Cuban Star Raidel Martinez Reaches 250 NPB Saves With Historic Performance
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Tokyo: Cuban baseball star Raidel Martinez has reached a major milestone in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), becoming the first foreign pitcher to record 250 career saves in Japan’s top professional league.
The Yomiuri Giants closer achieved the landmark during his team’s 5-3 victory over the Chunichi Dragons, the same club that brought him to Japan in 2017.
Martinez Reaches Milestone in Record Time
Martinez secured the historic achievement by pitching a scoreless ninth inning and recording his 38th save of the 2026 season.
He reached 250 career saves in just 411 games, breaking the previous NPB record of 435 games set by former Yokohama BayStars closer Kazuhiro Sasaki.
The 29-year-old, who turns 30 on October 11, has established himself as one of the most reliable relief pitchers in Japanese baseball.
“I’m full of gratitude to my fans and teammates,” Martinez said after the game.
He later credited God, his family and supporters for helping him reach the milestone.
Sixth Pitcher to Reach 250 Saves
Martinez is the sixth pitcher in NPB history to reach 250 saves and the second player to accomplish the feat in 2026 after Naoya Matsuda of the Lotte Marines, who reached the milestone on August 4.
The other pitchers with at least 250 career saves are:
- Hitoki Iwase — 407 saves
- Shingo Takatsu — 286 saves
- Yoshihisa Hirano — 250 saves
Hirano became the oldest player to reach 250 saves when he achieved the mark at the age of 41 on April 3, 2025.
Martinez Among NPB’s Leading Closers
Martinez has repeatedly finished among the league’s top save leaders.
He recorded 39 saves in 2022, followed by 32 in 2023, 43 in 2024 and 46 in 2025. His 2026 campaign has already produced 38 saves.
The only other foreign pitcher to surpass 200 career saves in NPB is former American closer Dennis Sarfate, who finished his Japanese career with 234 saves. Sarfate also holds the NPB single-season record of 54 saves.
Journey From Cuba to Japanese Baseball
Martinez began his professional career in Cuba’s Serie Nacional, representing Ciego de Avila and Pinar del Río.
He appeared in 44 games in Cuba, including 14 starts, before joining the Chunichi Dragons in February 2017. After initially pitching for the club’s farm team, he made his NPB debut in 2018.
Martinez became Chunichi’s regular closer in 2020 and registered 21 saves that season. He followed that with 23 saves in 2021 before producing 39 saves in 2022.
After several successful seasons, Martinez joined the Yomiuri Giants on a reported four-year, $32.5 million contract, described as a record deal for a Latin American player in NPB.
Martinez Continues International Career With Cuba
Alongside his success in Japan, Martinez has represented Cuba on the international stage.
He has played for the Cuban national team at the 2019 and 2024 WBSC Premier12 tournaments and the 2017, 2023 and 2026 World Baseball Classic.
He also helped Cuba win a silver medal at the 2019 Central American and Caribbean Games.
With his latest NPB achievement, Martinez has further strengthened his reputation as one of the most successful foreign relief pitchers in Japanese professional baseball.
