Cuban receiver Ariel Martínez signed today with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters team of the Japan Professional League.
The 26-year-old player declared that he felt “happy with being able to continue representing Cuban baseball.” He has been playing in Japan since 2018, but until now as a member of the Chunichi Dragons team.
Baseball: Cuban Ariel Martínez makes a good debut in the professional season in Japan
According to experts, he is a catcher whose main value is on defense, although this season he hit .276 with Chunichi at the elite level of Japanese baseball, with an OBP of .350 and slugging .437, in addition to hitting eight home runs in 286 appearances at homea very good offensive performance.
In the circles of specialists and sports commentators, it is handled that he is one of the strongest candidates to cover the catching of the Cuba team in the V World Baseball Classic, which begins in March 2023.
Latin Press/OnCuba.
