ARIZONA– Opening Day is less than a week away and for us at Latino Sports, we can’t wait for the baseball season to get started. But, before regular season games begin across the nation, we must recognize and shine light on the 33rd Annual Latino MVP Awards.
Since the start of Spring Training and the World Baseball Classic, Latino Sports along with Major League Baseball have been ‘on the go,’ informing several players on their achievement of appearing on the 2022 Latino MVP Official Award Ballot.
Voted on by the Latino Sports Writers and Broadcasters Association (LSWBA) – Camilo Doval, of the San Francisco Giants, was nominated as a finalist for the 2022 National League Latino MVP Relief/Closer Award while Cincinnati Reds Alexis Díaz was selected as finalist for the 2022 NL Latino MVP Rookie Award and Relief/Closer Award.
Camilo Doval – Image Credit: SF Giants/MLB
Last season, Doval, 25, of Yamasa, Dominican Republic, recorded a 2.53 ERA with 80 strikeouts over 67.2 innings and completed 27 saves.
The 26-year-old Díaz, born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, totaled 83 strikeouts with an ERA of 1.84 across 63.2 innings in 2022. His brother, Edwin Díaz was also selected as a finalist for the 2022 NL Latino MVP Relief/Closer Award.
Alexis Díaz – Image Credit: Cincinnati Reds/ MLB
Provided below are our exclusive interviews with both Camilo Doval and Alexis Díaz learning about their names appearing on the 33rd Annual Latino MVP Award Ballot.
LS: Several Latino legends such as Mariano Rivera, Pedro Martínez, Albert Pujols have won the Latino MVP award in previous years and have considered the award along the lines of a Latin Grammy. What does it mean to you to be selected as a finalist for the 33rd Annual Latino MVP Awards?
Doval: “I’m excited. I feel like I earned it with the work I put in.”
Díaz: “I was super excited when I heard I was nominated for this award. It just shows all the work that I did last year, all the work I put in, really paid off. Just to be nominated for that is really exciting.”
LS: What’s your thoughts on there being an award exclusively for Latino players? Do you think that an award like the Latino MVP is necessary?
Doval: “Of course.”
Díaz: “It just shows for a Latin player, it motivates to keep going, keep moving forward to really put all of their effort into getting an award and recognition that is there just for us.”
We’d like to send a special thank you to MLB, the San Francisco Giants, the Cincinnati Reds and Reds beat reporter Mark Sheldon for accommodating and assisting throughout the interview.
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