Raidel Martínez’s outstanding season continues to take form in the Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB), recording his 17th save of the season with the Yomiuri Giants. This save places him in sole possession of 13th place among the all-time fireman in the Japanese league. He now has 17 saves in 17 save opportunities (a record for him in a single season), with 18 strikeouts, five walks, and eight hits. He also sports an ERA of 0.00 on the season.
The Pinar del Río, Cuba native’s WHIP is also a sparkling 0.73. With this save, he now has 183 over his career in Japan, which places him 13th among closers along with Takahiro Mahara. Not only that, but this year he could reach 200 saves, which could put him in eleventh place for his career. He’s the Latino with the most saves in NPB history and second among foreigners, only surpassed by American Dennis Sarfate, who accumulated 234 during his time on the Asian circuit.
At the top of this list is Hitoki Iwase with 407 saves (the only hurler with over 400 saves in NPB). Shingo Takatsu (286) is in second place, and another historic figure, Kazuhiro Sasaki (252), rounds out the top three. Among the active players, Yashigisa Hirano (250) is in fourth place, and Naoya Masuda (246) is in fifth. Martínez is destined to become the all-time best foreign closer in the Japanese Professional Baseball League and may become only the second closer to surpass 300 saves in the history of the circuit.
Nippon League all-time leaders in saves:
1- Hitoki Iwase (407)
2- Shingo Takatsu (286)
3- Kazuhiro Sasaki (252)
4- Yoshihisa Hirano (250)*
5- Naoya Masuda (246)*
6- Kyuji Fujikawa (243)
7- Yuki Matsui (236)
8- Dennis Sarfate (234)
9- Yasuaki Yamasaki (232)*
10- Masahide Kobayashi (228)
11- Tatsushi Masuda (194)
12- Yutaka Enatsu (193)
13- Raidel Martinez (183)*
14- Takahiro Mahara (182)