In a close fight, the left-handed pitcher from the western province of Pinar del Río and member of the Softbank Hawks of the Pacific League, beat Kazuma Ojima of the Lotte Mariners and Hiromi Ito of the Nippon Ham Fighters, who reached 54 votes.

With this award, Moinelo becomes the first Latin American to win such a distinction in the Japanese League, since his compatriot and first baseman Dayán Viciedo did so in the Central League in the 2021 season.

The pitcher was also the most effective in his circuit in the regular season, allowing just 1.88 runs per complete game and taking over a lead that no one born in Latin America had been able to obtain in the entire history of baseball in the Land of the Rising Sun.

In his first contest as a starter after seven seasons serving as a reliever, he was fourth in wins with 11 and in strikeouts with 155 in 163 innings of work.

According to statements by the director of the Cuban team, Armando Johnson, he is designated to take the mound this Thursday against South Korea, in the second game of his national team in Group B in the Premier 12 tournament that begins tomorrow in Taiwan.

ef/ro/blc