Leones del Escogido bolster their pitching with Lael Lockhart and Brett de Geus
The Leones del Escogido, current back-to-back champions of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), have confirmed the signing of two new arms for the 2026-27 season. Left-hander Lael Lockhart and right-handed reliever Brett de Geus join the capital city team with the goal of strengthening the pitching staff and defending the crown they won.
The scarlet organization will begin its official training on September 25th at the New York Yankees’ facilities, located in Boca Chica, preparing for the start of the winter tournament scheduled for October 16th.
Lockhart returns after a solid performance
Lael Lockhart, 28, returns to wear the red uniform after his outstanding work in the 2025-26 campaign. The Texas pitcher posted a 2.57 ERA, with a 1-0 record and 17 strikeouts in 21 innings of work, establishing himself as a key piece in the starting rotation.
During the recent summer, the left-hander maintained his activity in the minor league circuits of the Detroit Tigers and Seattle Mariners, where he accumulated 94 strikeouts in 100 innings of work.
Lael demonstrated with us the quality of his arm and the ability to compete. We know what he can contribute and we trust in his repertoire and his character. We are happy to have him back and we hope he will once again be an important piece of our pitching staff.
Carlos Peña, General Manager of the Leones del Escogido
Brett de Geus: Power for the bullpen
For his part, right-hander Brett de Geus makes his debut in Dominican winter baseball after a brilliant season in the Mexican Baseball League. With the Toros de Tijuana, the reliever recorded impressive numbers:
- 1.53 ERA.
- 23 saves.
- 0.78 WHIP.
- 58 strikeouts in 47 innings pitched.
De Geus, who has experience in the Major Leagues and a fastball that reaches 95 miles per hour, arrives at the Escogido with the mission of fortifying the final innings of the games.
Brett arrives to be an impact piece in our pitching staff. He has a quality arm, a repertoire to attack, and the ability to get important outs when a game is on the line, and we are betting on his competitiveness.
Carlos Peña, General Manager of the Leones del Escogido
With these additions, the management of the 18-time national champions reaffirms its commitment to presenting a competitive team, focused on defending its championship and pursuing a new title for the scarlet fanbase.
