It has been reported that Dominican left-handed pitcher CC Mercedes has had his contract purchased by the Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO). Following the departure of Australian pitcher Lachlan Wells—who chose not to renew his contract and instead return home—the Heroes had an open foreign player slot. To fill the vacancy, they turned to Taiwan and signed Mercedes.
????Former NPB & CBPL foreign pitcher CC Mercedes is heading to the Kiwoom Heroes, ending Kenny Rosenberg’s stint with the Heroes#키움히어로즈 pic.twitter.com/37cFTuUcl4
— KBO in English (@KBO_ENG) July 26, 2025
Mercedes most recently pitched for the Uni-President 7-Eleven Lions in the Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL), where he recorded a 2.57 ERA with 58 strikeouts across 84 innings.
Before his stint in Taiwan, Mercedes spent seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), playing for the Yomiuri Giants and Chiba Lotte Marines. He compiled a solid 3.10 ERA over 709 1/3 innings. While never known for high strikeout totals—he surpassed 7 strikeouts per nine innings only once—he consistently limited hard contact and excelled at inducing ground balls, making him a reliable starter in Japan.
With this move to Korea, Mercedes becomes one of the rare pitchers to have started games in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
Earlier in his career, Mercedes played in Minor League Baseball (MiLB), reaching the now-defunct Short Season A level in 2015 within the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He posted a 2.85 ERA in 41 innings before embarking on a highly successful professional career in Asia.
Mercedes also gained international recognition during the Tokyo Olympics four years ago, where he pitched for the Dominican Republic. In three appearances, he posted a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings. His standout performance came against eventual gold medalist Japan, limiting a star-studded lineup—featuring MLB standout Seiya Suzuki, Red Sox OF Masataka Yoshida, NPB legend Yuki Yanagita, and future NPB star Munetaka Murakami—to just one run over six innings. He also delivered four shutout innings against South Korea in the bronze medal game, helping the Dominican Republic secure a historic medal.
The Kiwoom Heroes currently sit at the bottom of the KBO standings with a 28-67 record and have struggled significantly on the mound. No starting pitcher on their staff holds an ERA under 4.00, so Mercedes is expected to provide an immediate boost as the Heroes aim to finish the season strong and begin rebuilding for next year.
WBN Japan: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo: WikiCommons
