Baseball´s Winter League arrived at its end. And for another year countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have shown again the machinery of talent they possess in their leagues still decreased due to the absence of stars from the MLB. However, even in this high-ranking baseball prospect players participate, others trying to revive their careers and find a position in Spring Training or the some MLB stars whose franchises allow to play under constraints.
Given this reality representation of Cuban baseball has left its mark. Here we look at the Cubans who shone the most during the winter season.
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP)
Adonis Garcia (Navegantes de Magallanes). He dispelled doubts instability with a solid season. 313/369/468 offensive line and 21 extra-base hits in 57 games. Garcia led his team to victory with 7 HR and 41 RBIs, second in the entire league playing third base and right field. He was one of the guides for the Marineros to repeat the title for the third consecutive year. His postseason was not the best, averaging below 250. He was named player of the sixth and tenth week in the league.
Félix Pérez (Leones de Caracas y Caribes de Anzoátegui). Pérez was second in average in the league in average with 360. He had 80 hits, absolute leader and presented an offensive line of 360/393/572. He hit 9 HR and had 38 RBIs with plus 27 extra-base hits. This player already has a high level experience in winter and last season was crowned with the Tigres del Licey in the Dominican League. Félix Pérez was “the most valuable of all Cuban” in the winter season, becoming MVP of the final of the Venezuelan League and led his team to the championship, where he averaged 368 with 2 HR and 8 RBIs.
Hasan Pena (Navegantes de Magallanes). Pena appeared in the 2014 Caribbean Series as a reliever. This season he was a top closer. He was a leader in saves in LVBP with 19 in 20 outings. He also showed a 2.23 ERA and had 32 struckouts in 32.1 innings. In the postseason Pena kept helping his team to 1-0 and 1.69 at 5.1 and 2 saves with 0.94 WHIP. Hasan Pena was the most stable and best pitcher in the bullpen in the LVMP in 2015.
Dominican Baseball League (lidom)
Raul Valdes (Toros del Este). The lefty constituted the best of the Cuban representation in the Dominican League. Valdés was second with 2.95 ERA during the regular season. This earned him the signing with the Chunichi Dragons in the Japanese League. He exhibited an impressive 0.98 WHIP in 9 outings with 3 wins and 4 losses and 45 strikeouts in 55 innings pitched. In the playoffs he had it harder. He filed 0-2 and 4.35 ERA in 20 innings pitched.
Jose Julio Ruiz (Tigres del Licey). The Santiago de Cuba player averaged 286 with 2 HR and 8 RBIs in 31 regular season games and was requested as reinforcement for the Eastern Stars, however, has not seen much action in the postseason with only 8-bats.
Mexican Pacific League (PML)
Juan Carlos Linares (Yaquis De Obregón). Linares could not play the regular season regularly in Mexico. However, he was the leading hitter in postseason initial stage offensive line 395/519/721. Produced 6 runs and hit 3 home runs in just 13 games. Already his presence is being usual in the Winter Leagues and still doesn’t lose color.
Yunesky Sánchez (Naranjeros de Hermosillo). Sanchez still has solid seasons with the dynasty of the Naranjeros. He had a 305/332/402 line in 67 games. He had great extra-base average with 17 and drove toward home 35 runners, 8th best in the entire league.
Joan Carlos Pedroso (Cañeros de Los Mochis). Pedroso impressed in his first winter season. He participated in 43 games and produced 26 runs. 286/426/486 offensive line, on-base average sticking out. He hit 8 HR and having played full season he could have discussed the leadership with Japhet Amador (13).
Baseball League Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico)
Jorge Martinez (Cangrejeros de Santurce). He won 4 with just one loss and showed 2.65 ERA (fourth in the league) with Cangrejeros, team that won the title in. Opponents averaged against him 262 in 51 innings when he stuck out 31 and allowed two homers. He presented a WHIP of 1.14 while in the postseason he started 4 games with (1-0) 3.05 and 1.11 WHIP in 20.2 innings worked and was part of the winning team in Puerto Rico. It was not a surprise that Jorge Martinez was chosen to participate in the Caribbean Series.
Reinier Roibal (Senadores de San Juan). The Santiago player, 6-3 foot tall, has been a two-sided coin. In the regular season he went 1-5. He accumulated 3.63 ERA in 52.0 innings with 36 K. Then in the postseason he substantially improved his work. In 22 innings he had a ERA of 1.64 (4th) with only one walk and 15 K in addition to an impressive 0.82 WHIP.
