Previewing the 2025 LIDOM Season Rosters

The 2025-26 Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) season is now underway, giving baseball fans a chance to see both blasts from the past and Major Leaguers of today. There are quite a few big leaguers who will make up for lost time in LIDOM this winter. So, here’s a look at notable players included on all the rosters.

Aguilas Cibaeñas

We’ll start with Aguilas, a team with several notable youngsters looking to take advantage of winter ball.

Royals rookie Carter Jensen was among the notable imports. Jensen had a fantastic September after he was promoted to Kansas City, as he slashed .300/.391/.550 (.941 OPS) with nine extra-base hits. The 22-year-old was joined by ex-Major Leaguer Devin Smeltzer and Rays reliever Hunter Bigge. Bigge, a hard-throwing righty, will make up for lost time after missing most of 2025 with a lat strain.

The 27-year-old struck out two over one inning in his first outing of the winter.

Among the notable bats, aside from Jensen, are Rockies infielder Adael Amador and Guardians prospect Angel Genao.

Tigres del Licey

The Tigres del Licey pitching staff includes some blasts from the past, including Emilio Bonifacio, Major League veteran Paolo Espino, and 42-year-old Radhames Liz. Liz, a former top prospect in the Orioles system two decades ago, last pitched in the Majors back in 2025 with the Pirates.

But aside from those two, the Tigres have one of the better prospects in baseball: Jordan Lawlar. The 23-year-old hit very well, with a .313 average (.967 OPS) down in Reno (AAA) this season. However, he’s been unable to have that first real breakthrough moment in the Majors. Lawlar did have a fine September with Arizona, though. He racked up seven doubles across the final month.

Griffin Conine, who missed most of 2025 with a dislocated shoulder, will make up for lost time and play for Licey.

Other notables include Giants farmhand Ryan Watson and catcher Francisco Mejia.

Leones del Escogido

Yes, there are players from the yesteryear of MLB history on the Leones. Former Astro Jimmy Paredes, as well as ex-Major Leaguers Socrates Brito, Erik Gonzalez, Pedro Severino, Junior Lake, and Zoilo Almonte, are all playing in winter ball.

But so are some other notable Major Leaguers who played in 2025, and are now playing for team manager Alex Cintron.

Pirates outfielder Alexander Canario received regular playing time with Pittsburgh this season, the first time in his career after he bounced around with the Cubs and Mets this past spring. Canario struck out a lot, as expected. Breaking balls and offspeed gave Canario, who sells out for the fastball, all the trouble in the world. He sported 50+% Whiff% on both types of pitches.

Martin Maldonado, who was on the Padres’ NL Wild Card roster, is also with Leones.

Gigantes del Cibao

The Gigantes’ pitching staff includes some familiar names. Former Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Jake Faria, as well as ex-Major Leaguers Daniel Mengden and Wily Peralta, headline their rotation alongside former D-Backs farmhand Emilio Vargas.

Cibao’s roster also includes a pair of 2019 Tigers draft picks in Jake Holton and Cooper Johnson, plus ex-Major Leaguer Nomar Mazara.

The headliner, though, is Gary Sanchez. A knee injury, coupled with wrist inflammation, limited Sanchez, who spent 2025 with the Orioles, to 30 Major League games.

Toros del Este

The Toros’ roster features a plethora of former high-end prospects, complemented by youngsters who could become impact players in the future.

Catcher Ronaldo Hernandez, former Cardinal Yairo Munoz, and Giants prospect Marco Luciano are on the Toros’ roster. One of Seattle’s many high-end infield prospects, Felnin Celesten, is also playing for the Toros, and he homered in his first game of the season. The 20-year-old Celesten held his own in Low-A before he moved to High-A Everett in mid-August.