Cristian Rafael Pache (/ˈpɑːtʃeɪ/ PAH-chay;[1] born November 19, 1998) is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.
He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves, Oakland Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Baltimore Orioles, and Miami Marlins.
Pache, the second of three children, was born in Santo Domingo Centro in the Dominican Republic to a factory worker and a homemaker.
Pache was promoted to the Danville Braves,[8] where he finished the season with a .333 batting average, ten RBI, and a .775 on-base plus slugging (OPS) in 30 games.
[11][12] Pache was named to MLB Pipeline's All-Defensive team for 2018,[13] and was invited to spring training at the start of the 2018 season.
[31] He spent time in major league camp prior to the start of the 2019 season,[29] and was subsequently reassigned to Mississippi.
[49] Prior to the start of the 2021 regular season, Pache began wearing uniform number 25 to honor former Braves center fielder Andruw Jones.
[50] Pache hit his first regular season home run, a grand slam, while facing Tommy Milone in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 1, 2021.
[51][52] On May 14, the Braves placed Pache on the injured list due to a hamstring injury that he suffered during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
[45] On October 12, 2021, Pache was placed on the Braves postseason roster, replacing Jorge Soler, who had tested positive for COVID-19 before game four of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
[55][56] The Braves continued to carry Pache on their roster as they advanced to the National League Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
[57] On March 14, 2022, the Braves traded Pache, Shea Langeliers, Ryan Cusick, and Joey Estes to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Matt Olson.
[45] On March 27, 2023, manager Mark Kotsay announced that Pache, who was out of options, had not made the Opening Day roster.
[45] On July 26, 2024, Pache was traded to the Baltimore Orioles alongside Seranthony Domínguez in exchange for Austin Hays.