San Diego Padres Minor-League Pitcher of the Month, April 2026: Winyer Chourio

[Steve Drumwright]

The second time through Lake Elsinore is proving to be beneficial for Winyer Chourio.

The 22-year-old right-handed starter struggled in nine appearances for the Low-A affiliate in 2025, registering a 6.30 ERA in 20 innings. But back for a second tour with the Storm, Chourio is showing the promise from when the San Diego Padres signed him two years ago.

Chourio finished April with his best outing as a pro, striking out eight and allowing one run over five innings in the Storm's 4-3 loss in 10 innings Tuesday to the Ontario Tower Buzzers, a Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate. That capped a month in which he appeared in five games with four starts, compiling a 2.12 ERA, allowing four runs on nine hits with eight walks and 26 strikeouts over 17 innings. His 26 K's are tied for second in the California League. He limited opponents to a .153 batting average. That performance earned Chourio our unofficial award for the Friars' pitcher of the month in April 2026.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Chourio is a late bloomer. While most international free agents sign as 16-year-olds, the Venezuelan didn't latch on with the Padres until he was 20 years old, inking his contract in May 2024. He immediately performed well while pitching for the Padres' Dominican Summer League teams. In 12 games (seven starts), Chourio had a 2.09 ERA in 38⅔ innings, striking out 34 and walking 19 while opponents hit .159.

That earned him a trip to the U.S. for the 2025 season. Doing that affects players differently and Chourio, who is not related to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, struggled during his first season in America.

He began the season in the Arizona Complex League, making three starts among his 12 games. In 35⅓ innings, Chourio had a 6.37 ERA with 16 walks and 38 strikeouts, allowing five homers in his 44 hits. Opponents hit .308 against him. The Padres pushed him up to Lake Elsinore for the final two months of the season, where he appeared in nine games (two starts). It didn't go much better with the Storm as he threw 20 innings, walking 11 and striking out 17. He eliminated home runs from his ledger but saw opponents hit .309.

But 2026 has been much different. Returning to Lake Elsinore, Chourio has been the best pitcher in the Padres' system over the first month (a slight edge over Fort Wayne TinCaps left-hander Kash Mayfield). After making a one-inning relief appearance on Opening Day, Chourio has been the Tuesday starter for the Storm, opening each six-game series.

Chourio has allowed four runs in 17 innings. In his four starts, he has struck out six, five, six and a career-high of eight. That eight-strikeout performance came in the same game that rehabbing Dodgers left-hander Blake Snell started, so he might have been a little amped for that matchup. The five innings were the most he has pitched since coming to the U.S.

It would figure that Chourio would need more success at Lake Elsinore before being promoted to Fort Wayne, which has the worst team ERA in the Midwest League. His 2.12 ERA would lead the California League if he had a few more innings. He likely won't spend the rest of the first half with the Storm, but making sure he is ready for a promotion would be beneficial for everyone involved.

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