If there was any doubt whether the Diablos Rojos del Mexico could repeat their dominance from the 2024 season, it has scattered like smoke in the thin air of Mexico City.
A year ago, the Diablos set a Liga Mexicana de Beisbol record for season winning percentage under first-year manager Lorenzo Bundy, going 71-19 on their way to winning the Zaachila Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the winner of the LMB’s Serie del Rey.
Eleven games into 2025, the Reds have won 10 straight games heading into the season’s third weekend and opened up a four-game lead in the Zona Sur. Already. In 11 games, they’ve outscored their opponents 117-69, an average of 10.63 runs per game while allowing 6.27 runs per game.
The lone loss for the Diablos this season was a 16-7 defeat at the claws of the Leones de Yucatan on April 18, in their second game of the season. They’ve only had one game decided by one run — a 7-6 win at home against the Conspiradores de Queretaro on April 25.
At the plate, the Diablos lead the LMB in runs, hits (157), doubles (40), triples (5), RBIs (111), batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.425), slugging (.589), and OPS (1.014). On the mound, the Diablos Rojos aren’t as statistically dominant. They don’t lead the league in any pitching category as a team, but hey, when you’re outscoring your opposition by an average of more than four runs a game, you don’t have to have the league’s best pitching.
The Diablos host the Guerreros de Oaxaca (6-6) this weekend, in a battle between teams owned by the Fundacion Alfredo Harp Helu. Radhames Liz will start the series opener for Oaxaca against the Diablos’ Justin Courtney. On Saturday, the Guerreros’ Kyle Funkhouser will start against Jose Luis Bravo for the Reds. Robert Dugger is Oaxaca’s announced starter for Sunday’s finale, while Diablos manager Lorenzo Bundy has yet to announce a starter for that game.
Rudy Martin Jr. Flying North For The Summer – Outfielder Rudy Martin Jr. has been released by the Toros de Tijuana after he agreed to a minor league deal with Major League Baseball‘s Kansas City Royals, BeisbolPuro reported on X, the social media website formerly known as Twitter.
https://x.com/Beisbolpuro/status/1918107385308004536
The native of Memphis, Tenn., played seven seasons of affiliated baseball in the Royals and Washington Nationals organizations from 2015-22, rising as high as Triple-A in the Royals’ chain. He played independent ball in 2023 with the Milwaukee Milkmen of the American Association in 2023 and for the York Revolution of the Atlantic League in 2024 before heading to Mexico to play winter ball last October.
With the Tomateros de Culiacan, Martin appeared in 65 games, batting .229/.325/.312 with 32 walks and 34 stolen bases, which earned him a spot in the Caribbean Series with the Charros de Jalisco as a reinforcement. He went 8-for-21 at the Caribbean Series in Mexicali, driving in a run and going 4-for-5 stealing bases for the Charros, who lost 1-0 in the final to LIDOM’s Leones del Escogido. He carried his hot winter to Tijuana, where he started the 2025 season by going 12-for-38 in 11 games, scoring nine runs, driving in five, and stealing 10 bases in 12 attempts.
Mallex Smith Headed to Leon – Former MLB outfielder Mallex Smith has signed with the Bravos de Leon and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored in his first appearance with the club. Smith didn’t play in the 2024 season, but has prior experience in the LMB with Saltillo and Guadalajara in 2023, where he batted .325 with 50 runs scored and 25 RBIs in 62 games. He last appeared in the Major Leagues with Seattle, playing 14 games in 2020 with a .133/.170/.178 batting line.
Didi Deactivated – The Algodoneros de Union Laguna deactivated Didi Gregorius on April 30. The former New York Yankees infielder was hit by a batted ball in the right cheekbone last Saturday in a 5-3 win against the Caliente de Durango. Gregorius is in the concussion protocol.
Where to Watch – All LMB games are streamed live for a fee on LMB.tv.
Notable Series This Weekend
Guerreros de Oaxaca (6-6) at Diablos Rojos del Mexico (11-1)
Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (7-5) at Algodoneros de Union Laguna (7-5)
El Aguila de Veracruz (6-6) at Piratas de Campeche (7-5)
Photo: The Diablos Rojos del Mexico are 11-1 through the first four series of the 2025 LMB season. (Photo courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico).
