On July 4th, SF Giants closer Camilo Doval turned 26. The righty already has plenty to celebrate this season. He was named the National League Reliever of the Month in May and over the weekend, was selected to his first-career MLB All-Star Game. However, Doval has no special plans for his 26th birthday.
"I never celebrate my birthday," Doval told reporters (translated by Erwin Higueros) on Monday night. "I don't celebrate every year when I get older."
Still, even if it's not a special occasion for Doval, it marks an excellent opportunity to highlight several fun facts about the flamethrowing righty.
5 facts about SF Giants closer Camilo Doval
1. He once threw a 105 mph fastball in the minors
Doval is known for his high-octane stuff and has even reached 104 mph once with the Giants, but the fastest pitch of his career came in 2021 with the Sacramento River Cats. Aroldis Chapman and Jordan Hicks are the only other pitchers in the Statcast era to reach 104 mph in a big-league game. However, the fastest pitch of Doval's career (at least that was recorded by Statcast) was a 104.5 mph fastball at Triple-A Sacramento.
5 facts about SF Giants closer Camilo Doval
2. He was an unheralded amateur prospect
The Giants signed Doval in the 2015-16 IFA period for a meager $100,000 signing bonus. In a group headlined infielder Lucius Fox (who received a $6 million signing bonus), it was Doval that has turned into the best player. Giants international scout Gabriel Elias deserves plenty of credit for seeing Doval's potential. Elias is only four years older than Doval and had not yet signed a future MLB player. However, he convinced the Giants international staff to bet on Doval, who was just a skinny 18-year-old righty with a fastball that sat in the upper 80s and a good feel for his breaking ball.
The Giants 2015-16 IFA class has already produced three big leaguers (Doval, Fox, and Kervin Castro) with some other candidates to potentially crack the major leagues (catcher Ricardo Genovés and outfielder Diego Rincones). However, it's hard to envision any of them matching Doval.
5 fun facts about SF Giants closer Camilo Doval
3. He ranks 30th all-time in saves before turning 26
With 54 career saves, Doval is tied with Drew Storen for 30th all-time in saves recorded prior to turning 26. It's no secret that the closer role has evolved quite a bit over the past few decades, but even with that context in mind, it's still worth noting Doval's incredible early-career pace.
Rod Beck (91) is the lone pitcher in Giants franchise history to record more saves than Doval by their 26th birthday. Neither Brian Wilson (seven) nor Sergio Romo (zero) had even amassed double-digit career MLB saves before they turned 26.
Legendary closers like Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Joe Nathan were not full-time closers until their late 20s. Even some of Doval's contemporary peers, like Jordan Romano and Felix Bautista, were more than 26 years old when they made their MLB debuts.
Among current MLB players, Doval's save pace only trails Craig Kimbrel, Kenley Jansen, Aroldis Chapman, Edwin Diaz, and Emmanuel Clase, arguably the five most accomplished closers across the past decade.
It's far too early to make any declarations about whether Doval will finish his career among the greatest closers of all time. However, he's certainly off to a start that rivals nearly every other reliever in MLB history.
5 fun facts about SF Giants closer Camilo Doval
4. He loves horses
Doval grew up in rural Yamasá, Dominican Republic with more than 20 siblings and half-siblings. Raised on a family farm that primarily produced yucca and plantains, Doval developed an affinity for horseback riding. In fact, Doval now owns three horses of his own with hopes of eventually having 8-10.
In a video interview on the Giants YouTube channel (translated from Spanish to English by the Giants), Doval said his love for horses comes from "the wildlife and connection they have with us. They understand when you talk to them, and I have fun."
5 fun facts about SF Giants closer Camilo Doval
5. His favorite musician is Antonio Aguilar
While Doval has embraced plenty of hype music for his entrances in the ninth inning, he actually prefers a genre of Mexican folk music called Norteño. His favorite artist is Antonio Aguilar. He's highlighted "El Hijo Disobediente" (The Disobedient Son) and "Rosita Alvírez" as two of his favorite Aguilar songs. Doval believes his affinity for cowboys has always helped him connect with Aguilar's country/folk songs.
"I love Mexican culture because I own a few horses and I enjoy the cowboy lifestyle," Doval said in the video interview. "I enjoy horseback riding with my friends and spending time with them."
Now 26, impressive young righty Doval will hope to continue dominating in the major leagues for years to come. With a National League-leading 24 saves on the season, Doval could have a chance to break Beck's Giants' single-season saves record of 48. If the Giants remain postseason contenders, Doval may indeed find another way to carve his name into the history books.
More must-reads: