5 W’s — From What to Why: The first No-Hitter of the LMP season
Daily article discussing one of the most important events from the previous day of baseball. The 5 W’s will be discussed, concluding with the why — as in why is it important.
What?
Cañeros de Los Mochis starting pitcher Manny Barreda threw the first no-hitter of the 2016 Liga Mexicana del Pacífico (Mexican winter league) season, a 138-pitch gem against los Naranjeros de Hermosillo.
Who?
Manny Barreda is a 28-year old former New York Yankees farmhand. He was chosen in the 12th round of the 2007 draft out of Sahuarita High School in Arizona, 14 picks after Drew Pomeranz (Texas Rangers — unsigned) and 69 picks ahead of Josh Collmenter (Arizona Diamondbacks). He spent the majority of his time in the bullpen, and in 2011, he pitched in what would be a career high 74 innings in the Sally League. Two years later he made it to Double-A Trenton as a 24-year-old, but wouldn’t go any higher than that, leaving the organization the following year.
In his final season of affiliated minor league ball, he put up a 2.96 ERA in 73 innings, and his impressive 9.6 K/9 was weighed down by a 4.9 BB/9. The value of a 25-year-old reliever with a 1.45 WHIP at Double-A was low enough he was cut by New York, and after playing a few games with the Milwaukee Brewers Double-A team, he became a full time pitcher in Mexico.
He has pitched in the Mexican summer league for the Tijuana Toros for the past two seasons, but has been in the winter league (Liga Mexicana del Pacífico) for the past four seasons. After spending the first three years with the Culíacan Tomateros, this is his first season with Los Mochis. Baseball-Reference tells us that before this season, he had not started a game since August of 2011, and even then, only went four innings.
When?
November 26th, 2016. This was the sixth game of the second half, following a 35-game first half.
Where?
Estadio Emilio Ibarra Almada in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Sinaloa is one of the smaller of Mexico’s 31 states, bordering Chihuahua and Sonora (which border the United States) and is on the coast of the Gulf of California.
Why?
Aside from being impressive because it’s a no-hitter (or “sin hit ni carrera” as is the term in Spanish, literally translated as “without hit nor run”), it was interesting to see a 138-pitch outing from a 28-year old pitcher who hadn’t been used as a starter until this season. On top of that, Hermosillo put up the second-best record in the first half (20–15, .571 winning percentage), so they aren’t exactly the Minnesota Twins of the Mexican winter league. Included on their roster are St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A farmhands Dean Anna and David Washington.
Barreda continues his excellent 2016 winter campaign, lowering his ERA to 2.63, his WHIP to 1.06, and his batting average against to .191. After his nine strikeout, one walk performance for the Cañeros, he now has notched 41 punch outs, coupled with 18 free passes in eight starts (48 innings).
Having former Yankees farmhand (and current Colorado Rockies minor leaguer) Luis Alberto Niebla at the top of their rotation gives the Cañeros a potent one-two punch. While the second half is still young, Los Mochis finished a game behind Hermosillo in the first half, and dominant starters will be a big reason for their success if they are able to advance to the Caribbean Series.
