With the most legendary franchise in baseball, Jonathan Loáisiga is adding another chapter to Nicaragua’s tiny but strong baseball history.
On a balmy New York City night, Loáisiga donned the Yankee pinstripes to become the latest Nicaraguan to break into the major leagues. It is possible that his debut will raise the aspirations of Nicaragua’s amateur baseball players.
Nicaragua has produced 15 major leaguers, including “El Presidente” Dennis Martinez, who is the most successful pitcher in MLB history for Latin American countries.
However, when compared to other Latin American baseball hotbeds like the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Panama, Nicaragua has never been one of them.
Stanley Loáisiga’s eldest son, Loáisiga, played with Hall of Famer Vladimir Guerrero in the early 1990s before returning to the Dominican Republic.
In five innings of work, the younger Loáisiga shut down the Tampa Bay offense.
When he was 19, he nearly lost all hope of becoming a professional tennis player. In 2013, he went 8-1 with a 2.75 ERA for the San Francisco Giants, who were the first to notice that he could play both outfield and pitch after he showed up at a tryout and moved from the outfield to the mound and impressed.
In order to properly rehab, Loáisiga had to skip the entire year of 2014. After being released by the Giants in May of 2015, he was no longer playing baseball.
Loáisiga, unlike many other Latinos who get signed at the age of 16 and return home to nothing or move on to the American workforce, was not ready to give up.
In the beginning, he said, “My confidence in God (aided).” “I continued to work. Then there was my family, who gave me a lot of support.”
Edgar Rodriguez, the New York Yankees’ area scout, was one of the first people to see the former prospect’s return to the field after he was helped by a doctor back home and a local trainer.
He signed Loáisiga on Feb. 9, 2016, after a phone call from Rodriguez, a scout who had previously signed Loáisiga’s father to a contract with the Expos.
What Ethnicity Is Jonathan Loaisiga?
Jonathan Loaisiga is Nicaraguan.