SoftBank Hawks pitcher Liván Moinelo and Hiroshima Carps was named June’s Most Valuable Players by the Central League on Wednesday, according to the NPB. In the Pacific League, the most valuable pitcher was Hanshin Tigers’ Jon Duplantier, who posted a 3-1 record with 36 strikeouts and a 1.01 ERA in 4 starts.
Moinelo repeated his success from last year by being named the Pacific League’s MVP Pitcher of the Month (June) thanks to an outstanding performance during the month that included a 2-0 record, 4 QS, a 0.90 ERA, and 42 strikeouts in 30 innings. His impressive single-game record of 18 SOs (6/6/2025 vs. Yakult) stands out as the second-best in NPB history.
This is his third monthly MVP award during his time with the team the left-hander also won in June and August 2024, and June 2025, making him the second foreign pitcher in Pacific League history to earn this distinction three times, only the legendary Taiwanese pitcher Kuo Tai-yuan, who won it four times (April 1985, June 1988, August and September 1991) with the Seibu Lions has won it more.