Pitching coach Ruben Niebla joined the San Diego Padres staff in 2021, even before the team hired manager Bob Melvin. It is an unusual move to hire the coach before the manager, but with Niebla’s reputation, it was warranted. Our own Ben Fadden addressed the hiring of Niebla in a post here on Gaslamp Ball shortly before the announcement was official.
His credentials were impressive. He was the minor league pitching coordinator in the Cleveland organization from 2013 to 2019, assistant major league pitching coach for the 2020 season, and was hired as the Padres’ major league pitching coach in October of 2021. He was with the Cleveland organization for 21 seasons.
Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell wrote about his intense but personal teaching methods with an expert ability to relay information to his pitchers. The Padres made it clear that they felt this was an opportunity to sign someone whose skill they highly valued.
“He’s had real experiences, over 20 years, coaching in an organization, basically going from rookie ball to the big leagues,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said. “He’s got a track record. He’s got knowledge. And he’s been around one of the most successful pitching programs in the game. And, then, from a personality standpoint, he was just somebody that fit for us.”
After Niebla took over as pitching coordinator in 2013, Cleveland’s organizational 3.74 ERA was the best in the American League. From 2022-2024, the Padres’ 3.80 ERA and 56.9 fWAR is third to only Philadelphia and Atlanta in the National League.
Known for his ability to build strong relationships with his pitchers and his bilingual skills, which foster better communication among his staff, Niebla also has built a reputation for successfully converting relievers into starters. Both Seth Lugo (2022) and Michael King (2024) have successfully transitioned into starting under Niebla’s guidance.
On February 6, 2024, just shortly before the start of spring training, the Padres announced the opening of the bio-mechanics lab developed in association with Point Loma Nazarene University and their associate professor of Kinesiology, Arnel Aquinaldo. In an interview with Ben and Woods on 97.3 The Fan, Niebla discussed the advantages of the lab.
Analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of individual pitchers using state-of-the-art technology, the data obtained allows the team to develop training plans that guide the pitcher to develop his skills and attempt to avoid injury. The original outline is to use the lab for a pitcher at least three times per year: before the season, around the middle of the season, and after the season to continue to measure and develop proper technique.
Niebla also pointed out that GM AJ Preller has consulted his coaches and those involved with using the lab to evaluate and assist with player acquisition.
In an article written for The Athletic in February 2024, Dennis Lin cited that the lab was unofficially opened in October of 2023 with several Padres pitchers getting baseline evaluations to begin accumulating data. Niebla works with Aquinaldo and multiple graduate students of the university to conduct the evaluations and the data is available for analysis by the Padres sports science team. They can then convert the data into baseball-specific terms. Niebla is uniquely suited to this line of evaluation due to his previous education in kinesiology and sports science during his student days at Azusa Pacific College.
The data helps with correcting mistakes in technique, identifying ‘red flag’ problems, and has been used to help develop the plans that helped convert Michael King into a starter. There has even been some experimenting with using the lab for position players as well.
In late March of 2023, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune wrote about the other side of Ruben Niebla’s success. As a bilingual coach, he is able to communicate directly with his pitchers and catchers in whichever language they speak. He is the one who interprets between the players for mound visits during games. Acee attributes his third language, analytics, combined with his “old-school” approach to coaching, as the reason for his success. Former Padres closer Josh Hader said it this way: “He keeps it simple.”
Multiple pitchers have credited Niebla with introducing new pitches or new grips into their repertoire. Combining coaching skill, human psychology, technical expertise, and experience has enabled Niebla to build his reputation in baseball. Giving him the advantage of the state-of-the-art bio-mechanics lab just furthers the impact he can make.
Preller has an additional weapon to his arsenal when attempting to add free-agent pitchers to the Padres roster. Citing the reputation and advantages of working with Niebla and showing off their lab would be especially helpful in attracting rehabbing pitchers or those trying to relaunch careers that have been interrupted by injury or failed mechanics.
It is no surprise that the Padres locked Ruben Niebla up for an additional three years prior to this season. At the Padres recent FanFest, manager Mike Shildt appeared giddy when relaying that he and Niebla have contracts that are identical in their length, both having been extended through the 2027 season.
There is no doubt that the Padres struck gold by bringing a local guy home, giving him multiple-year contracts to provide him with security, and providing a partnership with a local university for a bio-mechanical lab that does nothing but provide the coach and the team with advanced tools for the benefit of the pitching staff.
It will be exciting to see what Ruben and his team will be able to do with the next pitchers trying to revive their careers or turn relievers into starters.