Havana, December 12 (JIT)-- The National Baseball Commission (CNB) announced on Monday the best exponents of the year 2023, among whom it pointed out as the most outstanding to Matanzas' bullpen player Erisbel Arruebarrena.
The former major league player shined in the V World Baseball Classic (fourth place) and in the crown achieved in the Caribbean Cup, in addition to supporting the conquest of second place in the XXIV Central American and Caribbean Games of San Salvador 2023.
The list of outstanding players included Yoelkis Guibert, Dayán García, Yadil Mujica, Yoennis Yera, Carlos Juan Viera and Roel Santos. Meanwhile, in the category of best player under contract reigned Pinar del Rio's closer Raidel Martinez, with a brilliant performance with the Chunichi Dragons in the Japanese Professional Baseball League 2023.
In that line, the CNB decided to place as outstanding left-hander Liván Moinelo, from the Softbank Falcons, and catcher Ariel Martínez, author of his best season in the Land of the Rising Sun playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
All the above was known at the weekly meeting of the CNB with the specialized press, at the Latin American Stadium, where the election of the representatives of the Crocodiles, Jose Noroña and Yoennis Yera as the best player and pitcher of this week in the II Elite League of Cuban Baseball was announced.
As for the statistics of this league, it is worth mentioning that they are batting for a high .288, 14 points above the first league in a similar stage. The pitching is working for a high 4.62 PCL, far from the 1.61 that was shown at that time.
Defensively, 229 errors have been committed, 84 more than at this point last season. In this regard, the deficiencies that persist in training in this area of the game were emphasized.
Ricardo Eizméndiz showed the analysis of the application of the strike zone system, the most striking related to the correlation of pitches in the repertoire of Cuban pitchers. The use of straights predominates over breakers, but the little use of effective ball changes is more worrisome.
The straights of right-handed shooters average 84 mph, very low indeed, with maximums at 94 mph. Left-handers hover between 84 and 93 mph. To date there have been 33 player ejections and 31 requests for replay, 19 won by umpires and 12 by managers.
Eizméndiz assured that this data is being used more and more in the preparation of and during matches, which should have a clear expression in raising the quality of the game in the future.
Juan Reinaldo Pérez Pardo, national commissioner of this sport, insisted on the confidence that the Elite League will gain followers in the wide Cuban fans, and that the playoffs will be a great party in January. He acknowledged that there are improvements to be made to the competition, but that it is key and should gradually become popular among baseball lovers.
Regarding the arrival of new former major league players to the tournament, basically to Matanzas, he said that they help to improve the quality and that is what the decision to open the doors of this lid and the national series was all about.
