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The Cuban Raidel Martínez, the best closer in the Japan Professional Baseball League (NPB), is approaching his debut in the 2026 season after completing a productive session in the farm system of the Yomiuri Giants that showed promising signs.
According to reports from Pelota Cubana, the player from Pinar del Río threw an inning at the team's farm, allowing zero runs, one hit, and recording a speed of 95 miles per hour. The pitcher himself summarized his condition with a phrase that reassured his followers: "The most important thing is that I was able to pitch without any problems."
Work on the farms is part of the team's strategy to ensure that Martínez arrives in optimal condition for the active roster, avoiding injuries after the pause from the World Baseball Classic.
The Cuban participated with the national team in the VI World Baseball Classic, where Cuba was eliminated in the first round on March 11 after losing 2-7 to Canada in San Juan, Puerto Rico, marking the first group stage elimination for the Cuban team in 20 years.
After that defeat, Martínez stayed in his home province of Pinar del Río for several days, which sparked unfounded rumors about potential negotiations with Major League teams or even about his not returning to Japan.
The Provincial Baseball Commissioner of Pinar del Río, Heriberto Suárez Pereda, issued an official statement on March 23: "The athletes Liván Moinelo and Raidel Martínez are currently in their home province, preparing to fulfill their respective contracts in the Japanese league."
That same night, Martínez left Cuba along with his compatriot Liván Moinelo, from the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks, heading to Japan. On Thursday, March 26, he joined the spring training of the Giants, as confirmed by the journalist Francys Romero.
The regular season of the NPB 2026 kicked off on March 27, with the Yomiuri Giants facing off against the Hanshin Tigers at the Tokyo Dome, without Martínez still on the active roster.
The Cuban closer enters this season with the momentum of a historic campaign in 2025: 58 appearances, 46 saves, and an ERA of 1.11 over 56.2 innings, figures that raised his all-time total in the NPB to 212 saves and solidified his status as the all-time leader in saves among foreign pitchers in the Japanese league.
Martínez signed in December 2024 a four-year contract worth 32.5 million dollars with the Yomiuri Giants, the largest ever granted to a Latino player in NPB history.
With 212 saves accumulated, Martínez would need approximately 38 more saves to reach 250 in his career in Japan, a milestone that his fans are already targeting for this season.
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