The second week of the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional season has wrapped up, with the Tigres de Aragua making an early statement to the rest of the league.
Aragua went 4-0 during the week and now sits atop the standings at 8-1. They’re the only team in the league with fewer than four losses, putting them in strong position for an early push toward the Round Robin playoff stage with a red-hot start.
The Tigres relied on strong starting pitching during opening week, but in Week 2, their offense started to get it going as well. Leading the charge is former major leaguer José Martínez, who has been one of the best performers of the season. The 36-year-old, who appeared in 432 MLB games and played for the Tigres last year, homered twice off former Detroit Tigers farmhand Cleiverth Pérez in a 5-4 win over the Cardenales de Lara.
After hitting seven home runs in 57 games last winter, Martínez already has two in his first nine games this season. He leads the LVBP with a 1.208 OPS, anchoring a the Tigres lineup.
The Caribes de Anzoátegui also caught fire in Week 2. After starting the season 1-4, they have since gone 5-0, fueled by improved pitching and a red-hot offense. Cuban right-hander José Rodríguez was a key contributor, tossing six innings of one-run ball (unearned) against the Bravos de Margarita on Wednesday to pick up the win.
Offensively, former Royals minor leaguer Balbino Fuenmayor led the charge. Over the final five games of the week, he went 9-for-17 with a home run and now owns a 1.063 OPS, tied for second in the league with three homers. He took home player of the week honors with the performance. With his home run, he sits 12th all time in LVBP history with 81 career home runs. He needs 19 more home tuns to be just the 5th player ever with 100 home runs in the league and the 35 year old has shown he has plenty left in the tank.
If the Caribes’ pitching staff can step up, they could be contenders this winter with an offense that should be a force with Fuenmayor leading the way.
Meanwhile, the Navegantes del Magallanes continue to struggle. After a rough opening week, they went 1-3 again and remain in last place. Their .633 team OPS is the lowest in the league by a wide margin. Outfielder Eliezer Alfonzo, one of their best hitters last season, has slumped badly, posting a .506 OPS with just one extra-base hit in eight games. The Tigers minor leaguer will need to turn things around quickly if Magallanes hopes to climb back into contention.
On the pitching side, Zac Grotz has quickly emerged as one of the LVBP’s top arms this season. The Tiburones de La Guaira right-hander made two strong starts in Week 2, throwing six shutout innings against Leones del Caracas and allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings Sunday against the Bravos. While the league’s average ERA sits at 5.73, Grotz boasts a 2.93 ERA with 16 strikeouts across 15 1/3 innings, standing out as one of the best import pitchers in Venezuela this winter.
After Monday’s off day, the league returns Tuesday with a four-game slate highlighted by a matchup between Tigres de Aragua and Leones del Caracas, two of the top teams early in the season.
LVBP Standings
1. Tigres de Aragua, 8-1
2. Caribes de Anzoátegui, 6-4
3. Águilas del Zulia, 5-4
4. Leones del Caracas, 4-4
5. Tiburones de La Guaira, 4-5
6. Cardenales de Lara, 4-6
7. Bravos de Margarita, 3-6
8. Navegantes del Magallanes, 2-6
