Lazaro Estrada, a pitcher for the Vancouver Canadians, the Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, became the first Cuban-born player to throw a no-hitter in Class A since 2006, according to Francys Romero.
Estrada pitched seven innings with two walks and eight strikeouts. The 42nd-ranked Blue Jays prospect, according to Prospects1500, is making a case to move up from Vancouver to the New Hampshire Fisher Cats, which is expected to happen soon.
Born in Ciudad Habana, Cuba, in 1999, Estrada’s minor league career began in 2018 when he pitched for the DSL Blue Jays. In 14 games, he had a 2.06 ERA with 87 strikeouts.
In 2019, Estrada pitched for the Bluefield Blue Jays, the former Rookie affiliate, now the FCL Blue Jays. He had a 5.85 ERA in Bluefield with 39 strikeouts in 11 games.
It all accumulated into this year, where, so far, in Vancouver and Dunedin, the Single-A Jays affiliate, he has had a combined 2.12 ERA with 42 strikeouts in 34 innings.
Estrada has had several injuries which have kept him out of play, including this year, making this impressive feat even more noteworthy. As Estrada progresses in his minor league career, one day hoping to reach the major leagues, this is a moment that he and Cuban baseball fans around the globe will never forget.
Photo Credit: Lazaro Estrada on Instagram (@leam2626)
