The Rookie of the Year of the last Serie Nacional, Ediel Ponce from Ciego de Ávila, Cuba will seek to sign a professional contract with a Major League organization from the Dominican Republic, a very custom usual for most Cuban prospects who flee the island. His departure from Cuba was recently announced by the colleague Francys Romero via his X account. The pitcher will be training at the prestigious Chiqui Mejias Baseball Academy in Bonao.
Ponce, 18 years old, caught the attention of fans during his debut in the National Series by posting a record of 8-2 over 13 outings. The hurler had an ERA of 2.15 in 71 innings, while also fanning 43 batters. Ponce became the third rookie to lead the Cuban League in earned run , Braudilio Vinent and José Riveira are the others. The pitcher was one of the key pieces of the Cuban team for the Pan American U-18 Championship held in Panama. The representatives of the Largest of the Antilles qualified for the Baseball World Cup in the category, with Ponce as the leader of the rotation.
In 14 innings on Panamanian soil, batters hit .111 against the right-hander. His performance caught the interest of scouts for the way he used his breaking pitches and also for his demeanor on the mound. During the tournament Ponce came close to no-hitting Venezuela, a feat that was thwarted in the last inning. According to scouts, he is a prime candidate to sign with a Major League organization during the next International Free Agency period in January.