SAN DIEGO — Eighty minutes before first pitch Tuesday night, right-hander Javier Assad strolled down the steps into the visitors dugout where a few Chicago Cubs fans stuck baseballs and his baseball cards under the protective netting for him to sign.
It was part of a full-circle journey this week at Petco Park, where Assad went to games as a kid growing up 40 minutes away in Tijuana, Mexico. His parents, Javier Assad Sr. and María Isabel Ramírez, were in the stands for his start Monday night, only the third time they had seen him pitch for the Cubs. Although they saw him pitch in relief last year in San Diego, getting the start and holding the Padres to two runs in five innings meant something.
“It’s a dream come true,” Assad said through an interpreter. “Being a starter out here knowing that my family knows I’m going to pitch and having them here definitely has a different feeling to it. It’s really special.”
A core memory for Assad of attending games at Petco Park stems from conflicting loyalty. Assad’s family have long been Los Angeles Dodgers fans because of the team’s Mexican pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, who dominated in the 1980s. But his dad wouldn’t take him to a Padres game against the Dodgers unless he wore a San Diego jersey. Despite wearing it, the young Assad couldn’t help but cheer any time the Dodgers scored, forcing his dad to explain the situation to surrounding Padres fans.
“That’s one of those beautiful moments,” said Assad as his dad laughed behind him while recounting the story.
When Assad was 15, it became apparent to his father he could have a future in baseball. Scouts started showing up to his games in Mexico, and his family started thinking about the next steps. Assad recalled a conversation with his dad, asking if he wanted to follow a path into professional baseball or focus on his studies.
“It wasn’t something I really had in mind, but I love baseball and I always have loved the sport,” Assad said. “He told me if you choose to pursue baseball though you’ve got to focus and really go all in on it so I made the decision to pursue baseball. I always kept that goal in mind because the goal is always to come out there, do my best and give it my all just to be able to reach the highest level.”
Since signing with the organization in 2015 as an international amateur free agent, Assad, 26, steadily worked his way through the minors, going from under the radar and not considered among their top prospects to a valuable, versatile pitcher for the Cubs the last three years. Assad’s calm and steady demeanor on the mound doesn’t surprise his family.
That’s always been who he is, even when he played in Little League.
“He’s very serene and even outside of the field,” Assad Sr. said through an interpreter. “A very calm guy that does not get too ahead of himself. … I’ve always known he’s a good pitcher. These big names, these talented players in the big leagues, it’s really exciting to see him go out there and pitch.”
Assad relies on a six-pitch mix and good command for his success. He doesn’t blow his fastball by hitters, averaging 92 mph on the pitch this season, but Assad is capable of cranking it up to 95 mph when he needs it in big moments. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer saw Assad’s standout performance for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic last spring as a coming-out party for the right-hander.
“He realized his stuff can be that good, he can get those kind of hitters out,” Hoyer said this week. “Guys that come up that are top-10 picks they’ve kind of known for most of their life they’re probably going to have this opportunity. It’s definitely cooler for the guys that have to grind through it and the minor leagues can be difficult at times and there can be ups and downs.
“A guy like him is a real success story.”
Assad has embraced the challenge of how the Cubs have used him the last three years, vacillating between the bullpen and rotation. No matter his role, Assad delivers, owning a 2.96 ERA in 43 games (20 starts). He might make it look easy switching as needed, but catcher Yan Gomes said it’s a testament to Assad’s confidence and the work he puts in to be ready for whatever the Cubs need.
“It’s a very selfless attitude,” Gomes told the Tribune. “You never see him hanging his head, wishing he was starting (last year), but now he’s getting that chance and he’s not overdoing it. He’s just being who he is and that’s something really cool to see. You call his name and he’s going to go out there and give it everything he’s got.”
Following Assad’s success for Team Mexico in the WBC, a local politician reached out to his family and told them the mayor wanted to include Assad in a mural to acknowledge how he is the pride of Tijuana. The painting of Assad, in his WBC jersey, was unveiled in January.
¡ÍDOLO EN SU TIERRA! 🇲🇽
Javier Assad fue plasmado en un gran mural en Tijuana, Baja California.
📸: @javierassad1 #YoAmoElBeis pic.twitter.com/5Y2HszVApY
— MLB México (@MLB_Mexico) January 7, 2024
Located off a main road, Assad Sr. passes it every day he goes to work, a visual reminder of his son’s long, rewarding journey to pursue his dream.
“I love doing what I do and that’s the main message is love and pursue your passion,” Assad said. “Just like for me being able to come out here and experience all these beautiful moments, being able to play the game that I love. It’s just really special.”