Yordano Ventura killed in car accident in Dominican Republic
Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura died in a car accident early Sunday morning in the Dominican Republic, the Royals confirmed.
He was 25 years old.
Details surrounding the crash that killed Ventura were not immediately disclosed.
Despite the proximity between the two incidents, Ventura was not involved in the same accident that also killed former top prospect Andy Marte in the country Sunday, according to authorities in the Dominican.
Ventura was projected to be a top-of-the-rotation arm for Kansas City in the coming seasons. Signed by the Royals as an international free agent in 2008, the pitcher impressed immediately in his first full big-league season in 2014, posting a 3.20 ERA in 30 starts and earning strong consideration for Rookie of the Year.
He capped off his impressive rookie campaign with a trip to the World Series. Memorably, Ventura paid tribute in Game 6 to Oscar Taveras, the Dominican St. Louis Cardinals outfielder who was killed in a car accident two days prior, by inscribing Taveras' initials and number on his cap for the start:
(Courtesy: MLB.com)
Over four seasons in MLB, Ventura owned a 3.89 ERA in 93 games, all of them with Kansas City.