Folk rock band America's hit song "Ventura Highway" has a whole new meaning.
At 5-11, Yordano Ventura's diminutive stature has drawn comparisons to Pedro Martinez. But, it's his 100 mph fastball that has fans dreaming of the second coming of "Petey".
Both hail from the tiny island nation of the Dominican Republic. Ventura's hometown of Samana is but 2.5 hours north of the more heralded hometown of Martinez, Santo Domingo.
When you delve into their Triple-A numbers you will see startling similarities. Each held an ERA in the mid 3s and struck out a batter per inning. Martinez achieved his in 167 innings while Ventura breezed through in 77 innings.
In his first taste of the bigs, Ventura wetted the appetites of royals fans by spinning 5.2 innings of one-run ball versus the Indians after his late season call up at the end of the 2013 season.
"Alligator lizards in the air" may not have been the clouds Ventura's head was in as a child, but one thing you can be sure of. Ventura's highway to America has been paved with high expectations.
Hopefully, for him and his fantasy owners, the distance between Yordano and Pedro is shorter than that of their birth places.
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