The first half of the 2025-26 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico season is over, with the Yaquis de Obregon taking the title and 10 points towards seeding in the playoffs, which will begin in late December.
The top seven teams in the standings at the end of the first half were separated by just four games, while at the bottom of the standings, the Venados de Mazatlan (12-23), Algodoneros de Guasave (11-24), and the Tucson Baseball Team (13-22) were separated by just two games.
Tucson Baseball Team (14-22) 4, Algodoneros de Guasave (11-25) 0 – Agustin Ruiz drove in two runs, one with a sac fly and one with a single, and Donny Sands and Gaige Howard each contributed an RBI single as the Baseball Team took game one of the three-game home set, which is being played in Guasave. Raul Carrillo threw six scoreless innings for Tucson, allowing two hits while walking five and striking out three.
Tucson Keeps On Truckin’ – The Tucson Baseball Team’s long, strange road trip continues this week. Still without visas to necessary to play home games in the United States, the Baseball Team has played on the road the regular entire season.
When World Baseball Network reported on the Baseball Team’s situation, team officials said there’s no “drop dead date,” where the team would be forced to play the entire season on the road, though it certainly looks more and more as though the team won’t play in Tucson this season.
That said, the Baseball Team might be getting by financially despite the high costs of playing entirely on the road so far this year. Obviously, Tucson has to pay for the costs of using their opponents’ ballparks, so they’re not getting the full benefit of the gate revenue taken in for each “home game” played on the road, nor do they benefit from corporate sponsorship revenue sold by their temporary hosts.
But so far, the Baseball Team is a good-enough draw. According to records compiled by World Baseball Network, as the LAMP doesn’t publish daily attendance, the Baseball Team is drawing an average of 6,518 per home game thus far this season, which puts them sixth in the league, ahead of Obregon, which is drawing 6,196 per game, the defending champion Charros de Jalisco, who draw 6,028 per night, Nayarit, which is drawing 5,948 per game, and Mazatlan, which is drawing a league-worst 5,091 per game. Last season, when the team played its final season in Navojoa, they drew a league-worst 3,920 per game.
For those curious, Culiacan leads the league, drawing 12,810 per game, and Hermosillo is second, drawing 11,832 per night. Mexicali is third, getting 9,090 through the gates, while Los Mochis is fourth with 8,792 coming in per game. Guasave is fifth, with 6,879 fans per game, followed by Tucson.
Player of the Week – Leonys Martin of the Caneros de Los Mochis won the LAMP player of the week award for the second time this season after hitting three homers and driving in 11 runs last week. He leads the league with eight homers and previously won the award during the season’s second week. Also nominated were Jesse Castillo of the Jaguares de Nayarit, who homered once and had six RBIs, Yadir Drake of the Aguilas de Mexicali, who drove in six runs, and Nick Williams of the Venados de Mazatlán, who hit two homers and drove in four runs last week.
Pitcher of the Week – After throwing 12 innings, allowing just one run, and striking out three, Orlando Lara of the Yaquis de Obregon won the LAMP pitcher of the week award. He currently ranks fourth in the league in ERA with a 2.54 mark. Also nominated were CJ Van Eyk of the Aguilas de Mexicali, who threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts against Culiacan, and Nolan Kingham of the Venados de Mazatlán, who threw six scoreless innings against Culiacan with five strikeouts in his only start last week.
Reliever of the Week – Scott Engler of the Venados de Mazatlan was named the LAMP’s reliever of the week, throwing five scoreless innings and allowing one hit while striking out five in four appearances. Also nominated were Samuel Zazueta of the Yaquis de Obregón, who earned four holds in four appearances, throwing four scoreless innings with three strikeouts, and Guadalupe Chávez of the Cañeros de Los Mochis, who threw 5 1/3 innings and struck out six without allowing a run.
Photo: Leonys Martin meets Yasmany Tomas at the plate after Tomas hit a homer for the Caneros de Los Mochis Tuesday night. (Photo courtesy of the Caneros de Los Mochis)
