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Cuban RHP Yunesky Maya To Pitch For FEPCUBE on January 18

 Matt Tallarini - World Baseball Network  |    Jan 12th, 2025 1:30pm EST

According to Cuban Baseball Digest on January 11, reporter Yusseff Diaz stated that veteran right-handed pitcher Yunesky Maya will pitch for the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation (FEPCUBE) against the Miami-Dade College Sharks on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Kendall Campus in Miami, Fla at 12:30 p.m. EST.

No announcement has been made if Maya is starting against Miami-Dade College or coming out of the bullpen.  

FEPCUBE announced the information about the event for the Miami-Dade College Alumni Game on December 19. 

FEPCUBE announced on January 9 from their Instagram page that Maya will play for them against Miami-Dade College.  

The other FEPCUBE players that will play against Miami Dade College are right-handed pitcher Pedro Echemendia, right-handed pitcher Elih Villanueva, right-handed pitcher Sandy Gastón, infielder Luis Medina, infielder Eddy Díaz, catcher Gabriel Rebozo, outfielder Andy Martín, and outfielder Maikol Pérez.  

Villanueva, Medina, Gaston, and Rebozo were announced to play for FEPCUBE on January 7.  

Yordano Carmona and Abel Zaldívar of Pelota Cubana USA reported on January 10 that Martin will play with FEPCUBE against Miami-Dade College on January 18. 

Raidel Orta, Yasser Diaz, Marco Romero, and Maikol Perez were also announced to play for FEPCUBE on January 11.  

Maya, 43, was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba and has played three seasons in Major League Baseball with the Washington Nationals from 2010-11 and 2013, the Doos Bears in the Korean Baseball Organization from 2014-15 and in Liga Invernal Mexicana with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes in 2018 and the  Liga Mexicana de Beisboll with the Saraperos de Saltillo in 2019, the Diablos Rojos del Mexico and the Guerreros de Oaxaca in 2023, and the Piratas de Campeche in 2024.  

Maya has played in 19 seasons in the international leagues with the Vegueros de Pinar del Rio in Serie Nacional from 2003-09 and left Cuba in December of 2009 and lived in the Dominican Republic for nine months before the United States Department of Treasury authorized Maya to sign with a Major League Baseball team.  

Maya was part of the 2006 World Baseball Classic with the Cuban national team in the first tournament and helped the country make it to the championship game against Japan at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., and lost 10-6. Maya threw three innings in the 2006 event, while posting a 1-0 record in three appearances with not allowing one run, one save opportunity, allowing four hits, two walks, two strikeouts, and a 2.00 WHIP.  

Maya played four seasons in the minors with the Nationals organization in 2010 at the Gulf Coast League rookie level, Class Advanced-A Potomac, and from 2010-13 with Triple-A Syracuse.  

Maya made his MLB debut on September 7, 2010 at home against the New York Mets in the nation’s capital.  

Maya also signed a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves back on January 13, 2014 and was assigned to Triple-A Gwinnett and played half the season with the organization before exploring his options to head to South Korea.  

Maya has played in the LIDOM with the Leones del Escogido in the 2010-11 winter league season, the Tigres del Licey in 2013-14 and 2015-16, the Aguilas Cibaenas from 2017-24, and the Gigantes del Cibao in 2024-25.  

Maya played for the Tigres de Aragua in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional during the 2024-25 season and was activated on their roster on October 11, 2024 before heading to the Dominican Republic to play with the Gigantes del Cibao on November 20, 2024.  Maya also played for the Cardenales de Lara in the LVBP 2023-24 regular season when he signed with them on December 27, 2023.  

In Maya’s 21 seasons between all levels, he has a lifetime record of 106-108 with a 3.64 ERA, throwing 1,947.1 innings in 420 appearances and 312 starts, 17 complete games, 29 saves, allowing 1,918 hits, 788 earned runs, 149 home runs, 536 walks, 1,454 strikeouts, and a 1.260 WHIP. 

During the 2024-25 winter league season, Maya posted a 6.00 ERA with the Tigres de Aragua in one start, throwing three innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts before heading to the Gigantes del Cibao organization. Maya only made two starts with the Gigantes del Cibao and posted a 9.00 ERA, throwing four innings, allowing eight hits, four earned runs, three walks and five strikeouts. 

Last year, FEPCUBE was supposed to play in the 2024 Intercontinental Series in Barranquilla, Colombia at Estadio Edgar Renteria alongside other club teams with the 2023-24 champion Caimanes de Barranquilla of the Liga Profesional De Béisbol Colombia and the Willemstad Cannons, who took second place in the 2023 Curacao Professional Baseball League.  

The other teams that were supposed to participate at the 2024 Intercontinental Series teams were the Nihonkai Baseball League in Japan and the Western League from the United States, an independent league that would have built their roster with players from their league and the Pecos League based in the Southwest region of the United States. 

The Gyeonggi-do Baseball Softball Association in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province Independent League was slated to be the other participant at the 2024 Intercontinental Series. 

FEPCUBE announced that they have changed their team name slogan for “Patria Y Vida” to “Dream Team” back on January 9, 2024 due to the political conflicts from the El Ministerio de Deportes de Colombia and the Colombia Olympic Committee, Francys Romero of beisbolfr.com. 

The leagues, teams, and entities involved have expressed their full willingness for the series to take place, however, the Ministry of Sports, together with the Olympic Committee, issued a statement expressing that it was not possible to grant endorsement for the holding of the series. tournament, in addition to the non-recognition of the FEPCUBE team, which is one of the participants,” the communication stated, Leif Skodnick of World Baseball Network reported on January 17, 2024.  

Prior to that week last January, reports indicated that the Cuban Professional Baseball Federation, or FEPCUBE, and the Colombian government had been notified of the Cuban government’s objection to FEPCUBE’s use of the Cuban flag and national anthem, as well as the country’s name and the slogan “Patria y Vida”, by a group of players who they do not view as Cuban, Romero followed from his tweet listed below.  

Conor Ligouri of World Baseball Network also wrote back on December 18, 2023 that the Federación Cubana de Beisbol was not in favor of FEBCUBE for the movement along with them appearing at the called-off 2024 ICS.  Notable major leaguers such as Aroldis Chapman, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Yandy Diaz, Yulieski Gurriel, and Yennier Cano were listed on FEPCUBE’s preliminary roster for the canceled 2024 ICS.  

Brayan Pena was the manager of FEPCUBE last year and they played against Miami-Dade College in their first exhibition game on their campus on January 17, 2024 and played at Alex Rodriguez field on the University of Miami Campus in Coral Gables, Fla. on January 29, 2024 against the Houston Apollos of the Western League and Pecos League.  

FEPCUBE still has listed all the officials for their team on their website since the team was founded on August 8, 2023.  FEPCUBE also reported that the ICS will come back from January 25 until February 1 from their   account on December 30, 2024.  Fanki, the event and game ticket agency in Colombia is apparently the sponsor for the 2025 CS event.  

No information of the 2025 ICS event has been stated for game ticket sales on the official Fanki website and all of their social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.  No information has surfaced on the ICS Instagram account either. 

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Matt Tallarini - World Baseball Network
Matthew (Matt) Tallarini is the Founder and Chief Correspondent for the World Baseball Network.
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