Cuban pitchers Raidel Martínez and Yariel Rodríguez continue to star in outstanding performances within the staff of the Chuniuchi Dragons at the start of the 2022 season of the Japan Professional Baseball League (NPB).
In his most recent appearance, at Nagoya’s Vantelin Dome, Raidel posted his fifth save of the fledgling season after striking out two of the three batters he faced to shore up a 4-1 win over the Yakult Swallows.
Cuban pitching stands out in Dragones de Chunichi franchise. Raidel Martínez and Yariel Rodríguez are having a remarkable season in Japan. #Cuba #Baseball #baseball #japan https://t.co/mEl4o0lAfY pic.twitter.com/knnvBniwiU
— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) April 20, 2022
The right-hander from Pinar del Rio has already accumulated six consecutive starts without allowing runs, and with the most recent performance he improved his ERA to 1.13 and his total strikeouts to 10, according to official league statistics.
For his part, Yariel, hired through the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB), also had a good job in that game by allowing a hit and not allowing a run in an inning of action. to keep its effectiveness at 0.00.
The rest of the Cuban members of the team also kept their performances on the rise. Dayan Viciedowho does not have the protection of the FCB, hit an unstoppable in fourth visits to the batter’s box, and the catcher did the same Ariel Martinez to leave his offensive average at .280.
Several Cubans are enrolled in different NPB teams, some with contracts managed on their own and others under the protection of the FCB:
Among the first, in addition to Viciedo, are Leonys Martín, Adeiny Hechevarría and Rangel Ravelo, while the army backed by the local federation grew this season with the additions of Guillermo García and Frank Abel Álvarez, also with the Chunichi Dragons, but at the moment they have not been promoted to the top level of the Japanese league.
