PEORIA, Ariz. —
The knock on Esteban Quiroz was that, at 5-foot-7 and 175 pounds, he was too small to hold his own in the United States. The velocity in affiliated ball would overwhelm him, too.
At least that’s what Quiroz heard as he toiled for seven seasons in the Mexican League, beginning with his age-19 season with Quintana Roo in 2011, until a powerful performance on the international stage finally turned enough heads.
“I think that was one of the more frustrating parts of my career,” Quiroz said through interpreter David Longley, “is the fact that it’s taken so long.