The winner of WBN’s International Player of the Week is Diablos Rojos del Mexico second baseman Robinson Cano in Liga Mexicana de Beisbol.
Cano, 42, is off to a hot start in his first nine games with a batting average of .390, and hit his second home run of the season on April 27 against Conspiradores de Queretaro left-handed pitcher Andy Otero in the fifth at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City. This is his second season playing for Diablos Rojos del México in the LMB.
Cano is a left-handed hitter who played 17 MLB seasons from 2005-22 and was suspended for PED use in 2021. He has played a in his native Dominican Republic in LIDOM with the Estrellas Orientales, and played in several WBCs and Caribbean Series for the Dominican Republic.
In 2013, Cano won the WBC MVP when he helped the Dominican Republic win the championship with a 3-0 victory against Team Puerto Rico at AT&T Park in San Francisco. Cano led the 2013 WBC with 15 hits and 25 total bases, which included two home runs. He had six RBI and an OPS of 1.295 in 31 at-bats.
When it comes to LIDOM, Cano has played with the Estrellas Orientales for seven winters and has played for the Dominican Republic in the last four Caribbean Series. He has been on two championship rosters in these four years, including 2025 with the Leones del Escogido, who defeated the Charros de Jalisco in the finals 1-0 in Mexicali.
Moreover, he has an impressive MLB resume that would warrant consideration for induction to Cooperstown if not for his PED use. Cano made his debut with the New York Yankees in 2005 and was a World Series champion with them in 2009. He played with them through 2013 and signed a record-breaking deal for a second baseman with the Seattle Mariners for 10 years and $240 million going into the 2014 season.
He didn’t live up to the hype in Seattle and was traded to the New York Mets before the 2019 season. He rounded out his career with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. He hasn’t played an MLB game since 2022. He was an eight-time All-Star, five-time Silver Slugger Award winner, and received two gold gloves.
His MLB career numbers are 335 home runs, 1.306 RBI, 2,639 hits, and a slash line of .301/.355/.488 in 8,773 at-bats. Cano’s 335 career home runs are the second most in MLB history for a second baseman, trailing only Jeff Kent who has 377 home runs.
Cano recently indicated that he is interested in coaching down the line via an interview on 9entradas YouTube channel on April 17.
His first coaching opportunity could arise for the Dominican Republic at the upcoming 2026 WBC, since he will no longer be playing on their roster.
Photo: Robinson Cano celebrates his 450-foot home run in the first inning of the 2025 Baseball Champions League Americas championship game. (Photo courtesy of the Diablos Rojos del Mexico)
