This Monday the Toronto Blue Jays achieved a spectacular comeback against the Seattle Mariners to qualify for the World Series. MLB. And with them the Cuban pitcher Yariel Rodríguez will be looking for the championship ring.
Although he has not had the postseason that he would have liked, the right-hander from Camagüey celebrated Toronto’s classification on his networks and left a message in support of his path to reaching the discussion of the highest title in professional baseball: “It was all worth it.”
“Today there are not enough words to describe what I feel… After so much work, sacrifice and faith, we are in the 2025 World Series! Every throw, every training session, every sleepless night… it was all worth it,” wrote Yariel on your Facebook profile.
“When no one believed in us… we were already champions!” added the “Gallero de San Serapio”, in reference to the hard-fought success of the Blue Jays, who had to recover from two initial losses against Seattle at home, to finally take the series in seven games.
In the final game, Toronto came from behind to defeat the Mariners 4×3, thanks to a decisive home run by George Springer with two on board in the seventh inning. In this way, the Canadian franchise achieved its first berth to a World Series since 1993.
George Springer hit the first go-ahead home run trailing by multiple runs in the 7th inning or later in Game 7 history! https://t.co/f44irCcyi3
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) October 21, 2025
“Now we continue with the same focus, with the same hunger and with a heart full of gratitude. Let’s go for the championship! That ehhhh!”, Yariel closed her message, but not before thanking her family, work team and followers.
In a second publication, the island pitcher once again thanked “everyone for always supporting me” and said he wanted to serve as an inspiration to immigrant children and young people.
“Yes, you can! The road gets difficult, but never impossible! Immigrant children and young people like me will soon know my story and I want to serve as an inspiration for them to never stop following their dreams!” said the pitcher, who left Cuba after the 2023 World Classic.
From Camagüey to the World Series
28-year-old Yariel Rodríguez stood out in Cuban tournaments with the Camagüey teams, which opened the door to the national team and also to the Japanese professional league, where he played for three seasons in the Dragones de Chunichi club.
After being one of the protagonists for Cuba from the mound in the World Classic, the Camagueyan unilaterally broke his contract with the Canadian franchise and in January 2024 he signed for four seasons and 32 million dollars with the Toronto Blue Jays of the MLB.
After being tested as a starter in his debut campaign, in which he did not leave the best numbers, this season he was moved to bullpen and had a lot better benefits. In 66 games pitched, he had three hits with two losses, 66 strikeouts and an average of 3.08 earned runs per nine innings.
Already in the play off He has not had the same performance, and in four outings he has only been able to pitch two and two-thirds innings, due to punishment from his rivals. Consequently, his clean average currently stands at a high 10.13 and he has barely accumulated a strikeout.
There is no worse wedge… Cuban home runs vs. Cubans in the MLB postseason
However, the Gallero de San Serapio hopes to vindicate itself in the World Series, where they will face another tough obstacle: the Los Angeles Dodgers, current MLB champions.
In that duel, which will begin next Saturday, the Blue Jays — and presumably Yariel — will face one of the most powerful teams in the Big Top, led by the Japanese Shohei Ohtani and in which the Cuban Andy Pagés also plays.
