Mark Portugal is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for several teams during his career. He was born on October 30, 1962, in Los Angeles, California, and attended Oklahoma State University, where he played college baseball.
Portugal was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 27th round of the 1980 Major League Baseball draft but did not sign with the team. Instead, he signed with the San Francisco Giants in 1981 and made his Major League debut with the team in 1985.
Over the course of his career, Portugal played for several teams, including the Giants, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, and Arizona Diamondbacks. He was primarily a starting pitcher, but also pitched in relief on occasion.
Portugal had his best season in 1993 with the Astros, when he went 18-4 with a 2.77 ERA and finished third in the National League Cy Young Award voting. He also made the All-Star team that year.
In total, Portugal played in 610 Major League games, starting 364 of them. He had a career record of 109-95 with a 4.31 ERA and 1,091 strikeouts. He also had 10 complete games and five shutouts.
After retiring from baseball, Portugal worked as a pitching coach for several minor league teams, including the Tri-City ValleyCats and the Corpus Christi Hooks. He also worked as a broadcaster for the Astros and as a color commentator for college baseball games on ESPN.
Overall, Portugal had a successful career as a Major League pitcher, with several standout seasons and a reputation as a reliable starter. He was known for his control and his ability to keep the ball in the park, as he gave up just 1.1 home runs per nine innings over the course of his career.
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