Yermin Mercedes of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Chicago Cubs in the bottom of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on July 31, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Designated hitter and corner infielder Yermin Mercedes will join Acereros De Monclova for the 2023 Liga Mexicana De Beisbol regular season.
Mercedes, 30, started the 2022 season with the Chicago White Sox out of spring training camp prior to landing on the injured list in April. Mercedes was called up from Triple-A Charlotte to the White Sox, playing in 25 games with 109 plate appearances, batting .230 with 20 hits, five doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI and drawing 20 walks before he was designated for assignment on June 12, 2022.
Mercedes was picked up by the San Francisco Giants and split time between Triple-A Sacramento and the big club. He played in 37 games in Triple-A with 158 plate appearances, recording 38 hits, eight home runs, 19 RBI, and drawing 58 walks. With the Giants, Mercedes played in 31 games with 83 plate appearances, batting .233 with 17 hits, five doubles, one home run, eight RBI, and nine walks before he was sent down to Sacramento for the remainder of the 2022 season.
Mercedes was signed at the age of 18 as an international free agent by the Washington Nationals in 2011. Despite spending most of his career in the minor leagues, Mercedes should be able adjust to pitching in the Liga Mexicana De Beisbol, since the level of play is similar to the Liga De Beisbol Profesional De La Republica Dominicana winter league where he has spent a lot of time with the Tigres Del Licey.
Mercedes has played in 149 winter league games, all with Licey. In 524 plate appearances, he has recorded 128 hits, six home runs, 68 RBI, and drawing 35 walks.
Monclova last year made it to the 2022 Zona Norte playoff series, where they lost to Toros De Tijuana in six games.
Monclova opens up the 2023 Liga Mexicana De Beisbol regular season against the Rieleros De Aguascalientes on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. EDT, streamed on the league’s paid streaming service website www.jonron.tv.