How Cuban players have fared in the KBO, NPB, and CPBL

Today, we take a look at how Cuban baseball players are doing in the KBO, NPB, and CPBL.

In a season where the Asian baseball circuits (KBO, NPB, and CPBL) have had the center stage due to the postponement of the MLB season, various Cubans have gotten off to torrid starts in the different leagues of the orient.

We start off in the Land of the Rising Sun where ex-White Sox prospect Dayan Viciedo is massacring NPB pitching with the Chunichi Dragons to open the campaign. The power-hitting first baseman has gone yard seven times and driven in 19 runs in the first 21 games. He is also hitting .313 to place second in the Japanese Central League.

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Catcher Ariel Martínez has also looked good in his brief time in the Nippon Big League since his call up. The Matanzas, Cuba native has hit .500 and driven in four runs during the span. His sometimes battery mate Raidel Martínez has been lights out as reliever posting an ERA of 1.00 while winning one game and saving another.

For the SoftBank Hawks, Liván Moinelo has established himself as the NPB’s top setup man. The diminutive lefty leads the league with 9 holds and has yet to give up a run in 11 innings of work. He also leads all relievers with 20 K’s and an SO9 of 16.3. Moinelo has struck out a tantalizing 63% of the batters he has faced this season

Two of Softbank’s stars Alfredo Despaigne and Yurisbel Gracial have yet to debut in Japan due to the fact that was nursing injuries and remained trapped on the island during the COVID-19 shutdown. They are in Japan as we speak doing their 14-day quarantine and should see action with defending champs starting in early August.

In the KBO Jose Miguel Fernández of Doosan has been killing Korean pitching since the season’s inception, the power-hitting DH is batting a robust .372 while placing second in the circuit with 89 hits. His OBP of .434 place him also second in the league while his 1.011 OPS puts in the top five in that category.

Ex-Marlin Odrisamer Despaigne of KT and his rubber arm lead Korea in innings pitched with 79 2/3. The righty whose fastball has been clocked as fast as 97 mph this season and has also mustered five wins this season.

Meanwhile, in Taiwan’s CPBL lefty Ariel Miranda got off to an impressive start by winning his first four decisions in dominant fashion, but he has then tapered off losing 6 of his last 7 decisions while watching his earned run average skyrocket to 4.22. Although he has had tough sledding lately the southpaw still leads the league with 93 strikeouts.

NPB:

• Dayán Viciedo (1B) Chunichi Dragons: .313,7HR,19RBI
• Raidel Martínez (RHP) Chunichi Dragons: 1-0,1.00 ERA.1 SV
• Ariel Martínez (C) Chunichi Dragons: .500,4RBI
• **Yariel Rodríguez (RHP) Chunichi Dragons: 1-0, 0.00 ERA
• Leonys Martín (OF) Chiba Lotte Marines: .246,3 HR, 10 RBI
• Livan Moinelo (LHP) SoftBank Hawks: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, 1 SV, 9 HLDS
• Alfredo Despaigne (DH) SoftBank Hawks: inactive
• Yurisbel Gracial (INF) SoftBank Hawks: inactive
• Onelki García (LHP) Hashin Tigers: 0-2, 4.61 ERA
• *Nick Martínez (RHP) Nippon Ham Fighters: 1-2. 3.71 ERA

KBO:

• José Miguel Fernández ( DH-1B) Doosan Bears: .372, 11 HR, 43 RBI
• Odrisamer Despaigne (RHP) KT Wiz: 5-4, 4.29 ERA

CPBL:

• Ariel Miranda (RHP) CITIC Brothers: 5-6, 4.22 ERA
• *Elih Villanueva (RHP) Rakuten: 1-3, 8.42 ERA

*Denotes Cuban-American 

**Minor Leagues