Cuban pitcher Marlon Vega will play in the nascent semi-professional league of baseball Nihonkai Ocean, in Japan, according to official media on the island.
The young right-handed shooter, who led the pitching staff of the Mayabeque Hurricanes in the 61st National Seriessigned his contract with the Ishikawa Million Stars club on Monday and will leave for the team’s concentration on August 31, according to a note published in the sports portal Hit.
Pitcher Marlon Vega will play in the Japanese League of #Baseball Nihonkai Ocean
He signed his contract this Monday with the Ishikawa Million Stars club and will leave for the concentration on August 31. #baseball #Cuba #Japan https://t.co/E4X005jRaR pic.twitter.com/qxzcTEfwN7— JIT Cuban Sport (@jit_digital) August 30, 2022
The semi-professional level Nihonkai Ocean League has just been formed after the departure of several teams from the Nihonkai Baseball Challenge League. Japanwhich emerged in 2007, points out the medium
Regarding the team that has acquired the services of the Cuban pitcher, the publication explains that it is a club that had already won the 2007, 2010, 2011 and 2013 editions of the aforementioned Challenge League.
The talented pitcher showed excellent performances in the previous version of the main baseball tournament on the Island. According to official statistics, Vega scored 11 wins and saved 12 games, for which he was selected as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.
A year earlier, in the 60 National Series, he had been selected as the Rookie of the Year after winning 9 challenges and only conceding a couple of defeats, confirming himself as the leader of the staff of the Cuban baseball team of the sub-23 category.
aim Hit that the current contract will not prevent Vega from being available to join the Island team that next November will participate in the universal event for players under 23 years of age.
Recently fellow spiritual pitcher Pedro Álvarez, who joined the ranks of Industriales in the most recent campaign, also traveled to Japan to join the independent Shikoku Island Plus league with the Tokushima Índigo Socks team.
Several Cubans currently play in various teams the Japan Professional League (NPB, for its acronym in English), the main circuit of the Asian nation, although not all do it under the protection of the Cuban Baseball Federation (FCB).
Among the latter, the most notable figures are Granma Alfredo Despaigne, Yurisbel Gracial from Matanzas and Liván Mínelo from Pinar del Río, all in the ranks of Softbank Halcones, who have won 19 titles. In that group, Raidel Martínez, Yariel Rodríguez from Agramont and Ariel Martínez from Yumur, all enrolled with the Dragones de Chunichi, have also achieved notable results.
Others who have had experience in the Japanese tournament have joined the Japanese tournament on their own. Big leagues Americans, including outfielder Leonys Martín and shortstop Adeiny Hechevarría (both with the Chiba Lotte Marines) and first baseman Dayán Viciedo (Dragones de Chunichi).
