Although the Criollos de Caguas remain in last place in the 2024-25 LBPRC standings, the club seems adamant about making a postseason push. They were six games back of the first-place Senadores de San Juan on Monday. The Criollos flattened the Gigantes de Carolina 11-3 on Sunday to win their fourth consecutive game.
The Criollos, led by manager Yadier Molina last season, defeated the Gigantes five games to three in the 2023-24 LBPRC championship series. This shows that the constant roster changes in professional winter ball make predicting the top clubs year by year impossible. The RA12, now the Senadores de San Juan, are in first place in this year’s standings after winning just 11 games last year.
Here’s more recent news from around the LBPRC, Puerto Rico’s top professional baseball league.
Leones de Ponce Claim Catcher Roberto Pérez
On Monday, the Leones de Ponce claimed catcher Roberto Pérez, who was released this past Saturday by the Indios de Mayagüez. Pérez, 35, had three hits in 18 plate appearances in six games for the Indios.
Starting in the 2009-10 LBPRC season, Pérez exclusively wore the Indios jersey. He played four games for the club during the 2022 Caribbean Series in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
In Major League Baseball, Pérez is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner (2019, 2020) and has played 10 seasons, most notably with the Cleveland Guardians from 2014-21. Pérez did not appear in an MLB game in 2024.
Senadores Celebrate 1995 “Dream Team”
Last Thursday, the Senadores de San Juan honored members of their 1995 team, who won the Caribbean Series in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Senadores finished the tournament with a perfect 6-0 record.
The celebration was held before Thursday’s 7-5 win over the Cangrejeros de Santurce at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan. The 1995 Senadores de San Juan players in attendance included MLB Hall of Famers such as Roberto Alomar and Edgar Martinez. Additional notable players on the roster were Carlos Delgado, Bernie Williams, and Ruben Sierra.
“It’s an honor for me, as a former player of the Senadores and the “Dream Team,” Alomar told ESPN Deportes reporter Enrique Rojas in November. “To pay tribute to this team that left an undeniable mark on baseball history.”
Tonight in the LBPRC
All Times Eastern Standard Time
6 p.m. – Cangrejeros de Santurce at Criollos de Caguas
How to Watch the LBPRC:
The 2024-25 regular season can be streamed for free on the league’s YouTube page and the LBPRC mobile phone app.
