Cuban pitcher Liván Moinelo, a star for the SoftBank Hawks in Japan's Pacific League, received the first Gold Glove of his career today, recognized as the best defender in his position by the sports reporters of the Asian nation.
In a closely contested vote, the left-handed player from Pinar del Río narrowly surpassed his competitors Hiromi Ito from the Nippon Ham Fighters and Kazuma Ojima from the Lotte Marines, according to the Prensa Latina agency.
This achievement makes Moinelo the first Latin American to receive this prestigious award in the Japanese League since his compatriot Dayán Viciedo did so in 2021 in the Central League.
The award marks a historic milestone, highlighting his exceptional defensive skills in a season where he also led in effectiveness, allowing only 1.88 earned runs per nine innings—a record that no Latin American player had achieved before in Japanese baseball.
In his first season as a starter, after seven years as a reliever, Moinelo established himself as a dominant figure: he ranked fourth in wins with 11, and in strikeouts with 155 in 163 innings.
As the Premier 12 tournament approaches, excitement is growing regarding its impact on the diamond. According to Armando Johnson, director of the Cuba team, Moinelo will take the mound this Thursday to face South Korea in the second match of the selection in Group B, which kicks off tomorrow in Taipei, China.
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