Freddy Fermín, catcher who made his Major League debut last year with the Kansas City Royals, was chosen as the Most Valuable Player of baseball in Venezuela, the organizers of the award announced this Friday.
Fermín, 27, closed the regular round of the 2022-2023 season of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) as leader, with an average of .404 (67 hits in 166 shifts) in 45 games played with the Leones del Caracas, with 13 doubles, one triple and four home runs. He drove in 28 runs and scored 38.
It was key for the Lions to advance to the playoffs with the best record: 36-19.
Fermín had been announced last Monday as the winner of the Rookie of the Year award.
The Caracas catcher thus became the third player to win the LVBP Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season, after Ernesto Mejía did it with the Águilas del Zulia (2009-2010) and Odúbel Herrera with the Tiburones de la Guaira (2014-2015).
Mario Sánchez was the Pitcher of the Year, after posting a 2.38 ERA in the regular round with the Águilas, with a 2-3 record in 11 starts, 34 strikeouts and seven walks. The right is present in the playoffs as a reinforcement of the Cardenales de Lara.
Wilfredo Romero, for his part, was recognized as Manager of the Year after taking the reins of the Tigres de Aragua and directing them towards the postseason. Last season he was champion at the helm of the Navegantes del Magallanes, a team currently led by Puerto Rican Yadier Molina.