Junior Lake of the Aguilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Republic in action against Balbino Fuenmayor of Los Caribes de Anzoategui of Venezuela in the fourth inning during the game between Venezuela and Dominican Republic as part of Serie del Caribe 2021 at Teodoro Mariscal Stadium on February 3, 2021 in Mazatlan, Mexico. (Photo by Alejandro Avila/Jam Media/Getty Images)
Venezuelan first baseman Balbino Fuenmayor signed with the Acereros de Monclova in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, the organization announced on Wednesday.
Fuenmayor, 34, was born in Valencia, Venezuela, and has played 17 professional seasons in the United States, the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico and the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional.
Last winter league season with the Caribes de Anzoátegui in the LVBP, he played in 50 games and batted .273 in 202 plate appearances with 51 hits, seven doubles, nine home runs, 38 RBI, seven walks, 32 strikeouts, and a .757 OPS.
In the 2023 LMB season, Fuenmayor played with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, and in 62 games and 241 plate appearances, he batted .268 with 61 hits, nine doubles, seven home runs, 28 RBI, 10 walks, 54 strikeouts and a .698 OPS. The Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos won the Zona Norte in the 2023 regular season with a 50-36 record, but lost in the division championship series to the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna in six games.
During the 2022-23 winter league season in LVBP with Caribes de Anzoátegui, Fuenmayor played in 50 games and smacked 50 hits, five doubles, 11 home runs, 32 RBI, drew 13 walks, 31 strikeouts, and had a .788 OPS.
In the 2022 season with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, Fuenmayor hit .320 over 244 plate appearances in 60 games with 72 hits, nine doubles, 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 10 walks, 46 strikeouts, and .872 OPS.
Fuenmayor played in five games with the Caribes de Anzoátegui at the 2022 Caribbean Series at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He batted .316 in 23 plate appearances smacking six hits, two doubles, three RBI, two walks, and struck out three times.
He played in 50 games during the 2021-22 LVBP season with the Caribes de Anzoátegui and batted .361 in 216 plate appearances recording 69 hits, 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 53 RBI, 15 walks, 25 strikeouts, and a 1.015 OPS.
The first game of the 2024 LMB regular season is scheduled for April 11 when the Diablos Rojos del México travel to Puebla, Mexico, to take on the Pericos de Puebla at Estadio Hermanos Serdán.
The Acereros de Monclova will play their first game of the 2024 season on April 12 against the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos on the road at Uni-Trade Stadium in Laredo, Texas.