Yadir Drake

{{Infobox MLB player

| image =

| name = Yadir Drake

| position = Outfielder

| team = Leones de Yucatán

| number = 33

| bats = Right

| throws = Right

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|4|12}}

| birth_place = Matanzas, Cuba

| debutleague=NPB

| debutdate=July 3

| debutyear=2017

| debutteam=Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

| statyear = 2017 season

|statleague = NPB

| stat1label = Batting average

| stat1value = .232

| stat3label = Home runs

| stat3value = 1

| stat4label = Runs batted in

| stat4value = 3

| teams =

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters ({{by|2017}})

|highlights=

}}

Yadir Drake Dominguez (born April 12, 1990) is a Cuban professional baseball outfielder for the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. He has previously played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Career

= Amateur career =

Drake played for the Matanzas team in the Cuban National Series.

He defected to Mexico in 2011. He then played with a couple of semi-professional minor league teams in Mexico before participating in a workout for Major League Baseball scouts in August 2014.

= Los Angeles Dodgers =

On August 25, 2014, Drake was signed as an international free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/loons/index.ssf/2015/04/los_angeles_dodgers_prospect_y.html|title=Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Yadir Drake remains Cuba's international man of mystery|first=Hugh|last=Bernreuter|work=mlive.com|date=April 11, 2015|access-date=April 20, 2015}} He hit .310 in seven games for the Single–A Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League at the start of the 2015 season,{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=drake-000yad|title=Yadir Drake minor league baseball statistics & history|work=Baseball Reference}} and was promptly promoted to the High–A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlive.com/loons/index.ssf/2015/04/los_angeles_dodgers_prospects_4.html|title=Los Angeles Dodgers prospects Yadir Drake, Jeff Brigham promoted to Rancho Cucamonga|work=mlive.com|first=Hugh|last=Bernreuter|date=April 20, 2015|access-date=September 19, 2015}} After another seven games for the Quakes (where hit .407) Drake was again quickly promoted, this time to the Double–A Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League.{{cite web|url=http://www.truebluela.com/2015/5/2/8533407/yadir-drake-double-a-tulsa-dodgers|title=Yasier Drake homers in Double-A Tulsa debut|work=SB Nation|first=Brandon|last=Lennox|date=May 2, 2015|access-date=September 19, 2015}} In 106 games for Tulsa, he hit .269. After the season, he was selected to the roster for the Mexico national baseball team at the 2015 WBSC Premier12.{{cite web |url=http://www.wbsc.org/tournaments/2015-premier12/rosters/team/327/ |title=MEX Roster |work=World Baseball Softball Confederation: WBSC |access-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-date=January 14, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114130704/http://www.wbsc.org/tournaments/2015-premier12/rosters/team/327/ |url-status=dead }}

Drake returned to Tulsa to start the 2016 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/drillers/drillers-roster-set-for-season-opener/article_a341df89-92ef-511f-bbf1-24fa588b93db.html|title=Drillers' roster set for season opener|work=Tulsaworld.com|first=Barry|last=Lewis|date=April 4, 2016|access-date=April 4, 2016}} He hit only .109 in 19 games and was released on May 27, 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.truebluela.com/2016/5/28/11766310/johan-mieses-quakes-dodgers-minor-league-report|title=Three extra-base hits by Johan Mieses pace Quakes 6-2 win|first=Craig|last=Minami|date=May 28, 2016|access-date=May 28, 2016|work=SB Nation}}

= Generales de Durango=

Drake signed with the Generales de Durango of the Mexican League for the 2017 season and hit .385 in 71 games for them with 14 homers and 61 RBI. His .385 average led the league in 2017.

= Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters =

On June 29, 2017, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball announced that they had signed Drake for the remainder of the season.{{cite web|url=http://yakyudb.com/2017/06/29/6292017-nippon-ham-fighters-reach-agreement-yadir-drake/|title=] Nippon Ham Fighters reach agreement with Yadir Drake|work=yakyudb.com|date=June 29, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=March 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

=Generales de Durango (second stint)=

Drake re-signed with the Generales de Durango for the 2018 season. {{cite web|title=Generales, listo para el 2018|url=https://www.elsiglodedurango.com.mx/noticia/931819.generales-listo-para-el-21018.html|work=El Siglo de Durango|date=7 January 2018 |language=es|access-date=February 16, 2018}}

= Sultanes de Monterrey =

On April 28, 2018, Drake was traded to the Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican League.

= Leones de Yucatán =

On December 10, 2019, Drake was traded to the Leones de Yucatán of the Mexican League. Drake did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the Mexican League season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/07/mexican-league-cancels-2020-season.html|title=Mexican League Cancels 2020 Season|date=July 2020 }} He played in 54 games for the Leones in 2021, hitting .362/.412/.604 with 12 home runs and 40 RBI.

In 2022, Drake played in 84 games for Yucatán, slashing .328/.379/.530 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI. Drake won the Mexican League Championship with the Leones in 2022.{{Cite web|title=LMB King's Series — Championship Series 2022 — Round-up|url=https://gambyl.com/en/baseball/lmb/lmb-kings-series-championship-series-2022-round-up/|access-date=2023-05-10|website=gambyl.com|date=20 September 2022 |language=en}}

Personal

Drake became a naturalized Mexico citizen.{{cite web|url=https://www.baseballchannel.jp/npb/34328/ |title=日本ハム、プレミア12メキシコ代表の新助っ人を獲得！「北海道の人々の温かさをたくさん聞いた」|work=ベースボールチャンネル |language=ja |date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=January 14, 2018}}