It’s been 39 years since the Aguilas de Mexicali won the Caribbean Series and eight years since they last appeared in the championship game of winter baseball’s crown jewel.
They’d certainly love to get back to the Caribbean Series this year, as the travel would be easy: the Aguilas will host the event at Estadio El Nido de Los Aguilas this coming season.
But the Aguilas, managed by Mexican baseball legend Roberto Vizcarra, will need to show improvement over last year for that to occur.
Last year’s club produced 3.81 runs per game in the regular season, seventh in the league, while posting a team ERA of 3.52. This should have translated, at least in theory, to a better record than 34-34.
The club edged the Algodoneros de Guasave in the first round of the playoffs before running into the Naranjeros de Hermosillo, who swept the semifinal series from the Aguilas on their way to the LAMP championship.
If the Aguilas can get Zac Grotz, who led the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in ERA with a 2.35 mark over 76 2/3 innings, that will certainly strengthen their starting corps. Grotz was the first-round pick of the Aguilas in the annual Foreign Player Draft, selected from the Sultanes de Monterrey of the LMB. Long Island native Tom Hackimer, who reached Triple-A in both the New York Mets and Minnesota Twins organizations, could shore up the Mexicali bullpen. Hackimer spent the past season with the LMB’s Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos and could be a shut-down reliever in the LAMP.
I’d love to tell you more about who’s on the Aguilas roster and who’s reported to camp. Still, as of this writing, the team’s website is inaccessible, displaying an “account suspended” message from the web hosting company.
Such is minor league sports.
Manager – Roberto Vizcarra (Second season, 34-34 career)
2023-24 Record – 34-34, Seventh in LAMP
2003-24 Playoff Results – Lost LAMP Semifinals 4-0 to Naranjeros de Hermosillo
First Game – Friday, October 11 vs. Sultanes de Monterrey – 9:30 p.m. EDT
Mexican Player Draft Selections (Position – 2024 Team or MLB Organization/League)
Number indicates round in which player was selected
1. Luis Bernardo Gamez (P – Bravos de Leon/LMB)
2. Alejandro Meza (P – Bravos de Leon/LMB)
3. Jasiel Talamante (P – Bravos de Leon/LMB)
4. Emmanuel Martinez (C – Kansas City Royals/MLB)
5. Manuel Orduno (IF – Tigres de Quintana Roo/LMB)
6. Cruz Angel Galaviz (C – Bravos de Leon/LMB)
7 . Yunel Yescas (P – Free Agent)
8. Sergio Garcia Repper (P – Saraperos de Saltillo/LMB)
Foreign Player Draft Selections (Position – 2024 Team or MLB Organization/League)
Number indicates round in which player was selected
1. Zac Grotz (P – Sultanes de Monterrey/LMB)
2. Tom Hackimer (P – Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos/LMB)
3. Matt Adams (IF – Toros de Tijuana/LMB)
4. Cade Gotta (OF – Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos/LMB)
5. Carlos Martinez (C – Dorados de Chihuahua/LMB)
Photo: Norberto Obeso of the Aguilas de Mexicali tries to hit the ball in the third inning of a game between the Naranjeros de Hermosillo and the Aguilas de Mexicali at Fernando Valenzuela Stadium on November 26, 2023 in Hermosillo, Mexico. (Photo by Luis Gutierrez/Norte Photo/Getty Images)
