WBN’s International Player of the Week is Leones del Caracas third baseman Eugenio Suárez in Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional. Suárez has eight home runs, 14 RBI, and an OPS of 1.382 in 55 at-bats this winter for Leones del Caracas.
He also beat Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Churio to win the 2024 LVBP Home Run Derby at Estadio Monumental de Caracas Simón Bolívar on December 3.
Suarez has played parts of five seasons with Leones del Caracas in LVBP. His career numbers are 13 home runs, 35 RBI, and a slash line of .311/.401/.671 in 161 at-bats.
The Venezuelan Suárez, 33, is currently the third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks and has put together a very respectable MLB career. He is an 11-year veteran and made one All-Star appearance in 2018.
Suárez signed with the Detroit Tigers out of Venezuela as an amateur free agent in 2008 and made his MLB debut with them in 2014.
He was traded to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2015 season. Suárez became a star with the Reds, hitting 49 home runs in the 2019 season, second in MLB to New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. He played for the Reds for seven seasons and was traded to the Seattle Mariners after the 2021 season.
Suárez had 53 home runs, 183 RBI, and a bWAR of 6.2 in two seasons with the Seattle Mariners. In the 2023 offseason, he was traded for the third time in his career to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Suárez drove in 101 runs last season for the Diamondbacks, and that was the third season in his 11-year MLB career with 100 RBI or more. His 30 home runs marked the fifth time with at least 30 bombs in his career. His slash line was .256/.319/.469 in 571 at-bats last season.
His career MLB numbers are 276 home runs, 831 RBI, and a slash line of .248/.331/.457 in 5,232 at-bats.
He has also played in the World Baseball Classic for Venezuela in 2023. Suárez had a great WBC with one home run, seven RBI, seven hits, and a batting average of .500. Venezuela was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a 9-7 loss against Team USA at loanDepot Park in Miami.
LVBP Notes
Navegantes del Magallanes infielder Renato Núñez hit his 20th home run on December 18 against Caribes de Anzoátegui at Estadio Alfonso Chico Carrasquel in Puerto la Cruz. This is a team record for Navegantes del Magallanes, and he passed the 19 hit by Bob Darwin and Delmon Young.
Núñez is now one home run shy of breaking the single-season LVBP record of 21 home runs held by Tiburones de La Guaira first baseman Álex Cabrera in the 2013-2014 season.
