Cubans have played a big part in the Nippon Professional Baseball League since 1955 and especially over of the past decade. This season will not be any different, barring any other signings nine Cubans will see action in the Japanese League in the upcoming campaign between its major and minor circuits.
Roberto “Chico” Barbón of the Hankyu Braves was the first Cuban to see action in the land of the rising sun and stole 308 bases over his 11 campaigns in the orient. Orestes Destrade of the Seibu Lions led the Japanese League in home runs three straight seasons (1990-92) and also led the land of the rising sun in runs batted in two straight years (90-91). The powerful first baseman is second all-time in longballs for a Cuban in Japan with 160 and is considered one of the circuit’s most prolific Latino switch hitters of all-time in the NPB. Before Yurisbel Gracial won the Japan Series MVP in 2019, Destrade was the only Latino to have the distinction in that league, when he won the honor in 1990
Since the return of the FCB to professional competition in 2013, players like Liván Moinelo (SoftBank Hawks), who won the league MVP this year and was the Reliever of the Year in 2020 have dominated. Without a doubt the lefty is the most versatile Cuban pitcher to take the mound in Japan. Raidel Martínez (Chunichi Dragons/Yomiuri Giants) has also saved over 200 games during his time in the Nippon League and also sporting a sterling 1.62 earned run average over eight seasons, making him the most dominant closer in the current day NPB.
Gracial also of the SoftBank Hawks in his own right hit .293 with 59 homeruns and knocked in 178 runs over his five years in the Nippon League, this also includes two All-Star selections. Dayán Viciedo was the most dominant hitter to see action the Nippon Professional Baseball League. For his career in Japan with DeNa and Chunichi the Cuban slugger slashes .287/.352/.458/.810 with over a thousand hits, 189 doubles, 141 homeruns and 555 runs batted in. This also includes a batting title in 2018 and three trips to the Nippon League All-Star Game (2016,2021,2022). Aside from Alfredo Despaigne and Orestes Destrade there has been no better Cuban with the lumber in the NPB.
Despaigne has been the most prolific homerun hitter swatting 184 longballs in his 10 seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines and the SoftBank Hawks. The outfielder who was a three-time All-Star also led the league in homeruns and runs batted in during the 2017 season. The native of the Santiago de Cuba has the the 2017 All-Star Game MVP added to his resume and drove in 545 runs in the Nippon circuit. In his only season in the NPB with the DeNa Baystars Yuli Gurriel slashed .305/.349/.536/.884 with 11 homeruns and 30 runs batted in over 62 games.
From the debut of the first Latin American player in 1955 to the stars who shine today, this is the chronology of the Cuban contingent in the NPB:
1. Roberto “Chico” Barbón (1955-1965)
2. Chico Fernández (1965)
3. Román Mejías (1966)
4. Tony González (1972)
5. Zoilo Versalles (1972)
6. Orestes Destrade (1989-1995)
7. Omar Linares (2002-2004)
8. Juan Carlos Muñiz (2010)
9. Michel Abreu (2013-2014)
10. Leslie Anderson (2014-2016)
11. Yuniesky Betancourt (2014)
12. Bárbaro Cañizares (2014-2016)
13. Frederich Cepeda (2014-2015)
14. Alfredo Despaigne (2014-2023)
15. Yulieski Gurriel (2014)
16. Juan Miranda (2014)
17. Yoslán Herrera (2015)
18. Héctor Mendoza (2015-2016)
19. Raúl Valdés (2015-2017)
20. José Adolis García (2016)
21. Félix Pérez (2016)
22. Dayán Viciedo (2016-2025)
23. Yadir Drake (2017)
24. Alex Guerrero (2017-2019)
25. Liván Moinelo (2017-2025)
26. Roel Santos (2017)
27. Onelki García (2018-2020)
28. Yurisbel Gracial (2018-2022)
29. Raidel Martínez (2018-2025)
30. Ariel Miranda (2018-2019)
31. Oscar Luis Colás (2019)
32. Leonys Martín (2019-2022)
33. Ariel Martínez (2020-2025)
34. Yariel Rodríguez (2020-2022)
35. Dariel Álvarez (2021)
36. Rusney Castillo (2021)
37. Adeiny Hechavarría (2021-2022)
38. Rangel Ravelo (2021-2022)
39. Guillermo García (2022)
40. Pedro Revilla (2022)
41. Yoan López (2023)
42. Christian Rodríguez (2024-2025)
•Most seasons played: Roberto “Chico” Barbón (11), followed by Alfredo Despaigne and Dayán Viciedo (10 each).
•Currently active players (2025): Dayán Viciedo, Liván Moinelo, Raidel Martínez, Ariel Martínez, and Christian Rodríguez.
•Period of greatest influx: A massive increase in signings starting in 2013, coinciding with the opening of the Cuban Baseball Federation’s contracting policies.
• Cuba provided the first three Latin American players in Japanese baseball, but is currently the third Latin American country with the most players in the Japanese league, behind the Dominican Republic (175) and Venezuela (69).