Yariel Rodríguez

Yariel Humberto Rodríguez Yordy (born March 10, 1997) is a Cuban professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Chunichi Dragons. He has also played in the Cuban National Series for Ganaderos de Camagüey and for the Cuba national baseball team in international competitions.

Chunichi Dragons
Rodríguez had previously been linked with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) before signing with NPB's Chunichi Dragons on a development deal on January 26, 2020. Rodríguez recorded a 3–4 win–loss record and 4.12 earned run average (ERA) in 11 appearances in his first year with Chunichi.

In 2021, Rodríguez made 12 appearances with Chunichi's main team, posting a 1–4 record and 3.65 ERA with 61 strikeouts in $61 2/3$ innings pitched. In 2022, he pitched in 56 games for the club, logging a 6–2 record and a 1.15 ERA with 60 strikeouts in $54 2/3$ innings of work. He was named the Central League Most Valuable Setup Pitcher following the season.

On March 28, 2023, Rodríguez unilaterally left the Dragons to seek a contract with a Major League Baseball (MLB) team. The Dragons have declared that the contract with Rodríguez is still valid. On October 5, Rodríguez was officially released by Chunichi, and it was reported that he would look to sign an MLB contract.

Toronto Blue Jays
On February 9, 2024, Rodríguez signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He was optioned to the Triple–A Buffalo Bisons to begin the 2024 season. On April 13, Rodríguez was promoted to the major leagues for the first time.

Pitching style
As a reliever, Rodríguez throws a fastball topping out at 100. mph and a slider as his two primary pitches.

International career
Rodriguez was part of the Cuba national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12 tournament. He started the first game of the 2023 World Baseball Classic for Cuba, striking out six and giving up one run in four innings against the Netherlands.