The Liga Venezolana de Béisbol (LVBP) draft of reinforcements and substitutions took place on Wednesday. Here is World Baseball Network’s recap of everything that occurred.
Results of the LVBP Reinforcement Draft
With the top pick, Cardenales de Lara selected Tigres closer Ronnie Williams. One of the top relievers in Venezuela this season, Williams posted a 2.57 ERA with eight saves and 32 strikeouts in 35 innings. He joined a Cardenales bullpen that finished the regular season with a 4.79 ERA and is expected to serve as a high-leverage option.
Bravos de Margarita held the second pick and selected 2025-26 LVBP batting champion Gorkys Hernández. The outfielder hit .374/.480/.481 with three home runs and 23 RBIs for the Tigres during the regular season. He added a home run and three RBIs in the wild-card series.
Hernández fills a major need for a Bravos club that struggled offensively. Margarita ranked second-to-last among round-robin teams in OPS (.769), hit the second-fewest home runs (56), and finished last in walks. Hernández, who led the league in batting average and ranked sixth in walks, expects to provide a spark at the top of the lineup.
Navegantes del Magallanes selected Leones del Caracas starter José Torres with their first-round pick. With Bryan Mata departing after signing with the Yomiuri Giants, Magallanes needed rotation help. Torres was a bright spot on a Caracas staff that struggled overall. He posted a 3.62 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. He was the only Caracas starter with at least 10 innings pitched to finish with an ERA below 4.95.
Águilas del Zulia selected right-hander Zac Grotz. Grotz opened the season strongly, posting a 2.53 ERA in his first four starts, but struggled in November with an 8.83 ERA. He rebounded somewhat in December with a 4.32 ERA and 25 strikeouts in 25 innings. Águilas is hoping Grotz can stabilize a pitching staff that finished with the league’s second-worst team ERA (5.36) and a 5.45 ERA from its starting rotation.
Caribes selected Tigres reliever Edwar Colina with the final pick of the first round, a move that came as a surprise. Colina posted a 5.39 ERA with 24 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings during the regular season and wild card series, including a 6.10 ERA in December. He also struggled in the wild-card series against the same Caribes team that selected him.
In the second round, Cardenales selected Caracas starter Wilmer Font. Font posted a 4.95 ERA with 29 strikeouts in 36 1/3 innings and showed inconsistency in December, including a six-inning shutout against Tiburones de La Guaira on Dec. 2 and a seven-run outing in 3 2/3 innings against Cardenales on Dec. 20. Despite the uneven results, Font represents a significant upgrade for a rotation that entered the round robin as the worst in the league. Cardenales did not have a single starter with an ERA below 5.12 during the regular season.
Bravos selected infielder-outfielder José Rondón with their second pick. One of the most consistent hitters in LVBP in recent years, Rondón is hitting .309/.392/.439 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. While his power numbers are down compared to past seasons, he surged in December, batting .396/.442/.583, and joins Hernández in bolstering Margarita’s lineup.
Magallanes selected Caracas infielder Wilfredo Tovar with its second-round pick. Tovar hit .338/.406/.432 with one home run and 20 RBIs and is expected to provide steady production wherever he slots into the lineup.
Águilas selected Tigres reliever Christian Suárez, adding a key bullpen arm. Suárez has been among the league’s best relievers, posting a 1.47 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings between the regular season and wild card series.
With the final pick of the second round, Caribes selected Leones first baseman Aldrem Corredor. The left-handed hitter batted .296/.429/.478 with eight home runs and 36 RBIs during the regular season. He is expected to become Caribes’ starting first baseman, with Hernán Pérez likely shifting to right field. This further strengthens an already dynamic lineup.
The Reinforcement Draft’s Substitution Round
The draft also included a substitution round, allowing each round-robin team to swap one player for a player from Tiburones, Leones, or Tigres.
The substitutions were:
- Cardenales: IN P Norwith Gudiño; OUT P Christian Cosby
- Bravos: IN P Darien Núñez; OUT P Michell Miliano
- Navegantes: IN 1B Leandro Cedeno; OUT P Luis Moreno
- Águilas: IN IF Brainer Bonaci; OUT P Juan Díaz
- Caribes: IN P DJ Johnson; OUT P Olbis Parra
Among the notable additions was infielder Brainer Bonaci. He emerged as one of the league’s top young players and was one of Caracas’ best hitters. Bonaci batted .316/.420/.513 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs. He joins an Águilas offense that already features Jaison and Jackson Chourio.
Magallanes’ addition of Leandro Cedeno also stood out. In 24 games with Caracas, Cedeno hit .297/.357/.595 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. He is expected to slot in as Magallanes’ starting first baseman and provide middle-of-the-order power for an offense that surged in December.
LVBP Round Robin Dates
Dates for the round robin have yet to be announced, but are expected in the coming days. The top two teams from the five-team round robin will advance to a best-of-seven championship series, which is scheduled to begin Jan. 23.
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PHOTO: Gorkys Hernández, courtesy of LVBP
