Detours and determination: How Francisco Rivero Jr. became a CDO baseball star, UA signee – Arizona Daily Star

Canyon Del Oro High School catcher and UA signee Francisco Rivero Jr. on his pregame rituals, favorite musical artists, snacks and more (video by Michael Lev / Arizona Daily Star)
Francisco Rivero Jr.’s journey took him in unexpected directions.
He never lost sight of his hoped-for destination.
Rivero is a senior catcher for the Canyon del Oro High School baseball team, which was ranked No. 1 in 5A entering its regular-season finale Monday at Maricopa.
Rivero was tied for third in the conference with six home runs and ranked seventh with 32 RBIs. He sported a .482 batting average and a 1.396 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage).
In some ways, Rivero’s success is no surprise. He signed with the University of Arizona in November. At the time, Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 3 catcher and No. 11 overall high school prospect in the state.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero poses for a photo just before first pitch against Catalina Foothills in Tucson on April 21.
But as recently as 14 months ago, Rivero was barely on the radar on the U.S. prep circuit. He joined the CDO program in late February 2025 after a three-year sojourn thousands of miles from home.
Just days after his 14th birthday, Rivero moved to his father’s hometown of Barquisimeto, Venezuela. He would attend the NBS Academy with the goal of becoming eligible for international amateur free agency. Rivero would sign with an MLB organization and begin his professional baseball career.
Everything was going according to plan — until it wasn’t.
Rivero showed an aptitude for baseball at an early age. He was the starting shortstop at age 11 for the Sunnyside 12U All-Star team that came within a win of the Little League World Series.
Arizona’s Francisco Rivero Jr. (13) hits an RBI single against Northern California during the second inning of the Little League West Regional semifinal game at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino, Aug. 9, 2019.
His dad, Francisco Sr., was the coach of that team. The game is in the Riveros’ blood.
“I come from a country where baseball is pretty much everything for us,” Francisco Sr. said.
His brother, Carlos, played pro ball for 18 years, including eight games with the Boston Red Sox in 2014. Francisco Sr. played at Cochise College and a few seasons in Mexico before becoming a coach; he’s currently the director of the Tucson Dirtbags travel-ball club.
“My dad decided he saw something in me,” Francisco Jr. said. “Something told him that I was going to be something great in baseball.”
Francisco Sr. had a vision for the oldest of his three sons. (Carlo, 14, and Dariel, 12, are also budding ballplayers.)
“He was gonna live with my mom, he was gonna attend the academy and kind of mature a little bit as a teenager, pretty much handle it by himself,” Francisco Sr. said. “It’s something that a lot of players in Venezuela do.”
Francisco Jr. was on board. Baseball had always been a big part of his life. He viewed it as his job — his way to someday take care of his family.
It’s one thing to say that. It’s another to get on a plane and fly to another continent less than a week after your 14th birthday.
“I’ll be honest: I was scared,” Francisco Jr. said. “When I was literally about to board the plane, I was like, ‘I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave.’ ”
His father provided positive reinforcement. He urged Francisco Jr. to give it a try.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) gloves a pitch against Catalina Foothills in their 5A Sonoran game at CFHS in Tucson on April 21.
“I believe in you,” Francisco Sr. told him. “We all believe in you.”
Dad would accompany his son to Venezuela for a couple of weeks. Both had round-trip tickets, just in case.
Francisco Jr. settled in and began his new life: up at 6 a.m., practice from 7:30 to noon; rest until 2:30; an hour’s worth of additional defensive work; then the weight room. He also took high school classes online.
Adversity arrived quickly. Within a month, Rivero suffered a groin injury.
“It was horrible,” he said. “It was just literally rehab, rehab, rehab, rehab every day.”
For about three months, Rivero couldn’t play baseball, which was the main reason he had moved to Venezuela. He said he felt “useless.”
Although he had support from family members in Barquisimeto, it wasn’t the same as having his mom, Loredana, and dad around to lift him up.
After recovering, Rivero increased his baseball activity to make up for lost time. He also learned a new position, catcher. The move was made mostly for financial reasons; quality catchers are hard to find and are likely to receive bigger signing bonuses.
Rivero took to it right away, recording MLB-level “pop times” (the time it takes a catcher to receive the ball and throw it to a base). But he bombed a pair of tryouts for MLB teams at age 15. He remembers having nine at-bats and striking out six times.
“Miserable,” Rivero said. “Probably the worst tryouts I’ve had.”
Still, he remained motivated and determined. Baseball is all about responding to failure.
“Failure is always part of the process,” Francisco Sr. said. “Failure is going to make you strong or make you quit. You can use it as a stop sign, or you can use it as a trampoline to get better.”
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) makes the tag as Catalina Foothills’ Ethan McQuade (6) tries to lunge to the plate to score the winning run on a series of Dorado errors in the 10th inning of their 5A Sonoran game at CFHS in Tucson on April 21.
Francisco Jr. kept progressing, and it appeared the family’s dream would become a reality. Per the Riveros and published reports, Francisco Jr. had a verbal agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Everything was going fine,” Francisco Jr. said. “I thought it was gonna be the best moment.”
But in December 2024, shortly before he was set to sign, the family was told that he couldn’t. MLB ruled that Rivero wasn’t eligible for the international player pool after all.
Francisco Rivero Sr. compared the situation to a bride bailing on a groom just before their wedding. His son was devastated.
“I was crying almost every night, thinking what I could have done,” Francisco Jr. said. “It got to a point where (I) was questioning God. … I was like, ‘Why God? Why now? Why?’ ”
The Riveros thought they had done everything right. Rivero Sr. believed MLB’s decision was “unfair.” The family hired an attorney to fight it. The case was unsuccessful.
Francisco Sr. and Loredana were disappointed and frustrated. But they knew this wasn’t the end of their son’s journey.
“We trusted God to give strength to Francisco and help him understand that everything happened for a reason and that God had something better for him in his life,” Francisco Sr. said.
“I think Francisco had doubt for a little bit. Like, ‘OK, maybe God don’t want me to play baseball.’ But my wife and I were very solid, telling him that it was just a little detour.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) warms up with a teammate as they get ready to face Catalina Foothills in a 5A Sonoran game, April 21.
“There was a lot more opportunities for him here in the States. Trust the work that you do and the sacrifice, because God never keeps people away from what they deserve.”
The family regrouped. In early 2025, Francisco Jr. returned home. In late February, he enrolled at CDO. The season opener was just days away. Rivero was required to try out, just like any other player.
“He came in literally the week before the season started,” Dorados coach Jason Hisey said. “Obviously he was one of our best players, so it kind of shuffled the deck for us. But because he was so good and because he worked so hard, I think it made it easier for everybody to accept.”
Hisey appreciated that Rivero arrived with a humble attitude. In addition to his own humbling experiences in Venezuela, he played with kids who “didn’t have the things that I had,” yet found a way to make it work. Rivero drew inspiration from them.
After everything he had been through, making the 35- to 40-minute commute from the family’s south side home to CDO every day seemed like a small sacrifice. And baseball was still baseball. Rivero hit .484 with eight home runs and 40 RBIs in 95 at-bats as a junior. He began to make a name for himself in the U.S.
Rivero was able to play in the type of showcase events he had missed while in Venezuela. College programs expressed interest. He received offers from Cal, Grand Canyon and Arizona. He chose the Wildcats.
“I’m happy,” Rivero said. “I’m grateful.”
Whether he plays for the UA remains to be seen. Rivero plans to participate in the MLB Draft Combine.
Catcher Francisco Rivero Jr., via Canyon del Oro High School, was one of 15 players to sign with Arizona baseball for the class of 2026.
“If any teams come with a good opportunity for your life to change for the better, I think he should consider it,” Francisco Sr. said. “At the end it is going to be his decision.”
Francisco Jr. has options and they’re all good ones. If he goes to school, he plans to study business and finance. He recognizes the value of a college degree.
“You never know what can happen in baseball,” Rivero said.
He understands that better than anyone.
What are your pregame rituals?
I gotta listen to music. That’s No. 1. That’s what calms me down. And it has to be Spanish music, Latin music. It just brings that vibe, that dancing mood.
What is your go-to song, album or artist?
I like to listen to Mora, he’s a reggaeton guy. English music, I like country. So I like Luke Combs.
Favorite snacks to eat before a game?
I like to have Turbos before the game. Candy-wise, I like KitKats.
Who is your favorite MLB player and why?
Will Smith. When I was with the Dodgers (international academy), he was my role model. I wanted to be like him. I still watch him play and try to learn things from him.
Who is your most underrated teammate?
I think Regen Mazura. He’s one of the hardest workers I know. He has not been seen the way I’ve been seen, but he really does deserve to be on top like that.
What: 4A-6A high school baseball state playoffs
Play-in round: 4 p.m. Wednesday
State championship 1st round: 11 a.m. Saturday
Location: Higher seed hosts
Contact sports reporter/columnist Michael Lev at mlev@tucson.com. On X (Twitter): @michaeljlev. On Bluesky: @michaeljlev.bsky.social
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Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero poses for a photo just before first pitch against Catalina Foothills in Tucson on April 21.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) gloves a pitch against Catalina Foothills in their 5A Sonoran game at CFHS in Tucson on April 21.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) makes the tag as Catalina Foothills’ Ethan McQuade (6) tries to lunge to the plate to score the winning run on a series of Dorado errors in the 10th inning of their 5A Sonoran game at CFHS in Tucson on April 21.
Canyon del Oro’s Francisco Rivero (13) warms up with a teammate as they get ready to face Catalina Foothills in a 5A Sonoran game, April 21.
Arizona’s Francisco Rivero Jr. (13) hits an RBI single against Northern California during the second inning of the Little League West Regional semifinal game at Al Houghton Stadium in San Bernardino, Aug. 9, 2019.
Catcher Francisco Rivero Jr., via Canyon del Oro High School, was one of 15 players to sign with Arizona baseball for the class of 2026.
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