LBPRC Preview: Opening Day is Less than a Month Away

Opening Day of the 2024-25 Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente season is rapidly approaching. The top professional baseball league in Puerto Rico will kick off its season on Thursday, November 7, with a matchup between the Gigantes de Carolina and Criollos de Caguas at Estadio Yldefonso Solá Morales in Caguas, Puerto Rico.

There are six teams in the LBPRC: the 2023-24 champion Criollos de Caguas, Gigantes de Carolina, Indios de Mayagüez, Cangrejeros de Santurce, Leones de Ponce, and Senadores de San Juan.

Each team will play 40 regular-season games starting November 7. The final day of the season is January 4, 2025. According to the LBPRC’s website, the postseason will begin on January 7. The winner of the LBPRC championship will compete in the 2025 Serie del Caribe in Mexicali, Mexico.

The Senadores de San Juan return to the league after a 10-year absence. For the last four seasons, the RA12, a team owned by former Major League Baseball player Roberto Alomar, has played its home games in San Juan. Undergoing a rebrand, the RA12 is no longer, and the Senadores de San Juan are back. The Senadores de San Juan will play their home games at Estadio Hiram Bithorn in San Juan, where they share the ballpark with the Cangrejeros de Santurce.

LBPRC Draft Results

The first selection of the 2024-25 LBPRC draft belonged to the Senadores de San Juan, who took 21-year-old Puerto Rican shortstop Randal Diaz, a fifth-round pick of the Washington Nationals, in the 2024 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Diaz, an Indiana State University product, hit 35 home runs with a .950 OPS in three college seasons and knows the Senadores will not regret making him the first selection.

“Before the draw, there was always communication with the team,” Diaz told WAPA Deportes. “I thank them for making this decision to select me. They won’t regret it.”

The other five first-round picks in order included 17-year-old catcher Ivan Luciano to the Indios de Mayaguez, 21-year-old outfielder Jaime Ferrer to the Criollos de Caguas, 21-year-old outfielder Eli Serrano to the Leones de Ponce, 22-year-old catcher Alan Espinal to the Gigantes de Carolina, and 18-year-old right-handed pitcher Edgar Colon to the Cangrejeros de Santurce.

Notable Players with MLB Experience Competing in 2024-25 LBPRC Season

Cuban first baseman José Abreu signed a contract with the Senadores de San Juan on Thursday, announced by the team on Instagram. Abreu is a three-time MLB All-Star and won 2020 American League MVP honors.

Cuban shortstop Adeiny Hechavarría returns to the Gigantes de Carolina after making 34 appearances with the club during the 2023-24 season. The 35-year-old hit .253 across nine MLB seasons with seven teams, mainly the Miami Marlins.

Colombian outfielder Óscar Mercado will join the Criollos de Caguas after splitting the 2024 minor-league baseball season between Triple-A El Paso (San Diego Padres) and Triple-A Toledo (Detroit Tigers). He’s hit 26 career MLB home runs, including 15 with the Cleveland Guardians in 2019.

Venezuelan left-handed pitcher Félix Doubront will suit up for the Cangrejeros de Santurce. Doubront pitched for six seasons in MLB from 2010-15, five with the Boston Red Sox. The 36-year-old made 12 starts for the Bravos de Margarita during the 2023-24 LVBP season, posting a 3.58 ERA.

Mark Your Calendars

The Cangrejeros de Santurce and Criollos de Caguas will face off on Saturday, November 9, as participants in the Choque de Gigantes tournament, which will be held from November 8-10 at loanDepotPark in Miami, Florida, home of the Miami Marlins.

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.

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03 November 2015: The stadium mostly empty during an LBPRC Baseball game between the Los Gigantes de Carolina and the Cangrejeros de Santurce at the Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, PR. Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente (LBPRC) (Photo by Bradley Rex/Icon Sportswire) (Photo by Bradley Rex/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)