With the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol season scheduled to start on April 19th, plenty of Cubans have reported to their respective teams and are looking to make an impact in the Aztec circuit.
Henry Urrutia of the Conspiradores de Querétaro is a person to watch. The ex-LMB batting champion is looking to have a big year with the Mexican squad after hitting .305 with 14 homeruns and 54 runs batted in last season over 96 games with Querétaro and León. Rangel Ravelo and Yurisbel Gracial will also add the fireworks to the Conspiradores offense.
Yadir Drake returns to Yucatán for his sixth season with the Leones. Over his time with the ballclub the slugger from Matanzas, Cuba has gone yard 56 times and swatted 512 hits. In his 10 years he hits a solid .344 in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol. Yoanner Negrín, who has won over the 60 games in his career in the league also returns to Yucatán for another season.
Roenis Elías makes his debut in the LMB with the Tecolotes de Dos Laredos after pitching the last three seasons in Asia with Fubon (CPBL) and Lotte (KBO). The crafty lefty also has seven years of experience in the majors with Washington, Seattle and Boston, posting a 3.96 earned run average over that span. Expect the southpaw to be the team’s #1 starter this campaign.
Cubans in the Liga Mexicana de Béisbol:
Norge Ruiz RHP (Oaxaca)
Yoel Yanqui IF-OF (Oaxaca)
Frank Abel Álvarez RHP (Oaxaca)
Raico Santos OF (Quintana Roo)
Diosbel Arias IF (Quintana Roo)
Julio Robaina LHP (Quintana Roo)
Norge Vera RHP (Querétaro)
Yurisbel Gracial IF-OF (Querétaro)
Henry Urrutia IF-DH (Querétaro)
Miguel Romero RHP (Querétaro)**
Rangel Ravelo IF-OF (Querétaro)
Andy Martín OF (Durango)
Odrisamer Despaigne RHP (Durango)
Elían Leyva RHP (Durango)**
David Villar IF (Durango)*
Yordys Valdez IF (Durango)
Ariel Pestano Jr C (Mexico City)**
Jimmy Yacabonis RHP (Mexico City)
Albert Lara IF (Unión Laguna)
Yadir Drake IF-OF (Yucatán)
Yoanner Negrín RHP (Yucatán)
Vladimir Gutierrez RHP (Puebla)
Onelki García LHP (Campeche)
Félix Pérez IF-OF (Campeche)
Roenis Elías LHP (Dos Laredos)
Yadiel Hernández OF (Dos Laredos)
Julio Pablo Martínez OF (Saltillo)
Roel Santos OF (Tabasco)
Yoennis Yera LHP (Tabasco)
Maikel Serrano OF (Aguascalientes)
Eddy Díaz IF (Aguascalientes)
Leonys Martín OF (León)
Luis Medina IF (León)
Ronald Bolaños RHP (León)
Ariel Miranda LHP (Jalisco)
Dairon Miranda OF (Chihuahua)
Coco Montes IF (Monterrey)*
*Cuban-American
**Invited to Camp