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Toros del Este Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz Wins LIDOM MVP; League Announces Awards

Julian GuilarteJan 9, 20264 MIN READ
Toros del Este Outfielder Bryan De La Cruz Wins LIDOM MVP; League Announces Awards

Toros del Este outfielder Bryan De La Cruz won the 2025-26 LIDOM MVP, the league announced via social media on Jan. 7.

​De La Cruz, 29, earned it with eight home runs, 40 RBIs, and a slash line of .301/.372/.513 in 163 at-bats in LIDOM this winter. He leads LIDOM with 40 RBIs and was second with his eight home runs, trailing Estrellas Orientales first baseman Miguel Sano by one, who left the league once he signed in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chunichi Dragons on Dec. 15.

​De La Cruz helped the Toros del Este earn the second seed in the round robin and has been the best hitter in the playoffs. He stepped up when his team needed him most on Dec. 30 with a three-run game-winning home run against the Aguilas Cibaenas in their 8-5 win. De La Cruz has been the best hitter of the round robin with two home runs, 10 RBIs, and an OPS of 1.164 in 34 at-bats.

​He also has experience in Major League Baseball, signing with the Houston Astros out of the Dominican Republic as an international free agent in 2013. De La Cruz made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins in 2021, and he played 16 games with the Atlanta Braves last season.

​De La Cruz has 58 home runs, 208 RBIs, and a slash line of .251/.295/.402 in 1,872 MLB at-bats.

​The Toros del Este are currently 7-2 in the round robin and are tied for first place.

​Toros Del Este Pitcher Aaron Sanchez Wins Pitcher of the Year – Former MLB pitcher ​Aaron Sánchez won Pitcher of the Year on Jan. 6. He shut down the best offense in LIDOM with seven innings of two-run ball and three strikeouts in his final appearance on Nov. 30 against the Aguilas Cibaenas. Sanchez, 33, pitched 46 2/3 innings with 34 strikeouts and an ERA of 1.55 which was the lowest in LIDOM for the amount of innings that he threw this winter.

Sanchez, 33, is currently a free agent with his last MLB appearance coming in 2022 with the Minnesota Twins. The Toronto Blue Jays selected Sanchez with the 34th overall pick in the first round of the 2010 MLB Draft.

He looked poised to become a rising star, and he debuted in 2014. In 2016, he had the lowest ERA in the American League at 3.00 and was seventh in the Cy Young Award voting. After the 2016 season, injuries and ineffectiveness derailed him, and he was never the same on the mound.

Aguilas Cibaenas represented strongly with Rookie, Manager, and General Manager of the Year – The Aguilas Cibaenas were rewarded for having the best LIDOM regular season record of 32-17, with Alberto Rodriguez winning Rookie of the Year, Luis Urueta winning Manager of the Year, and Gian Guzman winning General Manager of the Year.

​Rodriguez, 25, hit three home runs, with 19 RBIs, a .350 batting average, and an OPS of .965 in 100 at-bats this winter. Rodriguez hasn’t played affiliated ball since he was in the Seattle Mariners organization in 2024 at Double-A. He made his professional debut with the Toronto Blue Jays Dominican Summer League Team in 2018. Last season, Rodriguez played in Liga Mexicana de Béisbol with the Rieleros de Aguascalientes.

​Rodriguez was hurt on Jan 6. after a rough slide into second base against the Gigantes del Cibao. The Aguilas Cibaenas released a statement shortly after the game that he was being kept in the hospital for supervision, and he had stitches in his right cheekbone, but didn’t suffer any facial fractures.

​Leones del Escogido infielder Erik Gonzalez Wins Gentleman of the Year – ​Leones del Escogido infielder Erik Gonzalez won the Gentleman of the Year award on Jan. 2.

​Gonzalez is a LIDOM and MLB veteran who played parts of seven years in MLB with the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Miami Marlins from 2016-22. This winter in LIDOM, he has zero home runs, 14 RBIs, and a slash line of .299/.394/.365 in 894 at-bats. He has helped Leones del Escogido jump out to a 7-2 record and a tie for first place in the round robin.

Illustration via LIDOM

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