Santiago – Jeimer Candelario, third baseman for the Toros del Este, and Travis Lakins, pitcher for the Leones del Escogido, have been named the Most Valuable Players (MVP) of the week of December 1st to 7th. This recognition was awarded during the seventh awards ceremony of the 2025-2026 autumn-winter baseball championship, dedicated to Juan Marichal and in dispute of the Banreservas Cup.
The ceremony, presented by Ron Ozama, took place at the Cibao Stadium in Santiago, bringing together communicators and representatives of the teams. Bryan de la Cruz and Jorge Tavárez, winners of the previous week, were also honored at the event.
Candelario: Offensive Strength of the Bulls
Jeimer Candelario led the voting with 43 votes, surpassing his teammate Allan Castro, who obtained 17 votes. During the week, he participated in five games, standing out with a .333 average (7 hits in 21 at-bats), including a home run and a triple. His offensive line was completed with an OBP of .391, a slugging of .619, and an OPS of 1.010. This award marks the seventeenth time that a Toros player has received this recognition since the LIDOM resumed the awards in the 2022-2023 season.
Lakins: Mastery on the Mound
Travis Lakins received 49 votes, surpassing Jean Carlos Henríquez of the Águilas Cibaeñas (31 votes) and Aaron Brooks of the Toros (23 votes). Lakins made two starts for the Leones, accumulating 10 innings, allowing 2 earned runs, 5 hits, and striking out 8 batters. His ERA was 1.80 and he finished with a WHIP of 0.50, becoming the seventh Leones pitcher to be awarded.
Additional Acknowledgements
The president of the Eagles, Víctor García Sued, and the general manager of the Bulls, Jesús Mejía, were present at the event. In addition, the league recognized the work of communicators David Cepeda, Marino Vásquez and Emanuel Tavarez, all from Santiago.
The selection of the MVP of the week is based on the combined vote of communicators and the league’s digital vote, thus ensuring recognition of the most outstanding performances.
