Liga Mexicana de Beisbol: Each Team In Three Sentences Or Less With A Month To Go Until the Playoffs

The Liga Mexicana de Beisbol’s 93-game regular season is roughly two-thirds finished, and the league returns to action from the all-star break with a pair of games tonight.

Here are three sentences on each of the league’s 20 teams and where they’re going with around 30 games left to play before the playoffs begin, separated by division and standings.

Zona Norte

1. Toros de Tijuana (40-19) – The Toros are the best team in the league under skipper Roberto Kelly, and have a number of notable former Major League Baseball vets who are producing at a high level. With Justin Turner, Hernan Perez, Wilmer Flores, and Franchy Cordero leading the way at the plate, they have the second-highest run differential (+89) and will likely clinch a playoff berth in July. Anything less than an appearance in the Serie del Rey would be a disappointing end to this magical season on the border.

2. Charros de Jalisco (33-27) – Benji Gil’s club is probably better than their record indicates, but as Bill Parcells so famously said, “You are what you’re record says you are.” The Charros are a solid team at the plate, and despite not improving much on the mound from last season, they rank seventh in the league in ERA. They could certainly make it back to the Serie del Rey this year, but they’ll only go as far as the pitching can take them.

3. Caliente de Durango (31-28) – A Durango team hasn’t made the LMB playoffs since 1978, but barring a collapse along the line of the 1964 Philadelphia Phillies, that streak is coming to an end. The Caliente have gotten good enough hitting and pitching to be competitive in the Zona Norte and have a three-game lead over the final playoff spot. If they maintain their pace, they’ll be in the postseason, and as the Charros showed last year, you just have to get in to have a chance to make the Serie del Rey.

4. Acereros de Monclova (31-29) – The Blue Fury doesn’t have a ton of power in the lineup, but they’ve got diversified production, which can be just as good. Their pitching is getting the job done; the Acereros have a team ERA of 4.74, the fifth-best in the league. If they can add a power bat over the final month, they could make some noise in the playoffs.

5. Sultanes de Monterrey (30-29) – Monterrey fired Roberto Kelly after he didn’t get the Grey Ghosts to the Serie del Rey after a first-place finish and lost two playoff series to sixth-seeded Jalisco, replacing him with Henry Blanco. They didn’t, however, make any big changes to the roster, and now have a team that’s one game over .500. If the Sultanes don’t make the playoffs, Blanco will be on the chopping block after the season, and if they collapse down the stretch, he might not have to wait for the season to be over.

6. Rieleros de Aguascalientes (27-31) – The Rieleros are better than they were last year, but they run hot and cold. Their 5.96 ERA is the third-worst in the league, and they’ve been outscored by 34 runs in 58 games. They might make the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, but they don’t have the bats to do what the Charros did last year.

7. Algodoneros de Union Laguna (26-34) – Ramon Santiago will take over in Torreon this week after Fernando Tatis Jr. led a good team on paper to a bad record through 60 games. Santiago was hired mid-season by the fifth place Leones del Escogido in LIDOM last winter and took them to the Caribbean Series, so perhaps he can do that here. There’s a lot of talent on the roster, Santiago needs to figure out how to make it produce wins.

8. Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (24-36) – The Binationals aren’t having a great year despite getting good pitching. Outscored by 33 runs through 60 games, the team’s 4.42 ERA is the fourth-best in the league, but there’s just not much power in the lineup behind Zoilo Almonte. An additional bat could get them in the playoffs, yes, but manager Felix Fermin doesn’t have enough horses in the barn for a deep playoff run.

9. Saraperos de Saltillo (22-35) – The Saraperos are 4 1/2 games back of the last playoff spot, so it’s conceivable that they could be in the postseason. There’s been quite a bit of turnover on both the roster and in the lineup, and no player has appeared in 50 games for Saltillo this season. The good news for the boys on the bus is that winter ball starts in three and a half months.

10. Dorados de Chihuahua (23-37) – Little power and run production has made for a tough season in Chihuahua. Two more solid bats would’ve gone a long way for the Dorados, who only have a -22 run differential and are 14 games under .500. It’s probably too late to change the trajectory of this season, but the foundation of a solid team is there.

Zona Sur

1. Diablos Rojos del Mexico (38-22) – The obvious favorite going into the season, the Diablos are once again in the catbird seat with the playoffs rapidly approaching. With Trevor Bauer rejoining the Reds this week, they’ve added the best possible arm to the roster as they hunt for a third consecutive Serie del Rey title. Their message to the rest of the league is, “See you in September.”

2. Olmecas de Tabasco (37-23) – The Olmecas have been the surprise of the LMB this year, turning the season around after a rocky start. Former first round draft pick Seth Beer has been sensational in his first season in Mexico, leading the team in homers and RBIs. Don’t be surprised if the Olmecas win a playoff series – or two.

3. Guerreros de Oaxaca (33-27) – The Guerreros have a single pitcher – Matt Givin – who has thrown more than 20 innings and has an ERA under 4.50 to go a long with a steady but unspectacular lineup. They’re not far behind the Diablos and Olmecas, and another arm or two could bridge the gap. Expect to see them in the playoffs, where they’ll go as far as the pitching will take them.

4. Pericos de Puebla (32-27) – Despite outscoring their opposition by just eight runs thus far, the Pericos are five games over .500. Starters Antonio Santos and Vladimir Gutierrez give the Pericos a chance to win every time they take the mound, but the rest of the pitching staff is rather middling. They can either add bats or arms, and they’ll need one or the other to be competitive in the playoffs.

5. Bravos de Leon (32-38) – Miguel Tejada’s team has scored the second-most runs (445) in the league, but they’ve also allowed the second-most runs (395). The big bat of Gabriel Cancel, along with those of Jimmy Kerrigan, Sandber Pimentel, and Connor Panas, make for a formidable lineup. The team’s 6.16 ERA, the second-worst in the league, is why they’re battling for a playoff spot.

6. Tigres de Quintana Roo (29-29) – Better than average pitching has gotten the Tigres and their somewhat weak lineup to the brink of a playoff spot after finishing dead last in 2025. If the pitching stays solid through the final 30 games, the Tigres will likely make the playoffs. A first-round matchup against the Diablos Rojos would reignite a rivalry that’s been rather one-sided as of late.

7. Piratas de Campeche (27-30) – It’s been a disappointing year so far in Campeche, where the Piratas are just a year removed from a deep playoff run. Cal Mitchell and Andrew Stevenson have drive the offense, but they can’t do it all themselves, and the pitching has been a big liability. The Piratas could back into a playoff spot, but they’ll need an acquisition or two and some luck to do it.

8. Conspiradores de Queretaro (28-32) – With the worst pitching in the league this season, that the Conspiradores are only four games under .500 is a bit of a miracle. Former MLBers Yangervis Solarte and Henry Urrutia keep them competitive, but you can’t overhaul the pitching staff with 30 games left in the season.

9. El Aguila de Veracruz (27-32) – El Aguila just doesn’t score enough runs, with the fourth-fewest in the league to this point and the second-fewest in the Zona Sur. It doesn’t help much that the pitching is near the league’s middle with a 5.12 team ERA because you can’t win if you don’t score runs. A hot finish could get El Aguila in the playoffs, but it’ll take a hot streak from a lineup that is, at best, lukewarm.

10. Leones de Yucatan (22-37) – The Leones have some great pitchers, but they lack any kind of potency in the lineup. Ronnie Williams is having a career year with a 2.82 ERA in 54 1/3 innings, 54 strikeouts, and 25 walks, and Yoanner Negrin has been solid. The bats just aren’t there, and it’s too late to salvage the season.

Photo: Trevor Bauer will return to the Diablos Rojos del Mexico this week. Will his arm help them win a third consecutive LMB title? (Photo courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico)