SANTO DOMINGO – The Tigres del Licey have confirmed the continuity of Gilbert Gómez as their manager for the next autumn-winter baseball season.
In addition, the return of Wellington Cepeda as assistant manager is announced, reinforcing the team’s coaching staff.
A Leader with Experience
Gómez prepares for his sixth season with the blue organization, where he has held various roles, from quality control coach to manager. In the 2023-24 campaign, he led the team to win the championship and two consecutive Finals Series.
At 31 years and 324 days old, Gómez became the youngest champion manager in the history of the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), surpassing the previous record held by Audo Vicente.
In addition, Gómez became the seventh Dominican leader to achieve a title in his debut season in the league.
MLB Career
During the break, the New York Mets designated Gómez as first base and outfield coach for next season, solidifying his growth as one of the most promising young coaches.
Gómez began his professional career after signing with the Mets in 2009 and was selected by Licey in the 2012 Rookie Draft. In 2017, at 25 years old, he decided to retire as a player to dedicate himself to instruction and technical direction.
In 2021, he was a hitting coach in the Rookie League. In 2022, he took over as bench coach in Class A with St. Lucie and a year later was promoted to manager.
In 2025, he celebrated the championship as manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones (Advanced A Class), guiding the team to its first title in the South Atlantic League and third in its history. Under his leadership, the team recorded 72 victories in the regular season and culminated the postseason with a perfect 4-0 record.
That same year he was selected as the leader of the “Breakout Game” of the MLB preseason. He also joined the coaching staff of the Dominican Republic national team that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, serving as a batting and third base coach.
Cepeda, for his part, currently serves as a bullpen instructor for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball.
In the Dominican League, he has worked as a pitching instructor with the Estrellas Orientales, Gigantes del Cibao, Leones del Escogido and Licey themselves. With the Gigantes he also served as manager, being recognized as Manager of the Year in the 2023-24 season.
With these moves, Licey is betting on continuity, experience, and technical stability for the next championship.
