What a year it was for professional baseball in Puerto Rico.
The Caribbean island’s top league is the Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, named after former Pittsburgh Pirates star and, notably, the best Puerto Rican player in Major League Baseball history, Roberto Clemente.
The LBPRC season is currently underway, with six organizations competing for a championship and securing a spot at the 2026 Caribbean Series in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Puerto Rico’s inclusion in next year’s Caribbean Series came into question when the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe announced last week that the LBPRC would not send a team to the original host site, Caracas, Venezuela.
For now, it appears everything is back in order thanks to the host site change, and the LBPRC’s eventual champion will attend.
Looking back at 2025, numerous events and announcements, both within and outside the island, contributed to the continued growth of baseball in Puerto Rico.
Before the clock strikes midnight and the calendar flips from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1, World Baseball Network examines the highlights of the baseball landscape in Puerto Rico in 2025.
There’s much to celebrate.
January – Anniversary of First Baseball Game in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico celebrated the 127th anniversary of the first baseball game played on the island on January 9.
Anos Iglesias Van Pelt introduced baseball to his new hometown in Puerto Rico after moving there with his father from Brooklyn in 1895. He organized a Puerto Rican team, Borinquen, and a Cuban team, Almendares.
Van Pelt was a pitcher in the game, and Borinquen won 3-0 after three innings due to rain. Back then, there was no such thing as a tarp crew that came rolling out of the woodwork.
February – Indios de Mayaguez Finish Third in Mexicali
The LBPRC’s Indios de Mayaguez defeated Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara 7-4 in the third-place game of the 2025 Caribbean Series in February.
The Indios finished 2-2 in the preliminary round in Mexicali, Mexico, eventually losing 3-1 to the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico’s Charros de Jalisco with a trip to the championship game on the line.
Second baseman Isan Díaz smashed two home runs in the contest against the Cardenales – a two-run shot in the top of the second inning and a solo homer in the fourth.
Four days prior, the Indios narrowly escaped a gut-wrenching loss against first-time Caribbean Series competitors, the Japan Breeze. Luckily for Mayaguez, the Breeze managed just two runs in the 3-2 victory, despite the independent Japanese club managing 10 hits to the Indios’ four.
April – Francisco Lindor Named Puerto Rico’s WBC Captain
In April, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor announced he would be Puerto Rico’s captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Lindor, born in Caguas, was also the captain of the WBC squad in 2023.
The switch-hitter was one of the main contributors on the 2017 Puerto Rico WBC team that advanced to the championship game, ultimately losing 8-0 against the United States. His .370/.419/.630 slash line earned him a spot on the All-World Baseball Classic Team.
Puerto Rico will compete in Pool A at the 2026 WBC alongside Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia. All Pool A games will be played from March 6-11 at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan. Yadier Molina will manage the club for a second straight WBC.
August – College Baseball Participants for 2026 Puerto Rico Challenge Revealed
The 2026 Puerto Rico Challenge is a college baseball tournament that will feature eight Division I programs from Feb. 13-16 at Estadio Francisco Montaner in Ponce and at Estadio Yldefonso Solá Morales in Caguas.
Francisco Montaner García was a pitcher from Ponce who threw the first no-hitter in Puerto Rican baseball history on Dec. 11, 1911. Yldefonso Solá Morales was a politician and senator who was born in Caguas in 1896.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Boston College Eagles, N.C. State Wolfpack, Washington Huskies, Houston Cougars, Seton Hall Pirates, Indiana State Sycamores, and Manhattan Jaspers will compete in the tournament early next year.
The Michigan Wolverines finished with a perfect 4-0 record at last year’s Puerto Rico Challenge.
November – Citi Field Showdown: Puerto Rico and D.R. All-Star Game
Professional players from the LBPRC and Liga de Beisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana met for an All-Star game at Citi Field in Queens, New York, on Nov. 15. It was the first official meeting between the Puerto Rico and D.R. winter leagues in the United States.
Former Major League Baseball slugger Carlos Delgado was Puerto Rico’s manager for the contest. Several notable current and former Puerto Rican MLB players participated, including reliever Jorge Lopez, catcher Martin Maldonado, third baseman Emmanuel Rivera, and outfielder Eddie Rosario.
The LIDOM All-Stars won the game 6-2, and Puerto Rico’s WBC general manager Carlos Beltran and Delgado were honored before the game. Even in the cold weather, 20,057 spectators arrived to watch a clash of highly respected Latin American professional leagues.
Photo: Puerto Rico infielder Francisco Lindor, right, yells after tagging out Nicaragua’s stolen base attempt in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
