The Cuban baseball player Henry Urrutia was crowned champion and Most Valuable Player of the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPB) this Monday after leading the Shanghai Orcas to a 1-0 victory over the Beijing Loongs in the third and decisive game of the summer season final.
The Tunero batter, named MVP of the tournament as reported by Pelota Cubana, arrived late in Shanghai but needed just 10 games to become a key player in the championship. He played in the last four matches of the qualifying phase and all six in the postseason, including the semifinals and the final.
In that brief but compelling journey, Urrutia left an offensive line of .410 batting average —16 hits in 39 at-bats— with 10 runs scored, one double, four home runs, seven runs batted in, three stolen bases, and an OPS of 1,196.
In the championship game, the player from Tunero was positioned as the second batter and first baseman, finishing the game 1 for 4 with one strikeout. The pitching staff earned the main accolades for the victory, but Urrutia's accumulated performance throughout the postseason proved crucial for the Orcas to lift the trophy.
"Since he arrived at the Shanghai Orcas, he infused his experience with that Caribbean flair, and only 10 games were enough to make a difference," highlighted Pelota Cubana when announcing the MVP award.
Cuban protagonism on both sides
The presence of players from the island was notable on both finalist teams.
For the Orcas, the Guantanamo player Luis Miguel Romero pitched 5.2 innings, allowing the only run of the game, with eight hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Frank Herrera delivered a perfect eighth inning, and Yankiel Mauris struck out all three batters he faced in the ninth.
Among the Loongs, Raico Santos achieved two hits in four at-bats — finishing the league with an average of .326 — although he failed in his last opportunity with runners on first and second. Yoel Yanqui connected for a hit as a pinch-hitter, while Francisco Martínez and Alfredo Despaigne went hitless in the decisive game, despite having finished the season with averages of .273 and .342, respectively.
Cuban participation in the CPB 2026 was historic since the beginning of the summer season: at least nine players from the island were distributed among the Orcas, the Loongs, and the Xiamen Dolphins in a coordinated effort with the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation.
Urrutia, born on February 13, 1987, in Las Tunas, has built an extensive international career that includes time in MLB with the Baltimore Orioles, as well as leagues in Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, and Japan. His record solidifies him as one of the most impactful Cuban hitters in foreign circuits, and the title in China adds a new chapter to that journey.
Related videos:
Filed under: