Finishing the year with the best record only sometimes translates to success in the postseason. The Cangrejeros de Santurce figured that out the hard way during the 2023-24 regular season. They led the LBPRC with 25 wins and found themselves out of the championship race five games into the playoffs.
Despite their underwhelming performance in the postseason, the Crabs of Santurce added multiple bats and hurlers during the offseason to help lead them back to prominence.
Manager – Omar López
2023-24 Record – 25-15
2023-24 Playoff Results – Lost in five games to Criollos de Caguas in Semifinal A
Newley hired Cangrejeros de Santurce manager and Houston Astros bench coach Omar López began his managerial with the Astros in 2009 in the Florida Complex League.
López, 47, was born in Valencia, Venezuela, and managed Venezuela in the 2023 World Baseball Classic to a 4-0 record in Pool D. López was announced as the manager of Venezuela in November’s WBSC Premier12 at the beginning of October.
Notable Offseason Additions (2024 Stats/MLB Organization or Team(s)/League)
- LHP Félix Doubront (19 G, 3.88 ERA, 6.7 K/9, Dorados de Chihuahua, Leones de Yucatán/Liga Mexicana de Béisbol)
- SS Leo Rivas (43 G, .233/.333/.274, .607 OPS/Seattle Mariners)
- RHP Austin Bergner (23 G, 4.72 ERA, 10.8 K/9, High-A West Michigan, Double-A Erie, Triple-A Toledo/Detroit Tigers)
- CF Jorge Barrosa (8 G, .176/.176/.294, .471 OPS/Arizona Diamondbacks)
- OF, 1B Félix Pérez (44 G, .372/.434/.562, .996 OPS, Olmecas de Tabasco/Liga Mexicana de Béisbol)
Championship History
The Cangrejeros de Santurce won their first LBPRC championship during the 1950-51 season and are 16-time league champions, most recently winning the title in 2019-20.
Santurce defeated the Indios de Mayagüez four games to one in the 2019-20 championship but went 2-3 with a -2 run differential in the 2020 Caribbean Series in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In the semifinals, they lost to the eventual champions, LIDOM’s Toros del Este, 4-3.
Overall, the Cangrejeros de Santurce has won five Caribbean Series titles, most recently finishing 6-0 in the 2000 tournament at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
First Game
The Cangrejeros de Santurce will play their first game of the 2024-25 LBPRC season against the Criollos de Caguas at loanDepot Park in Miami, Florida, at 6 p.m. EST. The game is part of the Choque de Gigantes tournament, held at the Miami Marlins’ home stadium from November 8-10.
The winner of the Pool D game between the Cangrejeros de Santurce and Criollos de Caguas will advance to the final match on Sunday, November 10. The other four organizations competing in the Choque de Gigantes event are the Estrellas Orientales of LIDOM and the Navegantes del Magallanes, Leones del Caracas, and Cardenales de Lara of the LVBP.
Photo Credit: Bench coach Ramon Vazquez of the Boston Red Sox board the bus at jetBlue Park at Fenway South before the 2024 Dominican Republic Series against the Tampa Bay Rays at Estadio Quisqueya on March 8, 2024 in Santon Domingo, Dominican Republic. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
