Yudier Rodríguez

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Yudier Rodríguez León first name listed as Yudiel as well

  • Bats Left, Throws Left
  • Height 5' 7", Weight 185 lb.

Biographical Information[edit]

Yudier Rodríguez has been a long-time pitcher in Cuba who has pitched for the Cuban national team a few times.

He debuted for Las Tunas in the 2007-2008 Serie Nacional, going 3-1 despite a 7.91 ERA and 2.22 WHIP. He had a 13.50 ERA in two postseason appearances. In 2008-2009, he was 1-0 with a 10.67 ERA and 2.58 WHIP; at age 25, he did not appear to have a bright future ahead. In 2009-2010, he suddenly improved, going 8-6 with a 4.25 ERA. His big remaining problem was control as his 59 walks tied Maikel Folch for 3rd in the league.

Rodríguez was 8-7 with two saves and a 4.94 ERA in 2010-2011, finishing 5th in hits allowed (149), tied for 6th in earned runs allowed, and tied Yander Guevara and Yoalkis Cruz for 7th in runs allowed (73). His control was improving, as he cut his walks to 37. He improved to 10-8, 4.07 in 2011-2012. He tied for 10th in complete games (4), tied for 9th in runs allowed (79) and tied Guevara for 3rd with 16 homers allowed. He had a 13.50 ERA in his one postseason appearance.

The veteran began 2012-2013 with Las Tunas, going 4-4 with a 3.63 ERA; when they did not make the second half, he moved to the Industriales, where he was 3-5 with two saves and a 4.03 ERA. He tied for 4th in losses. He began 2013-2014 2-5, 4.73. Reinforcing Isla de la Juventud when Las Tunas did not make the second half, he was rocked (2-5, 7.78). He led the loop in both losses and earned runs allowed (59).

Yudier (or Yudiel, as he was then known) was 0-1 with a 9.48 ERA for Las Tunas in the first half of 2014-2015 but was still a second-half reinforcement, this time with Granma (1-4, 4.10 in the regular season; one scoreless postseason turn). In 2015-2016, he went 8-9 with a save and a 4.20 ERA for Las Tunas. He tied for 9th in wins, tied for 2nd in losses and led the league with 142 hits allowed (3 more than Lázaro Blanco).

The southpaw was 2-4 with two saves and a 3.20 ERA in 2016-2017. At age 34, he was 12-5 with a 3.37 ERA in 2017-2018 but allowed 8 runs in 8 postseason innings. He tied Yoanni Yera for 2nd in wins (one behind Cruz), was 6th in IP (120 1/3, between Erlis Casanova and Ulfrido García), 6th in hits allowed (122), 6th in K (74, between García and Alaín Sánchez), 5th in WHIP (1.26, between Dachel Duquesne and Yosvani Torres), tied Yera for 3rd in winning percentage and 9th in ERA (between Jonder Martínez and Duquesne).

The late bloomer made his international debut for Cuba in the 2018 Haarlem Baseball Week, allowing two runs in four innings over four games. He tied for third in the event in games pitched. He had a 7-7, 4.28 record in 2018-2019 and was 1-0 with a save and a 0.87 ERA in the postseason. He beat Villa Clara and Sánchez in the opener of the finals, then saved Dariel Góngora's win the next game; Las Tunas would go on to win its first title thanks to his big role. The team had been around for 42 years at that time. He stayed with the team for the 2019 Caribbean Series, retiring two of three batters (one via K) in his lone outing, part of a combined shutout of the Cardenales de Lara.

Rodríguez then was with Cuba's entry in the 2019 Canadian-American Association, allowing one run in 8 1/3 IP and registering a save. He was with Cuba for the 2019 Pan American Games as well. In his lone appearance, he closed out a massive Cuban meltdown in the bottom of the 10th - after Cuba scored eight in the top of the 10th in the 5th/6th place game against the Dominican national team, they had allowed seven runs and the bases were loaded by the time he replaced Wilson Paredes. Garabez Rosa hit a two-run double off him to end the game and send Cuba to its worse finish in baseball in the Pan American Games to that point.

He was one of three hurlers surnamed Rodríguez for Cuba in the 2019 Premier 12, joining Yariel Rodríguez and Andy Rodríguez. He made one appearance, but it went better than in his Pan Am Games stint. Relieving Vladimir García with a 3-0 deficit in the 9th against Canada, the bases loaded and no out, he got Michael Saunders to fly out then Jonathan Malo flew into a double play, Dalton Pompey being thrown out at home.

In 2019-2020, he was 9-2 with a 2.69 ERA for Las Tunas, walking only 13 in 70 1/3 IP. He tied for 5th in wins; had he qualified, he would have been third in ERA, behind Carlos Juan Viera and Frank Madan. He fell to 0-1, 7.94 in the postseason, a far cry from the prior season's postseason stardom. He was on Cuba's roster for the 2020 Americas Olympic Qualifier before that event had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The veteran kept on rolling in 2020-2021, being named Cuba's All-Star left-handed pitcher after a 12-5, 3.43 campaign. He tied Madan for the win lead, tied for second with two shutouts, was 3rd with 117 2/3 IP (behind Yadián Martínez and Madan), 8th in K (63, between Yosimar Cousin and Frank Navarro), tied for 4th in winning percentage, 7th in WHIP and 6th in ERA. He was 2-2 with a save and a 4.18 ERA in the postseason.

He was then with Cuba for the Americas Olympic Qualifier, now that the pandemic was under better control in the Americas. He pitched one game, relieving Bryan Chi with a 14-1 lead over Colombia in the 6th. He retired Andrés Angulo and Jordan Díaz before serving up a gopher ball to prospect Jeter Downs. He got Derwin Pomare to end the inning; Frank Abel Alvarez took over in the 7th with a 16-2 lead. Cuba would not make it to the Tokyo Olympics.

Sources[edit]

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