New Mexico Junior College Professional Athletes

Nick Pivetta doesn't get the headlines Michael King does in San Diego's rotation. But as the Padres gear up for October, the New Mexico Junior College alum is making a compelling case that he's the X-factor that could carry them deep into the postseason.

Pivetta enters the playoffs with a 2.86 ERA and has been officially slotted as San Diego's No. 2 starter behind King — a vote of confidence from a franchise that knows it needs depth and reliability when the margins tighten in October. His most recent outing came Thursday, September 25, against the Dodgers in Los Angeles — the final home game of the regular season for LA — where Pivetta threw 4.2 innings and struck out seven in a 4-2 Padres win. It wasn't a deep start, but seven punchouts in fewer than five innings signals the kind of swing-and-miss stuff that plays in high-leverage playoff settings.

The question hanging over Pivetta heading into October is durability — specifically, whether he can log deeper outings when San Diego needs more from him. He and Dodgers starter Tyler Glasnow have both navigated injuries this season, with Thursday marking just Glasnow's 13th start of 2026. That inning-count concern is real. But according to FanSided, the Padres have identified Pivetta as their best option behind King regardless, and are counting on him to make life difficult for opposing lineups — starting with the Cubs, should that matchup materialize.

For NMJC fans in Hobbs and beyond, it's a remarkable arc. Pivetta's college roots in the junior college circuit rarely make the national baseball conversation, but when a pitcher is anchoring a playoff rotation with a sub-3.00 ERA, the résumé speaks for itself.

Also in the mix: Fellow NMJC alum Javier Jasso is on the Yankees' roster as a first baseman, though no notable stats or game activity for Jasso surfaced during this period. Pivetta is carrying the banner for the Thunderbirds this October.

The Padres are built for a deep run, and Pivetta — workload caveats and all — is a legitimate piece of that puzzle. If he can stretch his outings and keep the strikeout rate elevated, San Diego's rotation becomes a genuine weapon. For one junior college in southeastern New Mexico, it's appointment viewing.

Nick Pivetta didn't look like a pitcher who had spent nearly five months on the injured list.

The New Mexico Junior College alum made his long-awaited return to San Diego's rotation on September 7, and he looked every bit like the starter the Padres have been missing. Facing the Washington Nationals in the series opener, Pivetta held hitters to just two hits across five innings of work, helping the Padres escape with a tight 3-2 victory. His ERA now sits at 3.43 on the season — a mark that holds up well given the extended layoff.

The Padres had been carefully managing Pivetta's return for weeks, announcing rotation plans and monitoring his readiness before finally reinstating him from the 60-day injured list ahead of the Nationals series. To clear a roster spot, fellow righty Jhony Brito was optioned to Triple-A El Paso, and catcher Blake Hunt was designated for assignment — moves that underscore just how much San Diego values Pivetta's presence in a rotation with playoff implications.

He didn't have to do it alone. Jackson Merrill contributed three hits and two RBIs, and Manny Machado chipped in two hits and two runs scored to back Pivetta's quality outing. But the story of the night was unambiguously the guy on the mound reclaiming his spot in the rotation.

For NMJC faithful, Pivetta's performance is the kind of moment that validates the path — a junior college product who has carved out a genuine big-league career now stepping up on a contending roster when his team needed him most. The Padres clearly believe he has more to give down the stretch.

Fellow NMJC alum Javier Jasso remains on the Yankees' roster at first base, though no notable activity was recorded for him during the period.

All eyes will be on whether Pivetta can sustain this level of performance as San Diego pushes through September.