Yander Guevara

Yander Guevara Morales

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 0", Weight 172 lb.

• Born January 18, 1986 in Chambas, Ciego de Ávila Cuba

BR 'minors' page

Biographical Information

Yander Guevara has pitched for Ciego de Ávila. As a rookie in 2007-2008, the 21-year-old went 8-3 with a 3.00 ERA. He fell to 7-5, 4.50 in 2008-2009 while tying for the league lead with 22 starts. He tied for sixth with four complete games. He was 7-5 again, with a 4.99 ERA in 2009-2010.

Guevara turned in his third straight 7-5 campaign in 2010-2011 and saved three games but his ERA rose to 6.07. He tied Yudiel Rodríguez and Yoelkis Cruz for 6th in the league in runs allowed (73), was second to Dael Mejías in earned runs (71) and led in homers allowed (22, four ahead of Ian Rendón and Ramón Robles). He lost game 2 of the finals to Pinar del Rio and saved game 5; Ciego de Ávila fell in six. He rebounded in 2011-2012, going 10-7 with two saves and a 3.97 ERA. He tied Frank Navarro and Mejías for third with three shutouts, was second with 31 doubles allowed (4 behind Norberto González) and tied Yudiel Rodríguez for third with 16 gopher balls. He won game 2 of the finals against the Industriales with 4 1/3 innings of shutout relief but lost game 3 in the 10th. In the finale, he started and went 10 1/3 innings before Lázaro Santana Jr. relieved and got the win that provided Ciego de Ávila with its first title.

Guevara was excellent in 2012-2013 at 12-6, 2.02. He tied Noelvis Entenza and Jorge Hernández for third in starts (22), tied MVP Ismel Jiménez for 6th in ERA, tied Wilbert Pérez for 5th in wins, was second in IP (147 1/3, 9 behind Vladimir García), was second in hits allowed (131, 8 shy of Odrisamer Despaigne), tied Despaigne and Erlis Casanova for 5th in walks and tied Yosvani Pérez for second with 12 intentional walks.

He made his Cuban national team debut in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He pitched three games, allowing five hits, two walks and two runs (one earned) in 3 1/3 IP, striking out four. He tied for third on Cuba in games pitched, behind Raisel Iglesias and Norberto González. With a spot in the final four at stake, he relieved González with one out and none on in the bottom of the 9th. Andruw Jones hit into an error by Yulieski Gourriel, then Curt Smith singled. Iglesias relieved and gave up a hit, then Diosdani Castillo allowed a sacrifice fly to Kalian Sams to end the game; Guevara took the loss as he had allowed Jones to reach.

In 2013-2014, Ciego de Ávila failed to make the second half and Guevara finished the season with Santiago de Cuba. For the year, he was 5-8 with a 4.72 ERA. He rebounded in 2014-2015, with a 10-5, 3.52 record and one save. He tied Alberto Bicet and Yoanni Yera for 4th in starts (22), tied for second with two complete games (two behind Yosvani Torres), tied for 6th in wins (with Danny Aguilera, Yunier Cano and Ulfrido García), tied Torres and Jonder Martínez for the lead with two shutouts, was 4th in IP (130 1/3, between Lázaro Blanco and Jonder Martínez), tied for second with 9 homers allowed (one behind Vicyohandri Odelín) and missed the top 10 in ERA by .06 behind #10 Blanco. In the playoffs, he was 3-0 with a 1.61 ERA and beat Isla de la Juventud in game 7 for the second title for Ciego de Ávila; both times, he pitched a key role in the finale.