The Latin pitchers’ achievements stand out in the MLB
Manny Machado, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Jose Abreu, Adrian González and many others Latins are protagonists from that MLB’s Opening Day 2018. Their offensive determines games years after years, elevating the names of countries like Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Cuba and Puerto Rico, all of them with a great tradition in baseball.
Since the Opening Day, they are the stars, but it calls our attention the designation of several Latin pitchers as rotation leaders, which demonstrates how highly expanded is the leadership of these nations, which were fundamentally acknowledged by the power of their batters and only a few pitchers were considered remarkable. Now, on the other hand, four pitchers were designed to pitch on the first game of the season and many others were close to enjoy that honor, but finally they were not chosen by their managers.
For example, the Mexicans Marco Estrada and Aaron Sanchez were candidates in Toronto but John Gibbons, their mentor, chose J.A. Happ. Estrada was the stronger contender for the Blue Jays because he was the one who pitched on the Opening Day in 2017 and this spring he was domineering in every one of his starts in the Grapefruit League. The Puerto Rican Jose Berrios also had the Opening Day start virtually guaranteed in substitution of Ervin Santana (injured), but due to sentimental reasons he was reserved to be in the rotation when the team plays in Puerto Rico.
The Dominicans Luis Severino (Yankees), Carlos Martinez (Cardinals), Ivan Nova (Pirates) and Jose Urena (Miami Marlins), as well as the Colombian Julio Teheran (Braves) were main characters since the very first day. Severino is the first Dominican starter of the Yankees in an Opening Day as well as the second Latin American, while Martinez added his second Opening Day start this year after having that mission the past year in Saint Louis. Nova and Urena have this opportunity for the first time in their career, the one from Pittsburgh after the departure of the ace Gerrit Cole (traded to the Astros) and the one from Miami got the opportunity when the team was dismantled after the arrival of Derek Jeter as General Manager. Last but not least is the Venezuelan Felix Hernandez, who has 10 Opening Day starts with the Seattle Mariners, in which he is a star player.
