With a trip on the line to the Caribbean Series in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Leones de Ponce will meet in this year’s Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente best-of-seven championship series.
The last time these two clubs met in the LBPRC championship series was during the 1972-73 season, with the Cangrejeros winning in six games.
Before diving into how both of these clubs got here and learn more about the players, let’s take a look at their respective regular-season performances.
Santurce finished the regular season in first place in the six-team league with a 26-14 record, winning four of their last five contests. They led the LBPRC with 171 runs scored, a .265 team batting average, and a .694 team on-base plus slugging.
On the mound, their pitchers struck out a season-high 321 batters, and tied the Criollos de Caguas for the fewest hits allowed per nine innings at 7.1.
Ponce finished the regular season in second place with a 23-17 record, losing three of their last five contests. They finished fourth with 127 runs scored, sporting a .221 team batting average and .604 team OPS.
Leones’ pitching staff posted an LBPRC-low 2.83 ERA, doing so without recording many strikeouts (7.3 K/9).
How the Cangrejeros Got Here – After losing the first game of the semifinals by one run against the Criollos, the Cangrejeros won four of the last five games of the series to advance.
On Friday, Game 6 remained scoreless after 11 innings, and each club scored a run apiece in the 12th. Second baseman Shed Long Jr. drove in the go-ahead run for Santurce in the top of the 13th, and catcher Brian Navarretto put the finishing touches on a 6-1 victory with a mammoth grand slam that nearly hit the left-field scoreboard at Estadio Yldefonso Solá Morales in Caguas.
Starting pitcher Eduardo Rivera allowed just one earned run on three hits in eight innings in Game 5, striking out nine in the process. The 22-year-old had made just four starts with Santurce this winter, posting a 3.00 ERA across 15 innings.
How the Leones Got Here – Ponce also won their semifinals series in six games, defeating the Gigantes de Carolina four games to two. Facing a 2-1 series deficit, they claimed three consecutive victories to advance to the championship round.
Leading 4-0 in the ninth in Game 6, the Gigantes plated three to put extra pressure on the Leones. It mattered not, as reliever Andrew Marrero managed to record the final three outs without further trouble. Former Major League Baseball outfielder Alex Dickerson hit a pivotal solo homer for Ponce in the fourth.
Four Leones pitchers combined to permit just two runs on six hits in Game 2, with starter Brady Tedesco limiting Carolina’s hitters to four base knocks in 5 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old lefty rebounded quickly after a solo homer from Gigantes second baseman Gabriel Cancel in the third.
Santurce’s Player Spotlight – Shortstop Jack Lopez made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and last played 27 games with the Boston Red Sox in 2024. He spent this past summer in the Seattle Mariners organization in Triple-A with the Tacoma Rainiers.
He hit .385 with Puerto Rico at the 2024 Caribbean Series at loanDepot park in Miami, Florida, and had a .304 average this winter with the Cangrejeros, playing all 40 regular-season games.
Lopez can be a difference maker both in the field and on the basepath, going a perfect 13-for-13 on stolen base attempts in 108 games with the Rainiers. He played a bit of third base last season, but has been a primary shortstop throughout his career.
Ponce’s Player Spotlight – One of the more experienced Major League players to take the field in the LBPRC this winter, outfielder Alex Dickerson has some serious power.
The left-handed swinger hit 10 home runs or more three times during his six-year MLB career with the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and Atlanta Braves. He joined the Leones late in the year, playing just 11 regular-season games.
At 35, he pencils in to be in the starting lineup as the Leones’ designated hitter.
Meet the Managers – Omar López is the manager of the Cangrejeros and the bench coach of the Houston Astros. He will lead Venezuela at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Andy Gonzalez manages the Leones and is the Colorado Rockies’ assistant hitting coach. He played parts of three MLB seasons from 2007-09 with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, and Florida Marlins.
Schedule
Game 1 – Monday, Jan. 12 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 2 – Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 3 – Thursday, Jan. 15 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 4 – Friday, Jan. 16 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 5 (if necessary) – Saturday, Jan. 17 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 6 (if necessary) – Monday, Jan. 18 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Game 7 (if necessary) – Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6:21 p.m. EST
Where to Watch: Puerto Rico’s LBPRC streams its games live on its YouTube page and on the league’s official app, available on the App Store and Google Play.
WBN Puerto Rico: https://worldbaseball.com/league/puerto-rico/
Photo: LBPRC Logo via LBPRC
