Yakult Swallows outfielder Domingo Santana and Chunichi Dragons closer Raidel Martinez have been named the Central League player and pitcher of the month, respectively, for March-April, the league said Friday.
Both players earned their first monthly MVP awards. Santana hit a Japanese baseball-leading .348 and drove in 16 runs between March 29 and April 30.
Martinez had a 0.00 ERA in 12 relief appearances while leading the CL with eight saves.
SoftBank Hawks outfielder Yuki Yanagita won his ninth career Pacific League player of the month award and first since September 2021 after leading the league with a .323 batting average and a .462 on-base percentage.
First-time PL pitcher of the month Hiromi Ito won three games for the Nippon Ham Fighters to tie for second in the PL, posting quality starts in all five of his outings for a 1.41 ERA, the league said.
