Henry Roldán
This Monday begins Little League Baseball Week, one of the most anticipated events in the United States year after year. In it, we are get to see some of the promising future of Major League Baseball.
The event that ends with the Little League World Series is the most exciting one in minor baseball, and here we remind you of the Latin players that participated in the championship of the best baseball in the world.
Hector Torres
Mexican infielder Héctor Torres played in the Little League World Series with the Industriales de Monterrey in the 1958 season. Ten years later, in 1968, he made his major league debut with the Houston Astros. He played a total of 622 games and nine campaigns in the Major Leagues with five different organizations.
Wilson Alvarez
One of the first Latin players to play in Little League Baseball Week, and later do the same in the Major Leagues, was Venezuelan Wilson Alvarez, who in 1982 played with the Maracaibo Coquivacoa team.
Alvarez debuted in 1989 with the Texas Rangers, and in addition to becoming the first Venezuelan to pitch a no-hitter in the Major Leagues, he played 14 seasons and was called to an All-Star Game.
Guillermo Quiroz
Venezuelan catcher Guillermo Quiroz participated during Little League Baseball Week representing the Coquivacoa team of the 1994 season. Quiroz came to the Major Leagues in 2004 with the Toronto Blue Jays, and he played 148 games over 10 seasons in the world’s best baseball.
Yusmeiro Petit
Yusmeiro Petit was Quiroz’s teammate at the Coquivacoa team that competed in the Little Leagues World Series in the 2004 season.
The pitcher debuted in 2006 with the Florida Marlins, and while he is playing in the minor leagues this season, he has been one of the most consistent relievers in all of the major leagues in recent years.
Rubén Tejada
Rubén Tejada played in the 2001 edition of the Little League World Series with Panama’s Activo 20-30 team.
In 2010, at the age of 20, he played for the first time in the Major Leagues with the New York Mets, an organization with which he played seven of his nine seasons in the circuit. Although he has not formally announced his retirement, he is currently a free agent and has not played in MLB since 2019.
Jonathan Schoop
In the 2004 edition, Jonathan Schoop became one of the sensations of the Pabao team, representing Curaçao. The team ended up winning that year’s Little League World Series championship.
The current second baseman of the Detroit Tigers, who has one All-Star Game appearance, not only went 3-2 with one run batted in, but also got the last two outs of the game to earn the save in the final game against California.
Jurickson Profar
Along with Schopp, Jurickson Profar was another sensation of the Curaçao’s Pabao team in the 2004 Little League World Series.
The current San Diego Padres player, who made his Major League debut in 2012 with the Texas Rangers, fanned 19 opponents in just 12.1 innings of work. In 2005 he returned to the event, and he not only posted a 1.85 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 13 episodes, but gave up seven hits in 18 innings.
Christian Bethancourt
Panamanian Christian Bethancourt was Schoop and Profar’s rival during the 2004 edition of the Little League World Series representing the Curundú team from Panama City.
After debuting in 2013 with the Atlanta Braves, Bethancourt played in the Major Leagues until 2017. From then on, he only had experience in the minor leagues until this campaign, when he has already played 40 games with the Oakland Athletics.
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