How Chicago Cubs’ Daniel Palencia is honoring Luis Guevara after Baltimore Orioles prospect’s tragic death

HOUSTON The name shimmers in silver on Chicago Cubs reliever Daniel Palencias cap.

Palencia has been pitching with a heavy heart recently after a tragic accident involving Baltimore Orioles minor-leaguer Luis Guevara , his friend and fellow Venezuelan.

Guevara, 19, died after a jet ski crash June 15 in Florida.

To honor his memory, Palencia wrote Guevaras name and a ribbon image on his Cubs batting practice and game caps.

Its been hard.

You never expect that, especially when hes younger like that, Palencia told the Tribune.

But thats part of the life.

Im just trying to keep my my head up and just trying to do my best work for him.

All this year is going to be for him.

Palencia, 25, worked out in the offseason with Guevara, an infielder who was three years into his pro career, and had known him for years.

Guevaras hometown of Tinaco is roughly 10 minutes from San Carlos, where Palencia is from.

Every year, all the professional baseball players from that area of Venezuela play a game in Palencias town.

To be honest, I thought he was going to be the second Ronald Acuna Jr., Palencia said.

He had a lot of energy.

He liked to play.

He worked hard, so he was just excited.

He was a funny guy.

He was always making jokes about me and everything.

It was great.

Cubs reliever Daniel Palencia's cap, with a handwritten ribbon and the name of Luis Guevara, a 19-year-old minor-league infielder in the Orioles organization who died after a jet ski crash June 15, 2025, in Florida.

(Chicago Cubs) As Palencia deals with losing his friend, hes in the midst of his best season in Year 3 in the majors.

The Cubs trusted him to take over the closer role when Porter Hodge went on the injured list in mid-May, and he has thrived.

Since blowing his first save opportunity May 19 in Miami, Palencia has posted a 1.35 ERA while going 8-for-8 in save chances.

In that stretch of 13 appearances, he struck out 13 and walked only three.

One of his most impressive moments came Thursday in St.

Louis when he recovered from putting the first two batters on in the bottom of the ninth.

He struck out the next three to finish off the Cubs 3-0 win .

Within Palencias evolution over the last three years, his mental fortitude and learning how to take situations pitch to pitch has helped him find success beyond his ability to consistently throw 100 mph.

The interesting thing about the closers position is that hes been out there, what, 10 times maybe theres still things left to experience, manager Craig Counsell said Saturday.

I thought the game in St Louis was something new.

...

Youve got to really buckle down.

And theres a little emotion in the game with the hit by pitch and things like that, and those are just learning experiences and hes handling them really well..

This article has been shared from the original article on chicagotribune, here is the link to the original article.