Nicaragua’s Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional is no more after being shut down this past summer. In its place comes the Asociación Profesional de Béisbol Nicaragüense, with all the historical statistics and records of its predecessor.
The same five teams will remain, with a sixth club expected to join next winter — the Dantos, the dominant team from the country’s summer Germán Pomares league.
Last winter, the Leones de León defeated the Tren del Norte in seven games, overcoming a 3-1 series deficit. The decisive run came when Saúl Orozco was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, sealing the championship for the Leones.
The 2025–26 season begins Tuesday with a rematch of that championship series between Tren del Norte and Leones de León. The league will again feature several imports from Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the United States and Curaçao and Panama.
Among the top returning imports is Cuban infielder Lázaro Alonso, who led the league last year with a 1.261 OPS — the best among regular players — and ranked second with eight home runs. He will once again anchor the lineup for the Gigantes de Rivas.
Also returning is Curaçao outfielder Ademar Rifaela, who posted a 1.043 OPS last winter, second among players with at least 20 games played. He led the league with 12 home runs and will be a key part of the Indios del Bóer offense alongside Cuban teammates Yoel Yanqui and Yoelkis Guibert. Bóer enters the season as one of the early favorites to win the 2026 title.
The APBN season will also help identify players who could represent Nicaragua at the next World Baseball Classic.
Full rosters can be found here.
The regular season runs from Nov. 4 through Dec. 20, followed by a four-team round robin that will determine the two finalists. Games will air on Viva Nicaragua Canal 13, Canal 4 and Campeones TV, which streams all contests for free on YouTube.
https://worldbaseball.com/dusty-baker-officially-announced-as-nicaraguas-manager-for-2026-wbc/
The league champion will represent the APBN in the Serie de las Américas, scheduled for Jan. 24–30 at Estadio Rod Carew in Panama City, Panama. The Águilas Metropolitanas, champions of Panama’s ProBeis, won last year’s tournament in Nicaragua. Champions from Cuba, Curaçao, Panama, Colombia and Argentina will be joining the champions of Nicaragua.
