Rafael Betancourt is one of the best Colorado Rockies relievers ever because of one word. Control.
His strikeout-to-walk ratio put him among the best of all time with 4.41. Even more impressive, he hit only one batter in his entire career facing 2,787 batters. Betancourt’s control was Gregg Madduxesque.
It 1999, it didn’t look like Betancourt was going to make the majors. He got drafted by the Red Sox but they released him that same year. That prompted a very drastic move. A move to Japan that revitalized his career.
Betancourt spent a year in the Nippon Professional League playing for the Yokohama BayStars.