Yurisbel Gracial

Yurisbel Gracial Garcia (born 14 October 1985) is a Cuban baseball third baseman for the Cocodrilos de Matanzas of the Cuban National Series. He previously played for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gracial and the second or maternal family name is Garcia.
Yurisbel Gracial
Gracial Garcia with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
Cocodrilos de Matanzas – No. 47
Third baseman
Born: (1985-10-14) 14 October 1985
Guantánamo, Cuba
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
NPB debut
April 19, 2018, for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks
NPB statistics
(through 2022 season)
Batting average.293
Home runs59
Runs batted in178
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing  Cuba
Central American and Caribbean Games
Silver medal – second place2023 San SalvadorTeam

Career

Québec Capitales

Gracial served in the Cuban military before playing for Matanzas in the Cuban National Series.[1] In 2016, Gracial played for the Québec Capitales of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, slashing .320/.376/.476 with 9 home runs and 58 RBI.[2] He signed back with the club in 2017, and batted .333/.399/.524 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI. Gracial was released by Québec prior to the 2018 season.

Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks

In 2018, Gracial signed with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball's Pacific League.[3] In 2018 season, he finished the regular season in 54 games with a batting average of .292, a 9 home runs, and a RBI of 30. And he participated in the 2018 Japan Series.

Gracial re-signed with the Hawks for the 2019 season.[4] He batted 6-for-16 (.375) with three home runs and six RBIs in the 2019 Japan Series and won the Japan Series Most Valuable Player Award.[5] Gracial finished the regular season in 103 games with a batting average of .319, a 28 home runs, and a RBI of 68.

On January 22, 2020, Gracial signed a new two-year contract with Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.[6] However, due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, he was unable to leave Cuba and was able to come to Japan on July 19.[7] In 2020 season, Gracial finished the regular season in 69 games with a batting average of .277, 10 home runs and a RBI of 35. In the 2020 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, Gracial contributed to the team's fourth consecutive Japan Series champion with two hits in Game 1, a home run in Game 2, and an RBI hit in Game 3.[8][9]

In 2021 season, Gracial had been hitting well with a .305 batting average, five home runs, and 15 runs batted in, but on May 8, while reaching base as a runner against the Saitama Seibu Lions, he made contact with second baseman Nien-Ting Wu, breaking the ring finger on his right hand and making a long rehabilitation period inevitable.[10] He ended up finishing the season as he did, playing only 37 games.

In 2022 season, Gracial had been in the starting lineup for all of the opening games but was benched on June 25 due to a sore left wrist.[11] Also on the 27th he tested positive for COVID-19 and was removed from the first team registration according to regulations.[12] On July 20, he was re-registered and played a pinch-hitter against the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles.[13] On July 27, he himself played in his second time All-Star game, the My navi All-Star Game 2022.[14] He finished the regular season with a disappointing .271 batting average, seven home runs, and 30 runs batted in in 99 games, due in part to his removed from the first team registration from COVID-19. He became a free agent after the 2022 season.

International career

In 2017, Gracial was elected to the Cuba national baseball team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[15]

In 2019, Gracial was elected to the Cuba national baseball team at the 2019 WBSC Premier12.[16]

References
  1. por Jorge Ebro jebro@elnuevoherald.com. "Cubano Yurisbel Gracial: de las fuerzas armadas a la pelota profesional". El Nuevo Herald. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  2. Le trio cubain des Capitales enfin dévoilé | Carl Tardif | Capitales
  3. "Halcones de Softbank pagarán 511 mil dólares por un año a Yurisbel Gracial" (in Spanish). Martinoticias.com. February 13, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2018.
  4. "Yurisbel Gracial y Ariel Martínez regresan a la liga profesional japonesa tras renovar contratos" (in Spanish). cubadebate.cu. January 18, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2019.
  5. Coskrey, Jason (October 23, 2019). "Hawks sweep Giants to win third straight Japan Series". The Japan Times. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
  6. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) ソフトバンクがデスパイネとグラシアルと契約更新". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). January 23, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  7. "full-count.jp Baseball news (Japanese) 鷹、デスパイネとグラシアルの来日を発表 出入国時のPCR検査は共に陰性". full-count.jp (in Japanese). July 20, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  8. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) 「日本シリーズ男」ソフトバンク・グラシアルが1号". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 22, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  9. "Nikkan Sports baseball news (Japanese) グラシアルが引導渡す適時打「とても大きい追加点」". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). November 24, 2020. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  10. "Nikkansports Sports baseball news ソフトバンク・グラシアル右手剥離骨折と靱帯損傷 西武呉念庭と接触". Nikkan Sports (in Japanese). May 8, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  11. "Nishinippon Sports baseball news グラシアル、今季初のスタメン外へ 左手首違和感の影響". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 25, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  12. "Nishinippon Sports baseball news 柳田が外れる コロナ陽性でグラシアルは抹消 4番はデスパイネ ロッテ戦スタメン発表". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). June 27, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  13. "Nishinippon Sports baseball news グラシアル、登録即出場 デスパイネの代打". Nishinippon Shimbun (in Japanese). July 21, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  14. "Nippon Professional Baseball マイナビオールスターゲーム2022 出場者". NPB.jp (in Japanese). July 27, 2022. Retrieved November 15, 2022.
  15. "Puerto Rico wins clash with Dominicans at World Baseball Classic". USA Today. March 15, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  16. "full-count.jp baseball news (Japanese) 【プレミア12】キューバ初戦スタメン発表 グラシアル、デスパイネ、セペダのクリーンアップ". full-count.jp (in Japanese). November 6, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
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