Bio
Right-handed reliever Peniel Otaño comes to Sioux City from Peravia in the Dominican Republic after spending parts of the last four seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization. Arizona released Otaño in March during Spring Training. In 2024, the righty started camp with the big club, making one appearance and pitching a scoreless 0.1 inning, earning a hold. The 24-year-old started the 2024 regular season in high-A ball with the Hillsboro Hops of the Northwest League. In 19 appearances with the Hops, Otaño went 1-1 with a 7.64 ERA across 17.2 innings, striking out 13 batters while walking 18. In July, Arizona sent the hurler to play A Ball for the Visalia Rawhide of the California League, where in 13 games he had a perfect 4-0 record with an impressive 1.42 ERA across 19 innings. His K/BB ratio improved with Visalia as he punched out 21 batters while allowing just 12 free passes. Otaño allowed two earned runs in his first outing with Visalia, and in the subsequent 11 appearances, he only allowed one earned run, going a scoreless stretch of 17 consecutive innings.
Otaño spent this past winter with the Vaqueros de Monteria of the Colombian Winter League. In seven outings, he neither recorded a win nor a loss but pitched to a 5.68 ERA over 6.1 innings. The Peravia native was second on the team with three saves and fanned eight batters while walking four. The Vaqueros finished 2nd in the league with a record of 22-14 and made it to the finals, but they fell to the Caimanes de Barranquilla in seven games after being ahead three games to one.
For his 2023 campaign, Otaño spent the entire season with Hillsboro, where he switched to a full-time relief pitcher. He tied for the team lead in appearances with 39, and his four saves led the squad. In 56 innings, Otaño posted a 3-5 record and a 6.91 ERA. The righty also struck out 58 batters while walking 39. He struggled in June but ended the season strong, with seven scoreless outings in his final nine appearances, including the last five straight. This season with Sioux City, Otaño reunites with Explorers’ outfielder Josh Day, who also appeared in 82 games for the Hops that season.
In A-ball with the Visalia Rawhide in 2022, Otaño bounced in and out of the starting rotation. In 23 games, he made 14 starts for a 3-7 record and 5.86 ERA across a career-high 83 innings. He also posted a career-high 68 strikeouts while allowing 42 walks. He tossed his best outing at the end of June against the Lake Elsinore Storm, going 6.2 innings while allowing two earned runs despite walking away with a no-decision.
The Arizona Diamondbacks signed Peniel Otaño in July of 2021 as an international free agent, and he was assigned to the Diamondbacks 2 of the Dominican Summer League just three days later. He tossed two scoreless innings of relief in his pro debut and made his first pro start later that week. In his first professional season at age 20, Otaño started 13 of his 14 appearances. His 2-6 record did not tell the whole story as Otaño went on to pitch to a 3.05 ERA, still the best of his professional career, where in 56 innings, he struck out 67 batters with a near 5:1 K/BB ratio. Otaño caught fire that September and notched a 2.63 ERA in five starts.
Otaño brings four years, 115 games, and 231.2 innings of pro experience to Sioux City. His knack for tossing multiple innings—which he did in 11 of his 32 appearances—will not go unnoticed with the Explorers. Otaño could be a major innings-eater for the X’s in 2025.