Last year’s Rookie of the Year in the Cuban National Series, Ediel Ponce from the Ciego de Ávila province will seek to sign a professional contract with a major league organization in the coming month from the Dominican Republic. Most Cuban prospects who immigrate take that route in order to make to a MLB organization.
His departure from Cuba was recently brought to light by the colleague Francys Romero, who noted that the pitcher will be training at the prestigious Chiqui Mejias Baseball Academy in Bonao. Last November he was made an international free agent by MLB and is now eligible to sign. Ponce continues his preparation for a future signing.
“Like everyone else, I left Cuba to have a better future for myself and my family. But as I have said in several interviews, what most led to my departure from the country was an order levied on me by the Provincial Commission of Ciego de Ávila itself. They did not even insist on giving me a proper award for all the merits that I last season in the Serie Nacional. I was the Rookie of the Year, leader in ERA and eight victories in my first year. I also led Cuba to the U-18 World Cup,” commented the pitcher in an interview for the YouTube Channel ‘Cuba Grand Slam’ .
Ponce was one of the key pieces of the Cuban team in last year’s U-18 Pan American Championship held in Panama, where the representatives of Cuba punched their ticket for the World Cup in that age group, with Ponce leading the rotation. In 14 innings on Panamanian soil opponents hit .111 against the hurler catching the attention of scouts for the way he used his breaking pitches and his mound presence.
“They didn’t want to curtail my military service and this would have affected my performance. I also tell you, I didn’t get my Rookie of the Year Award. When they held an award gala I didn’t get my award. In fact I don’t know what they did with that award, because I didn’t get it. As I tell you, the gift for me for my troubles was military service,” concluded Ponce regarding this topic.