MIAMI - Camilo Doval’s life away from the mound has always had a horse at the center of it.
When the Pirates reliever was growing up in the Dominican Republic, his grandfather gave him a horse, and Doval used to ride it to the ballpark. Horses were around him from an early age, and that affection has never really left. Even now, during the offseason and the All-Star break, the 29-year-old goes back home and spends time with his 10 horses.
For Doval, the pull of horses goes beyond just ownership. He’s into charrería, the Mexican traditional practice where charros display their herding skills by roping and reining wild mares and bulls on horseback. He also listens to the late Mexican singer Antonio Aguilar back home, and friends know exactly who to ask when they want a ranchera song.
“It’s something beautiful,” Doval said in Spanish. “Horses are the best thing there is, animals in general. In the Dominican Republic, you enjoy [life] a lot because you go everywhere on your horse.”
He even takes that lifestyle with him on short trips back home, riding to parties or anywhere else a couple of miles away. Doval also likes to make his horses dance, and his favorite is Rey, his Friesian horse, who got a two-year birthday party in 2025.
That side of Doval is a world away from the business he’s handling now in Pittsburgh, where he began his sixth Major League season with the Yankees before being traded to the Pirates on Aug. 1. The move has dropped him into a clubhouse filled with Latin players, and that has made the transition feel familiar.
“It’s been really good,” Doval said. “I feel like I am in the [World Baseball Classic].
I am here with various Latin guys that I knew, so the atmosphere is different. It feels really good to be here and spend time with them.”
Yohan Ramírez and Gregory Soto are the loudest voices around the Pirates’ clubhouse, the guys bouncing from locker to locker and keeping everyone loose. Doval is quieter by nature, but he still lights up when his countrymen come around.
On the field, he’s settled in quickly. Entering Tuesday, Doval had a 1.64 ERA in 11 appearances with Pittsburgh, along with 12 strikeouts and eight walks. Opposing hitters were batting .167 against him in August.
“I am controlling what I can control,” Doval said. “All other things, other people are in charge of, so I just need to continue to do my work.”
He said the biggest change has been the confidence he feels in himself and in the group around him.
“I just trust what I have,” Doval said. “I also put a lot on what the team has.”
The walks remain part of the picture for Doval, whose 11.8 percent walk rate this season is better than the last two years, when he posted 12.6 percent in 2025 and 14.4 percent in 2024. His sinker has also picked up speed, jumping from a 96.6 mph average last season to 98.4 mph this year.
And when he keeps the ball on the ground, that’s usually a good sign. Doval’s 54.9% ground-ball rate ranks in the 94th percentile among qualified MLB pitchers, according to Baseball Savant.
“He's been doing a good job in different outings,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “Really looking forward to getting the lead and getting it over to the ‘pen with the lead with Doval, Soto, [Luke] Weaver and [Mason] Montgomery. He's been doing a nice job.”
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