The LIDOM rookie draft will take place on Wednesday, Sep. 18. This will be the 22nd time that there will be a rookie draft in the Dominican Winter League. LIDOM released a list of all 252 eligible prospects this past weekend.
The draft will consist of 16 rounds for the six league teams. Many eligible players are MLB-contracted prospects in Single-A or higher. Others are former participants in the Dominican Summer League or other leagues like the Atlantic League, Frontier League, Italian League, Mexican League, Japanese League, and Cibao Summer League.
Of the 252 players in the pool, 143 are pitchers. Fifty-eight infielders, 43 outfielders, nine catchers, and one utility player make out the rest of the group. Young arms are at a premium, so it remains to be seen which prospects are selected in the draft.
Of MLB farm systems, the New York Mets have the most contracted players who could possibly be selected, as 17 of their prospects are eligible. Other MLB clubs that have more than ten prospects eligible to be picked are Houston with 16, Texas with 13, and both Arizona and Baltimore with 11.
The first pick belongs to the Toros del Este, who were the worst team in the league last season. According to the official LIDOM website, the draft will take place at the Sambil shopping center in Santo Domingo. It will be broadcast live locally and on the league’s official YouTube channel, LIDOM TV.
The LIDOM season will kick off on Oct. 16, with three games. The opener will feature the Gigantes del Cibao taking on the Aguilas Cibaenas.
Photo Credit: Dominican Republic’s Tigres de Licey celebrate with the trophy. (Photo by Yuri CORTEZ / AFP) (Photo by YURI CORTEZ/AFP via Getty Images)
