WBN’s International Player of the Week is Navegantes del Magallanes right-handed pitcher Junior Guerra in Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional (LVBP).
Guerra, 39, has gotten off to an outstanding start with an ERA of 0.53 through his three starts and has helped lead Navagantes de Magallanes to the top of the LVBP standings at 7-3. The right-hander is 3-0 with 14 strikeouts in 17.1 innings this season. He gave up his first season run against Leones del Caracas in 5.1 innings of work on October 23 in a 7-1 win at Estadio Monumental de Caracas Simon Bolivar.
The Venezuelan Guerra pitched six-inning shutouts against Aguilas de Zuila and Tiburones de La Guaira in his first two starts of the season.
The veteran pitched seven MLB seasons and had a long road to the show. He made his debut at age 30 with the Chicago White Sox in 2015. In 2001, he signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent out of Venezuela.
Guerra spent most of his MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers from 2016 to 2019. Guerra made two postseason appearances for the Brewers in the 2018 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and they lost in seven games. He threw 4.2 innings with five strikeouts and an ERA of 1.93. Guerra was selected to play for the MLB All-Stars in the 2018 Japan Series. The MLB All-Stars went 1-5 in the series against Team Japan.
His last MLB appearance was with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2021. His MLB numbers are 440.1 innings, 401 strikeouts, and an ERA of 4.06.
Guerra has pitched 14 seasons in the LVBP, with his first 13 coming with Tiburones de La Guaira. This is his first season pitching for Navegantes del Magallanes. He has also thrown three seasons in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol with Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos and Leones de Yucatan.
His career numbers in the LMB and LVBP are 698.2 innings and 650 strikeouts, with an ERA of 4.10.
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WBN Venezuela: https://worldbaseball.com/league/venezuela/
Photo Credit: Junior Guerra #41 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the San Francisco Giants. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)
