Relief pitcher Adrian Almeida of Team Colombia pitches against Team Mexico during the fifth inning of the World Baseball Classic Pool C game at Chase Field on March 11, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Team Colombia defeated Team Mexico 5-4 in 10 innings. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Venezuelan-born left-handed pitcher Adrian Almeida will play for Leones de Yucatan in the 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol regular season.
Almeida, 28, was born in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and began his professional career when he signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on Jan. 24, 2012 as an international free agent.
Almeida made it up to Class-A Brooklyn in the New-York Penn League with the Mets during the 2016 season and was claimed off waivers to the Los Angeles Angels on Dec. 8, 2016 after his four seasons at the lower affiliate and rookie level in New York.
Almeida rose as high as Double-A Rocket City with the Angels in 2021 before he was released on March 30, 2022.
In his nine seasons in the minors, Almeida was 15-21 with a 4.14 ERA, throwing 322 innings over 185 appearances and 31 starts while recording six saves. Almeida has allowed 263 hits, 148 earned runs, 10 home runs, 262 walks, 362 strikeouts, and a 1.630 WHIP.
Almeida played for three organizations during the 2022 season, starting with the York Revolution of the Atlantic League before he signed with Saraperos de Saltillo of LMB. He was traded on July 15, 2022 to Piratas de Campeche for the remainder of the 2022 LMB regular season.
This past season, Almeida played for Guerreros de Oaxaca, throwing in 13 games out of the bullpen along with two starts and posting a 4.95 ERA. Almeida threw 20 innings, allowing 23 hits, 11 earned runs, no home runs, 13 walks, and eight strikeouts with a 1.800 WHIP.
In his two seasons in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol and in the Atlantic League from 2022-23, Almeida has thrown 45.1 innings with one save, a 5.76 ERA and posted a 0-5 record in 24 games and seven starts. Almeida has allowed 52 hits, 29 earned runs, one home run, 34 walks, 30 strikeouts, and a 1.897 WHIP.
In March, Almeida played for Colombia in the 2023 World Baseball Classic in Pool C in Phoenix. Almeida went 0-1 with a 2.45 ERA with two appearances and one start, while throwing 3.2 innings and allowing three hits, one earned run, one walk, and five strikeouts including a 1.09 WHIP.
According to the team’s website, ”Almeida’s fastball ranges from 90-95 mph with his breaking pitches that range from 81-86 mph.”
The 2024 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol regular season will open up its first game with the Diablos Rojos del México against the Pericos de Puebla at Estadio de Béisbol Hermanos Serdán on April 11.
The Leones de Yucatan will play their first game on April 12 on the road against the Bravos de Leon at Estadio Domingo Santana in Guanajuato.