Left-hander Liván Moinelo (a strong MVP candidate) sat out the final games of the regular season with the SoftBank Hawks, but the left-hander once again crowned himself the league’s ERA leader with an impressive 1.46 ERA (27 ER/167 IP).
In the last 25 years, four pitchers have achieved this remarkable feat in consecutive seasons in the Pacific League of the Nippon League:
Liván Moinelo (2024, 2025)
Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2021, 2022, 2023)
Yu Darvish (2009, 2010)
Daisuke Matsuzaka (2003, 2004)
Over the last two years , since the hurler transitioned from starter to reliever the southpaw has a 25-8 record, 1.61 earned run average and 337 strikeouts in 340 innings pitched. In his career Moinelo has also saved 40 games and sports a 0.96 WHIP over his time in the land of the rising sun.
Expect the lefty to be the number #1 starter for Cuba in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and take the mound in the first game of the tournament on March 6th of next year against Panamá at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan , Puerto Rico.
Moinelo has been a key pitcher for SoftBank in their four Japan Series titles from 2017-2020. Expect the Cuban lefty to be the Japanese’s squad top starter heading into the circuit’s postseason after winning their 21st Pacific League Pennant.