good speed and will steal some, but hasn’t done so with high success rates. The Pirates claimed him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
2016-20
Palacios moved up through the Jays’ system gradually, a level a year, through AA in 2019. With some variations, he hit for average, drew walks, didn’t strike out a lot, and showed just gap power. Baseball America ranked him in the Jays’ top 30 a couple of times. In 2020, the Jays kept him on their taxi squad but he saw no major league action. Toronto added him to their 40-man roster after the season.
2021-22
Palacios made his major league debut in April 2021. The Jays sent him to AAA later in the month, but he missed most of the rest of the season with a hand injury. The next year, Toronto designated him for assignment early in the season and the Nationals claimed him. He played in AAA through early August and hit well, then spent most of the last two months in the majors. He didn’t hit much there in limited time. Washington outrighted Palacios after the season and the Pirates selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
2023-24
The Pirates initially sent Palacios to Altoona, but after eight games moved him up to Indianapolis. He started destroying the ball there; in 20 games, seven of them later in the year, he had an OPS of 1.284 in AAA. The Pirates called him up in May and, except for one short stint back in AAA, he played semi-regularly for them the rest of the year. He had a strange year. In late and close situations, as defined by Baseball Reference, he batted 333/422/795. In all his other plate appearances, he hit 221/247/341. Palacios attracted a lot of favorable attention due to the late-inning heroics, but his overall hitting was well below average, as shown by a .692 OPS. He played sparingly against LHPs, but hit them about the same as RHPs. Palacios started 36 times in right, 17 in left and four in center. Statcast considered him average defensively.
Palacios missed a good deal of the 2024 season with injuries. The Pirates optioned him to Indianapolis to start the year, but he went on the injured list two weeks into the season. He didn’t return to Indy for two months, following a rehab that was shut down at one point. The Pirates recalled him in early July, but he went back on the IL at the end of the month. He returned to Indy on rehab a week later, then got optioned a week and a half after that. In a bizarre move, the Pirates recalled Palacios with a week left in the season and gave him nine plate appearances. During his time at Indy, Palacios hit 291/372/489. In 78 plate appearances with the Pirates, he hit 224/333/343. He played all three outfield positions, most often right.
Stats
Transactions
June 7, 2014: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 31st round, 935th overall pick.
June 10, 2016: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 4th round, 132nd overall pick; signed on June 14.
November 20, 2020: Contract purchased by the Toronto Blue Jays.
April 15, 2022: Claimed off waivers from the Toronto Blue Jays by the Washington Nationals.
December 1, 2022: Outrighted to AAA by the Washington Nationals.
December 7, 2022: Selected from the Washington Nationals in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.
May 9, 2023: Called up by the Pittsburgh Pirates.