Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo has etched his name in the annals of Japanese baseball by securing the ERA title in the country's Professional League (NPB), wearing the SoftBank Hawks uniform. The left-handed pitcher concluded the regular season with an impressive 1.88 ERA over 163 innings, marking the first time a Latin American has achieved this feat in the Pacific League.
According to Prensa Latina, Moinelo, who debuted this year as a starter, clinched the top spot after Japan's Hiroya Miyagi from the Orix Buffaloes fell short of the necessary outs to overtake the Cuban in this crucial category. Not only is Moinelo the first Latin pitcher to earn this title, but he also became the seventh foreign player in NPB history to lead in this area, underscoring the growing influence of Latin players in the league.
Overall, Moinelo's record stood at 11-5, with 155 strikeouts. The season also highlighted another Cuban standout. In the Central League, fellow Pinar del Río native Raidel Martínez claimed the saves title with 43, while Dominican Domingo Santana finished second in batting average with .315, solidifying a successful season for Latin American players in Japan.