The Bravos de Leon of the Mexican League confirmed the death of pitcher Reyes Moronta, 31, who was involved in a traffic accident in the Dominican Republic while driving a four-wheeler. Moronta had an impressive career in Major League Baseball, appearing in 177 games as a reliever and accumulating a 3.05 ERA with 202 strikeouts in 171.1 innings. He played for several MLB teams, including the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Los Angeles Angels. Moronta was under contract to Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican League for the 2024-25 winter season at the time of his death.
Originally signed by the Giants as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic in 2010, Moronta made his major league debut in 2017 and quickly established himself as a hard-throwing pitcher who excelled in high-leverage situations. He underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in 2019 and missed the entire 2020 season while rehabbing. In 2021, he was limited to only four innings due to an elbow sprain, marking his final season with the Giants. Moronta had a successful stint with the Giants, posting a 2.65 ERA in 136 games while striking out more than a batter an inning.
After signing with the Dodgers as a free agent in 2022, Moronta split the season between Los Angeles and the Arizona Diamondbacks, finishing with a combined 2-2 record and a 4.30 ERA in 39 games. He spent spring training of 2023 with the Texas Rangers as a non-roster invitee but was released in March. Moronta signed a minor league deal with the Angels in May 2023 and made two appearances before being designated for assignment. He finished the year with the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate, making 34 appearances and walking 36 batters while striking out 52 across 40.2 innings.
Reports indicate that Moronta signed with the Bravos de Leon in May and was released just days before his untimely death. The news of Moronta’s passing was first reported by Mike Rodriguez via Twitter, with Hector Gomez reporting that the accident occurred while Moronta was driving home on a four-wheeler in the Dominican Republic. The accident took place in front of his father’s house in the Quinigua neighborhood of the Santiago province on Father’s Day in the Dominican Republic. The baseball community mourns the loss of Moronta, remembering him as a talented pitcher who left a lasting impact on the game.
