In its second season of operation, the Liga Mayor de Béisbol has drawn a few seasoned veterans to its ranks and is looking to expand on last year’s success. A few heralded Cubans have made their way to the circuit in order to either stay in shape for the winter or draw the eye of a club in a another league.
Yoel Yanqui who plays for the Marineros de Carabobo is hitting .408 with a homer and eight runs batted in leads a quintet of Cubans playing in the land of Simon Bolivar. The ex-Reds and Diamondbacks prospect is looking to land a job with a winter league squad. Yanqui played last winter in Venezuela with Magallanes. Yanqui was the player of the week for first week of the season in Venezuela.
¡YANQUII! 🚀⚾️
El importado de @Marineros_bbc Yoel Yanqui 🇨🇺 conectó su primer cuadrangular en la Liga Mayor 😎#LMBP | #SeguimosHaciendoHistoria pic.twitter.com/ofTiE7PCDd
— LMBP (@LMBP_ve) May 24, 2023
On the mound ex-big leaguer Rogelio Armenteros has been a dominant force. The right-hander from Havana has won two and posted an ERA of 1.50 with the Líderes de Miranda. In 18 innings in the LMBP he has fanned 18 batters and sports a 1.11 earned run average.
After his release by the Tigers de Quintana Roo of the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol Lázaro Hernández is batting .395 and has knocked in four runs in 38 trips to the plate with the Marineros de Carabobo. The IF-OF also saw action with Magallanes this winter in the LVBP.
Pedro Echemendia and the legendary Raúl Valdés are also on rosters in the league. Expect to see more Cubans sign with ball clubs as the season rolls on.
Cubans in Venezuela:
Pedro Echemendia RHP (Aragua)- 1-0,1.50 ERA
Lázaro Hernández IF-OF (Carabobo)- .395,4RBI
Yoel Yanqui 1B (Carabobo)- .403,1HR,8RBI
Rogelio Armenteros RHP (Miranda)- 2-1,1.50,18K
Raúl Valdés LHP (La Guaira) 2-0,5.14,23K