A pitcher from Nicaragua on Monday showcased what the World Baseball Classic is all about.
Nicaragua lost to the Dominican Republic 6-1 in their Group D game on Monday at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Fla. The loss dropped Nicaragua to 0-3 and eliminated them from advancing in the event, but the game wasn’t a total loss for the club.
Duque Hebbert pitched in the 9th inning with his team already down 6-1. The 21-year-old struck out Juan Soto, struck out Julio Rodriguez, allowed a double to Manny Machado, and struck out Rafael Devers. He faced four of the best hitters in the world and struck out three of them.
The impressive outing by Hebbert landed him a contract with the Detroit Tigers.
Here is a look at the 21-year-old pitcher, whose changeup had Soto and Devers chasing.
Nicaraguan pitcher Duque Hebbert struck out Juan Soto, Julio Rodriguez and Rafael Devers in the 9th inning today.
A Tigers scout was there and now Hebbert is signed with the Tigers.
Amazing. 👏 @WBCBaseball https://t.co/lhwWjl7LSh
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 13, 2023
Hebbert’s numbers in the Nicaraguan league weren’t great, but he showed on Monday that he has some plus off-speed pitches that can get out the best hitters in the world.
