Raidel Martínez Becomes First Foreign-Born Pitcher to Reach 250 NPB Saves

Raidel Martínez has become the first foreign-born pitcher in Nippon Professional Baseball history to reach 250 career saves, completing the milestone in record time for the Yomiuri Giants. The Cuban closer reached the mark on September 10 at Tokyo Dome, needing only five pitches to finish a 5-3 victory over his former club, the Chunichi Dragons.

The achievement made Martínez just the sixth pitcher in NPB history to record 250 saves. He reached the milestone in his 411th career appearance, breaking Kazuhiro Sasaki’s previous speed record of 435 games, while also becoming the youngest pitcher to reach 250 saves at 29 years and 10 months.

Five pitches to make NPB history

Yomiuri carried a two-run lead into the ninth after breaking a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning. Martínez then turned the final frame into a remarkably short piece of history.

He retired Takaya Ishikawa on a second-pitch grounder to second base, needed two pitches to get Asahi Hanada on a grounder to third, and finished Yuki Okabayashi with a first-pitch groundout to second. Five pitches, three outs and career save No. 250.

It was Martínez’s 38th save of the 2026 season. NPB’s official statistics now list him with 251 career saves through September 12, along with a 1.58 career ERA across 415⅓ innings.

Martínez reaches landmark against former team

The opponent added another layer to the moment. Martínez began his Japanese career with Chunichi, joining the organization as a developmental player in 2017 before reaching the top-team roster in 2018. He developed into one of Japan’s dominant late-inning pitchers and recorded 166 saves for the Dragons before moving to Yomiuri ahead of the 2025 season.

Martínez immediately remained among NPB’s elite closers in Tokyo, saving 46 games for the Giants in 2025. His 250th career save therefore came against the organization where his NPB career began.

“There is no script for what happens,” Martínez said after the milestone, according to NPB’s account of the game, adding that perhaps he was destined to reach the mark against Chunichi.

A record no foreign pitcher had reached

The 250-save threshold carries particular weight in Japanese baseball. It is one of the career benchmarks used for eligibility for the Meikyukai, commonly known as Japan’s Golden Players Club.

No foreign-born pitcher had previously reached 250 NPB saves. Martínez also surpassed Shingo Takatsu as the youngest pitcher to the mark and Sasaki as the fastest by appearances, giving the milestone three separate historical distinctions.

At 29, Martínez is not simply closing in on the end of a celebrated career. His pace leaves open the possibility of pushing the NPB saves record much higher as he continues anchoring the Giants bullpen.