Jonathan Vega

Jonathan Joel Vega Real

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 3", Weight 175 lb.

• Born March 2, 1979 in El Roble, Coclé Panama

Biographical Information

Jonathan Vega (AKA Yonathan Vega, Joel Vega) played regularly for the Panamanian national team. In 1996, he hit .209 with a homer and 12 RBI for the DSL Astros/Red Sox. In 1998, he hit .200/~.269/.322 om 50 games for the GCL Astros, striking out in 62 of 180 AB. On the positive side, he led the team with 5 home runs and his 25 RBI ranked second.

In the 1999 Pan American Games, Vega hit .357 for Panama. He helped them to a Gold in the 2001 Bolivarian Games, their first baseball Gold in the Bolivarian Games. In the 2001 Baseball World Cup, the right-handed outfielder batted .321/.441/.464 while having two assists in 9 games in left field.

He helped Panama to a Silver Medal in the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games. Vega batted .222/.243/.556 in the 2002 Intercontinental Cup, when Panama won Bronze only to be stripped of its Medal when Roberto Kelly, Earl Agnoly, Jorge Cortez and Roberto Gutierrez tested positive for banned substances. Vega blasted four home runs, leading the team. He tied Katsuaki Furuki, Feng-An Tsai and Jhensy Sandoval for second in the Cup in homers, one behind Yobal Dueñas.

Vega homered once in the 2003 Pan American Games to tie Ariel Pestano, Tyler Greene and Roberto Saucedo for the event lead. In the 2003 Baseball World Cup, the 24-year-old hit .250/.286/.575 with 4 doubles and 3 homers among his 10 hits; he scored 9 and drove in 10 runs in 10 games. He also fanned in 14 of 40 AB. The left fielder tied Luis Iglesias for second on Panama in RBI, behind Audes de Leon; de Leon was the only player on Panama to hit more homers than Vega. This was notable as Panama had major leaguers Olmedo Saenz, Ruben Rivera and Julio Mosquera on their roster. In the Gold Medal game, Vega was 0 for 3 with a strikeout against Vicyohandri Odelin and Norge Vera in a 4-2 loss to Cuba.

Vega improved his OBP while showing less pop in the 2005 Baseball World Cup, when his batting line read .303/.410/.394, though he still struck out in 11 of 33 AB; his average for balls in play was .455. He was a substitute for Hector Aliva in left field in the Bronze Medal game, doubling off Dave Draijer in his only at-bat in a 7-6 win for Panama.

Vega was not chosen for the 2006 World Baseball Classic, a rare event missed during this period. He was just 3 for 20 in the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games but his hits included a triple and a homer and his 4 RBI led Panama. In the 2007 Pan American Games, he went 1 for 7 with 4 strikeouts. During the 2007 Baseball World Cup, Vega struck out in 10 of 19 at-bats but still hit .263/.263/.421 while splitting time between left field (4 games, most on the team) and DH (3 games, one behind Sherman Obando). He hit a 3-run homer off Remigio Leal in a win over Spain but the home run was taken off the record books and Panama charged with a forfeit as they had not properly insured players with ties to MLB organizations (Isaias Garcia, Alwin Pérez, Concepción Rodríguez, Joseph Guerra and Valentino Arce). Vega drove in both of Panama's runs against Kohei Hasebe in their loss to Japan.

Vega was 2 for 7 with a walk in the 2008 Americas Baseball Cup while sharing DH duties. He was on Panama's preliminary roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Sources

• 1999-2000 Baseball Almanacs
• SABR Minor league database
• Pat Doyle's Professional Baseball Player Database
• IBAF
• Baseballdecuba.com
• 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games