Dayán Viciedo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dayán Viciedo |
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Viciedo with the Chunichi Dragons in 2022
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| Yokohama DeNA BayStars – No. 66 | |||
| Outfielder / First baseman | |||
| Born: March 10, 1989 Remedios, Villa Clara Province, Cuba |
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| Professional debut | |||
| MLB: June 20, 2010, for the Chicago White Sox | |||
| NPB: March 26, 2016, for the Chunichi Dragons | |||
| MLB statistics (through 2014 season) |
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| Batting average | .254 | ||
| Home runs | 66 | ||
| Runs batted in | 211 | ||
| NPB statistics (through 2024 season) |
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| Batting average | .287 | ||
| Home runs | 139 | ||
| Runs batted in | 549 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Dayán Viciedo Pérez (born March 10, 1989) is a professional baseball player from Cuba. He plays as an infielder for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). He also played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox. Before joining the BayStars, he played for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan.
Contents
Early Life and Baseball Start
Dayán Viciedo started playing in Cuba's top baseball league, the Cuban National Series, when he was just 15 years old. He played for the Villa Clara team. Many people compared him to a famous Cuban baseball player, Omar Linares, who was his hero.
In his first season, Viciedo had a batting average of .243. But in his second season, at age 16, he improved a lot. He hit .337 and scored 14 home runs. He was even considered for Cuba's national team for the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
In May 2008, Viciedo and his family left Cuba by boat to go to Mexico. From Mexico, they traveled to the United States. In November 2008, Major League Baseball officially made him a "free agent." This meant he could sign with any team he wanted.
Professional Baseball Career
Playing for the Chicago White Sox
Starting in the Minor Leagues
On December 12, 2008, Viciedo signed a four-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. The contract was worth $10 million. This included a $4 million bonus just for signing. Joining the White Sox meant he could play with another Cuban player, Alexei Ramírez.
Viciedo began his career in the minor leagues in 2009. He played for the Double-A Birmingham Barons. That season, he hit .280 with 12 home runs and 78 RBI.
In 2010, he played for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. He was hitting .290 with 14 home runs and 34 RBI. Because he was playing so well, the Chicago White Sox called him up to the major leagues on June 17, 2010. He finished that minor league season with a .274 batting average, 20 home runs, and 47 RBI.
In 2011, Viciedo moved to playing right field. He was hitting .296 with 20 home runs and 78 RBI for the Charlotte Knights. He was called up to the White Sox again in August 2011.
Time in Major League Baseball
Dayán Viciedo made his first Major League Baseball (MLB) appearance on June 17, 2010. In his first game against the Washington Nationals, he got his first hit. On July 5, he hit his first MLB home run. Two days later, he hit his first double. In 2010, he played in 38 games, hitting .308 with 5 home runs and 13 RBI.
In 2011, he played in 29 games, hitting .255 with 1 home run and 6 RBI. In 2012, Viciedo became a regular starter for the White Sox. He played in 147 games, which was a career high. He also hit a career-best 25 home runs and had 78 RBI, with a .255 batting average.
In 2013, Viciedo had a muscle injury in his side that kept him out for a short time. He played in 124 games, hitting .265 with 14 home runs and 56 RBI. In 2014, he played in 145 games, hitting .231 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI. He signed a one-year contract for $4.4 million with the White Sox in January 2015. However, he was later released by the team.
Short Stints with Other Teams
On March 1, 2015, Viciedo signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He could have earned $2.5 million if he made their main team. But he asked to be released from his contract on March 31, and the Blue Jays agreed.
Later, on June 12, 2015, Viciedo signed a minor league contract with the Oakland Athletics. He played for their Triple-A team, the Nashville Sounds. He was released on July 30 after hitting .221 in 113 times at bat.
On August 1, 2015, Viciedo returned to the Chicago White Sox organization. He signed another minor league contract. He played 36 games for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights. During this time, he hit .341 with seven home runs and 20 RBI.
Playing in Japan for the Chunichi Dragons
On December 1, 2015, Dayán Viciedo signed a one-year contract worth $1.4 million with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. He had an amazing start in Japan. He hit three home runs in his first three games, which was a record for a foreign player. He was chosen to play in the 2016 NPB All-Star Game.
In the 2018 NPB season, Viciedo had a fantastic year. He hit .348 with 26 home runs. He won the batting average title and was selected for the Best 9 team in the Central League. On December 12, 2018, he signed a new three-year deal with the Dragons worth about $9.9 million.
Viciedo continued to make history with the Dragons. On August 27, 2021, he reached 450 RBI in NPB. This made him the player with the most RBI for a non-Japanese player in the Chunichi Dragons' history. On September 26, he got his 765th hit for the Dragons. This meant he had more hits than any other non-Japanese player in the club's history. On December 1, he signed another three-year contract extension with the Dragons.
On September 24, 2023, Viciedo got his 1,000th hit in NPB. He was the 317th player in NPB history to reach this milestone. He was also the only foreign player in the Dragons' history to do so.
In 2024, Viciedo played in 15 games for Chunichi. He hit one home run and had two RBI. On October 6, 2024, it was announced that he would not be staying with the Dragons after the 2024 season, making him a free agent.
Recent Teams
On May 8, 2025, Viciedo signed with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos in the Mexican League. He played in 38 games for them, hitting eight home runs and having 31 RBI.
On July 7, 2025, Viciedo signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.
See also
- List of baseball players who defected from Cuba
