The final series in the Asociación Profesional de Béisbol Nicaragüense is set, with the Leones de León facing the Gigantes de Rivas in a matchup between the league’s two most recent champions.
The Leones are seeking a second consecutive title and its fifth championship in the past eight seasons. The Gigantes de Rivas, meanwhile, finished atop the regular-season standings at 21-11 and followed that with a 9-3 record in the round-robin stage to secure its place in the final.
Leones reached the championship series despite an underwhelming regular season. After finishing 15-17, León went 6-6 in the round robin and narrowly edged the Tren del Norte to clinch the final spot and earn a chance to defend its title.
Gigantes enters the series as the favorite, led offensively by Cuban slugger Lázaro Alonso, who was one of the league’s most complete hitters this winter. Alonso batted .336/.456/.593 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs.
American Jairus Richards has also been a key contributor for Gigantes. Added in mid-December, Richards posted a .967 OPS with one home run in 12 games, further deepening an already potent lineup.
On the mound, Gigantes is anchored by Brazilian right-hander Tiago da Silva, who captured the pitching triple crown. Da Silva went 7-0 with a dominant 0.98 ERA and recorded 51 strikeouts in 55 1/3 innings. At the conclusion of the round robin, da Silva was crowned as the league’s MVP after his dominant season.
Leones is led offensively by infielder Saúl Orozco, the clear standout in a lineup that struggled for much of the season. León scored the second-fewest runs in the league and finished with the second-lowest team OPS. Orozco batted .286/.429/.521 with one home run and eight RBIs.
The Leones pitching staff also faced challenges, posting the second-worst ERA in the league. One of the bright spots has been Dilmer Mejía, whose performance in the round robin helped propel León into the final. Mejía posted a 2.70 ERA as a starter in the round robin and has a 3.58 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings overall.
With a significant gap between the two clubs on the mound, Mejía will need a strong championship series if Leones hopes to pull off the upset.
The best-of-seven final between the Gigantes de Rivas and the Leones de León begins Sunday in Rivas. Tiago da Silva is set to start for Gigantes while Dilmer Mejía will be on the mound for Leones in a battle of aces of in Game 1. Legendary Dominican infielder Robinson Canó will throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Game 1. All games of the final will be available to stream for free on Viva Nicaragua 13’s YouTube channel.
