Cristopher Crisostomo

Cristopher Crisostomo Mercedes

• Bats Both, Throws Left listed as bats lefty only until 2017
• Height 6' 2", Weight 180 lb.

• Born March 8, 1994 in La Romana, La Romana D.R.

BR register page

Biographical Information

Cristopher Crisostomo (also known as C.C. Mercedes) only reached A ball in the US but then pitched in Nippon Pro Baseball.

Crisostomo was signed by Tampa Bay Rays scout Eddy Toledo in July 2011. He was 1-3 with a 3.66 ERA for the 2012 DSL Rays. In 2013, he was with the DSL Rays (1-0, 1.56 in 4 G) and GCL Rays (1-5, 4.85 in 10 G). He tied for 6th in the Gulf Coast League in losses. The next year, he improved to 1-2, 3.24 in limited time for the GCL Rays. His last year in the Rays chain, he was 2-0 with a 2.85 ERA for the Hudson Valley Renegades.

Signed by the Yomiuri Giants, he spent 2017 on their farm team, going 2-3 with a 3.29 ERA. In 2018, he made it to the big club and was very sharp (5-4, 2.05 ERA, .92 WHIP in 13 G). He was part of the Giants' rotation in 2019, posting a 8-8, 3.52 record with only 28 walks in 120 1/3 IP. He tied for 10th in the Central League in wins. In Game 2 of the 2019 Japan Series, was outstanding with six shutout innings (1 H, 2 BB) but was matched by the Softbank Hawks' Rei Takahashi; after he left, the Hawks lit up Kan Otake as part of their sweep.

The left-hander was 4-4 with a 3.10 ERA in 2020. He began 2021 even better (5-1, 2.31) and made the Dominican team for the Tokyo Olympics.