Spanish
Santo Domingo. — The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) is preparing to mark a new chapter in its history by playing, for the first time, official regular season games on U.S. soil.
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This was confirmed by the league president, Vitelio Mejía, in an interview for the Listín Diario, where he revealed that valid games for the standings will be played in both New York and Miami, as part of the effort to expand the LIDOM brand and connect with the Dominican diaspora.The Gigantes del Cibao and the Águilas Cibaeñas will be the protagonists of the series in New York, which will be played at Citi Field, home of the Mets, as part of the already known "Titanes del Caribe" series. Unlike previous editions, in which the matches were exhibition games, this third version will feature games valid for the official LIDOM calendar. Regarding Miami, Mejía announced that at least two rounds of the Round Robin will be played at LoanDepot Park, home of the Marlins, regardless of which teams qualify for that stage. The proposal was promoted by the Major League Baseball organization itself, reaffirming the commercial and competitive value of Dominican baseball in South Florida."This time the games will count, and that totally changes the competitive focus of the event," Mejía stated.
On another front, Mejía also confirmed that there are advanced conversations for the New York Yankees to play an exhibition game against the Dominican Republic national team that will participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The game would be played at the Quisqueya Juan Marichal Stadium, in Santo Domingo. Although the national team manager, Nelson Cruz, was cautious in his statements, sources close to the matter indicated that MLB and commissioner Rob Manfred are already working on setting up the event, pending official confirmation. If it materializes, it would be the first time in history that a Major League franchise faces the Dominican selection on Dominican soil, a milestone that would put the country at the center of the world baseball map.“Miami is already a natural market for us. This helps to continue projecting Dominican talent,” added the league president.
