Raidel Martínez reaches 250 saves in Nippon Professional Baseball

Cuban pitcher Raidel Martínez has made history in Japanese professional baseball by reaching 250 career saves. Playing for the Yomiuri Giants, Martínez secured his 38th save of the season during a 5-3 victory over the Chunichi Dragons at the Tokyo Dome.

With this achievement, Martínez becomes only the sixth pitcher in the history of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to reach the 250-save milestone. He is also the first foreign player to accomplish this feat, joining the prestigious Meikyukai, or the ‘Club of Extraordinary Players.’

Martínez currently leads the Central League in saves and maintains a 1.34 ERA for the season. His career in Japan spans nine seasons, including seven years with the Chunichi Dragons and his recent tenure with the Yomiuri Giants.