The 2026-2027 season will be dedicated in memory of Héctor José Rizek Llabaly; the Leones del Escogido will defend the two crowns won in previous seasons
SANTO DOMINGO.- The 2026-2027 season of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) will begin this Friday with three games in San Francisco de Macorís, Santo Domingo and La Romana, scheduled for 7:00, 7:15 and 7:30 at night, respectively.
The opening day will mark the start of the fight for the Banreservas Cup, in which the six teams will seek to advance towards the crown of Dominican winter baseball.
The Escogido Lions enter the championship as defending champions, having won the previous two titles. Their five rivals will attempt to halt the Scarlet's dominance and claim the championship.
The main figures of the six teams
Leones del Escogido
The defending champions feature players such as Junior Lake, Socrates Brito, Erik Gonzalez, Franchy Cordero, Jose Marmolejos, and Jimmy Paredes.
Likewise, their pitching staff includes Héctor Neris, Alexander Colomé, Radhamés Liz and Víctor Santos, who could play an important role in defending the title.
Licey Tigers
The blue team is relying on the experience of Emilio Bonifacio, Mel Rojas Jr., Cristhian Adames, Sergio Alcántara, Kevin Alcántara and Ramón Hernández.
The pitching staff includes Adonis Medina, Albert Abreu, and Jean Carlos Mejía. The organization will look to combine the experience of its players with the strength of its pitchers to compete for the championship.
Cibao Eagles
The Aguiluchos have among their main names Luis Liberato, Christopher Morel, Adalberto Mondesí, JC Escarra and Webster Rivas.
As for pitching, they have Joan Adón, Gerson Garabito, Justin Martínez and Génesis Cabrera, who are among the options to strengthen the pitching staff.
Gigantes del Cibao
The team from San Francisco de Macorís includes Marcell Ozuna, Leury García, Arístides Aquino, Carlos Peguero, Carlos Franco, and Kelvin Gutiérrez.
Likewise, their pitching staff includes Wily Peralta, Jimmy Cordero, Antonio Santos, and Richard Rodríguez, who will seek to contribute to the team's performance during the season.
Bulls of the East
The Romanense franchise includes Jeimer Candelario, Pedro Severino, Jesús Sánchez, Zoilo Almonte and Dawell Lugo.
Among their pitching options are Yaramil Hiraldo, Miguel Castro, Félix Peña, Yency Almonte, and Phillips Valdez. The team will try to capitalize on the talent on its roster to stay in contention for a playoff spot.
Eastern Stars
The San Pedro de Macorís team features names like Trevor Bauer, Raimel Tapia and Ismael Munguía, in addition to pitcher Óscar de la Cruz, who will have the responsibility of starting the team's first game.
The Stars will seek to consolidate their performance from the beginning of the tournament and add the necessary victories to advance to the next stages of the competition.
The names mentioned correspond to key players from the rosters announced before the start of the championship and do not necessarily represent the final starting lineups for each match. The nine starters for each team may change depending on the decisions of their respective managers.
Today's games and their starting pitchers
Águilas Cibaeñas vs. Gigantes del Cibao
- Time: 7:00 pm
- Stadium: Julián Javier, San Francisco de Macorís.
- Eagles: Joan Adón.
- Giants: Wily Peralta.
The game will pit two teams from the Cibao region against each other. The Águilas will be looking to start the season with a win on the road, while the Gigantes will try to take advantage of playing at home, according to the day's schedule.
Tigres del Licey vs. Leones del Escogido
- Time: 7:15 pm
- Stadium: Quisqueya Juan Marichal, Santo Domingo.
- Licey: Adonis Medina.
- Chosen: Jeremy Rhoades.
The capital city derby will be one of the main attractions of opening day. The Tigres del Licey will try to prevail against their eternal rivals, while the Leones will look to get off to a good start on their path to a third consecutive championship.
Both teams are at the center of one of the most traditional rivalries in Dominican baseball, making the matchup one of the most exciting games for fans of winter ball.
Estrellas Orientales vs. Toros del Este
- Time: 7:30 pm
- Stadium: Francisco A. Micheli, La Romana.
- Stars: Oscar de la Cruz.
- Bulls: Aaron Brooks.
The game will pit two teams from the East against each other, both looking to start the season with a win. The Estrellas will rely on Óscar de la Cruz's pitching, while the Toros will start Aaron Brooks to try and secure a victory at home.
The rosters of the six franchises bring together Dominican players with experience in the Major Leagues, young prospects and foreign reinforcements, who will have the responsibility of contributing to the aspirations of their respective teams.
A tribute to Héctor José Rizek Llabaly
The 2026-2027 season will be dedicated in memoriam to Héctor José Rizek Llabaly, businessman, founder of the Rizek Group and collaborator of Dominican sport.
With this dedication, LIDOM and Banco de Reservas recognize his contributions to the country's business and sporting development.
The tribute will be part of a campaign in which the six teams will compete for the Banreservas Cup, with the goal of winning the title and representing the Dominican Republic in the 2027 Caribbean Series.
Calendar and standings
The regular season is scheduled to conclude on December 22. During that period, the six teams will seek to accumulate the necessary victories to advance to the next phase and keep their championship aspirations alive.
Subsequently, the qualified franchises will continue the fight for the title, in a competition that each year brings together thousands of fans in the country's main stadiums.
With three games on the opening schedule, LIDOM will kick off a new season of rivalry, tradition and excitement, in which the teams will try to write another chapter in the history of Dominican winter baseball.
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