PREVIA: La Nave Verde en ruta a la cima de la Zona Norte
Refuerzos: Kennys Vargas (OF), Fernando Flores (C), Carlos Rodríguez (C), Orlando Lara (PZ), Miguel Peña (PZ), Anthony Carter (PD), Luis Santos (PD), Édgar Gómez (PD), Saúl Castellanos (PD) y Carlos Díaz (IF). Roberto Vizcarra regresa al timón de la Nave Verde en el que será su segundo año al frente
Refuerzos:
Kennys Vargas (OF), Fernando Flores (C), Carlos Rodríguez (C), Orlando Lara (PZ), Miguel Peña (PZ), Anthony Carter (PD), Luis Santos (PD), Édgar Gómez (PD), Saúl Castellanos (PD) y Carlos Díaz (IF).
Roberto Vizcarra regresa al timón de la Nave Verde en el que será su segundo año al frente del equipo. El popular 'Chapo' ostenta la mayor cantidad de títulos entre los 18 managers activos en la LMB con tres: hizo campeones a los Tigres de Quintana Roo en 2013 y en 2015, y a los Leones de Yucatán en 2018.1.
"Estoy muy emocionado de contar con este equipo —comentó Roberto Vizcarra en el Día de Medios en conferencia de prensa virtual—. Tenemos un orden al bat redondeado, de mucha fuerza y con experiencia. Además, este año reforzamos el bullpen".
Vizcarra ha dirigido durante siete temporadas en el circuito de verano: tiene marca de 357 triunfos y 265 derrotas.
Los Saraperos de Saltillo se presentan en 2021 con la base sólida de bateadores que brilló en 2019, reforzada por el puertorriqueño Kennys Vargas y el experimentado Carlos Rodríguez.
La receptoría será compartida por dos nuevas caras en el equipo: Carlos Rodríguez y Fernando Flores.
Rodríguez es un cañonero de 39 años que acumula 173 cuadrangulares en su carrera de 17 temporadas en la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. Fue el líder de jonrones en 2012, año en el que se voló la barda 32 ocasiones con los Rieleros de Aguascalientes.
Fernando Flores, de 29 años, llega a la Nave Verde luego de nueve temporadas con los Piratas de Campeche. Es un receptor que se caracteriza por su gran defensiva y además tiene un porcentaje de bateo de por vida de .273.
Otra opción detrás del plato para los Saraperos de Saltillo es Jibrán Castro.
En el cuadro destacan las figuras de Henry Urrutia, José Manuel Rodríguez y Josuan Hernández.
Urrutia lideró a Saraperos en 2019 en porcentaje de bateo (.370), jonrones (33) y carreras producidas (100); Manny Rodríguez acumula 149 vuelacercas y un promedio a la ofensiva de .307 en 14 años en la LMB; mientras que Josuan Hernández bateó para .309, con 14 bambinazos y 72 remolcadas en 101 juegos en 2019 con Saraperos.
El cañonero boricua Kennys Vargas llega con el cartel de haber conectado 35 palos de vuelta entera en cuatro campañas en Grandes Ligas con los Mellizos de Minnesota. Su mejor año en la Gran Carpa fue 2017, cuando se fue para la calle 11 veces y remolcó 41 carreras en 78 juegos. En 2019 probó suerte en el beisbol de Japón con los Chiba Lotte Marines y en 2021 se dispone a demostrar su poderío en los diamantes de México.
La esquina caliente tendrá como dueños a Ricardo Serrano y a Christian Zazueta. Serrano suma 108 cuadrangulares en 14 campañas en el circuito veraniego; Zazueta se ha estafado 195 almohadillas en 15 temporadas en la LMB.
Otras opciones en el cuadro son Javier Mireles, Carlos Díaz y Marco López.
En los jardines destaca la presencia de Juan Pérez y de Rainel Rosario. Pérez lideró al equipo en bases robadas en 2019 con 30 y es un espectáculo a la defensiva; mientras que el carismático 'Proto' le agrega mucho poder al orden al bat: suma 62 jonrones en tres años en la LMB, en 2019 se voló la barda 26 veces y en 2017 lideró la Liga en vuelacercas, también con 26 tablazos.
En el jardín derecho tendrá tiempo de juego José Manuel Orozco y en ocasiones Christian Zazueta. Otra opción para cubrir las praderas es Juan Macías.
La rotación de abridores contará con el zurdo Miguel Peña, quien viene de un invierno espectacular con los Águilas de Mexicali: tuvo récord de 4-0 y efectividad de 2.08 en 10 salidas, nueve de ellas como abridor. Buscará repetir el truco en verano, luego de que en 2019 con Toros y Leones acumuló números de 1-7 y efectividad de 6.12 en 27 apariciones, 12 aperturas.
Orlando Lara, que en 2019 lanzó con Toros y Piratas, llega a la Nave Verde con 13 temporadas de experiencia en la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol. Tiene récord de por vida de 62-42 y una efectividad de 4.93, con 777 ponches en 1,005.1 entradas de labor.
El dominicano Luis Santos, con dos años de experiencia en la Gran Carpa con Azulejos de Toronto, se perfila para iniciar juegos en 2021 con Saraperos. El derecho de 30 años estuvo durante nueve años en sucursales de Piratas, Reales, Azulejos y Rayas, con quienes tuvo marca de 46-38 y efectividad de 3.70 en 186 apariciones, 103 de ellas como abridor.
Raúl Zoé Carrillo, derecho de 29 años oriundo de Guadalajara, Jalisco, tuvo en 2019 con Saltillo marca de 9-9 y efectividad de 5.12 en 25 aperturas. De por vida en la LMB tiene marca de 33-29 y un porcentaje de carreras limpias admitidas de 5.37 en 10 campañas con Saraperos, Olmecas, Delfines y Generales.
Saúl Castellanos, integrante de la Selección Mexicana Sub-23 campeona del mundo en 2018, es una de las opciones para ser el quinto abridor de Saraperos. En 2019 con Algodoneros tuvo marca de 2-5 y una efectividad de 8.85 en 21 juegos, nueve de ellos aperturas.
El bullpen luce muy sólido para las últimas entradas con la presencia de Rafael Martín, Mario Meza y Anthony Carter.
Rafael Martín, con experiencia en 2015 y 2016 en Grandes Ligas con los Nacionales de Washington, salvó 21 juegos con Saraperos en 2021; Mario Meza tuvo la campaña pasada con Saltillo un porcentaje de ponches por cada nueve entradas de 12.58, el mejor de la liga entre los pitchers con al menos 40 entradas lanzadas; y Anthony Carter salvó 14 juegos para los Rieleros en 2019 y acumula 35 rescates en tres campañas en la LMB.
El resto del bullpen a disposición del manager Roberto 'Chapo' Vizcarra estará conformado por Alejandro Soto, Édgar Gómez, Benny Suárez, Jorge Luis Ibarra, José Miguel Piña, Luis de Luna, José Valenzuela, Misael López, Troy Cruz y Orlando González.
Lugar en 2019:
(7mo global, 66-53)
Llegaron hasta la Serie de Zona
Líderes 2019:
PCT: Henry Urrutia (.370)
HR: Henry Urrutia (33)
CP: Henry Urrutia (100)
BR: Juan Pérez (30)
PCL: Félix Doubront (4.58)
JG: Sergio Mitre (12)
SV: Rafael Martín (21)
SO: Félix Doubront (108)
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