# Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League

The Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (Spanish: Liga de Béisbol Profesional Nacional or LBPN), known as the Campeonato Claro for sponsorship purposes, is the professional baseball league of Nicaragua. The league consists of five teams with a 30-game regular season schedule that runs from November to December, followed by a four team playoff round robin; the two best teams advance to a best of seven championship series.

## History

Before the formation of the professional league, Nicaraguan baseball had long been played at the amateur level. However, the first club to sign a player to a professional baseball was San Fernando, signing several Cuban players for the 1955. The following year, the entire league embraced professionalism. The Nicaraguan professional league was formed in 1956, with five teams: Indios del Bóer, Cinco Estrellas, San Fernando, León, and Flor de Caña. Inaugurated on March 30, 1956 at the Estadio Nacional Anastasio Somoza (the site of the modern Estadio Nacional Soberanía), the first game was between San Fernando and Bóer. The first season was suspended in September 1956 due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García, but the tournament resumed in March 1957.
The league initially operated on a summer schedule, but was converted to a winter league when it agreed to join organized baseball in 1957. This agreement was facilitated by President Luis Somoza Debayle as part of a resolution between the Nicaraguan league and organized baseball, which accused the league of "raiding" players from Mexican League clubs.
The Nicaraguan public's excitement for baseball grew as foreign professional teams and foreign players came to play in their country's winter league circuit. The teams from Bóer and León were the most successful teams in those years with three championships each. Due to economic difficulties, the league had to shut down in 1967, though baseball continued to be played in an amateur format.
Professional baseball was re-established in Nicaragua in 2004. Since then, Bóer has led the league in championships with six, their most recent victory coming in the 2022–23 season.

## Current teams

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded |
| Indios del Bóer | Managua | Estadio Nacional Soberanía | 20,000 | 1905 |
| Tigres de Chinandega | Chinandega | Estadio Efraín Tijerino | 8,000 | 1956 |
| Gigantes de Rivas | Rivas | Estadio Yamil Ríos Ugarte | 6,000 | 2013 |
| Leones de León | León | Estadio Héroes y Mártires | 8,000 | 1939 |
| Tren del Norte | Estelí | Estadio Rufo Marín | 1,200 | 1961 |

### Defunct teams

* Cinco Estrellas
* Orientales de Granada
* Fieras del San Fernando

### Defunct stadiums

* Estadio Roberto Clemente, Masaya
* Estadio Roque Tadeo Zavala, Granada

## Champions

Key :
| † | Champions also won the Latin American Series that season |
| † | Champions also won the Interamerican Series that season |
| Season | Champion | Final Series | Runners Up | Manager |
| 1956 | Season suspended due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García | Season suspended due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García | Season suspended due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García | Season suspended due to the assassination of Anastasio Somoza García |
| 1957 | Leones de León | | | |
| 1957–58 | Leones de León (2) | 4–2 | Cinco Estrellas | Wilfredo Calviño |
| 1958–59 | Oriental | 4–3 | Indios del Bóer | Roberto Fernandez Tapanes |
| 1959–60 | Leones de León (3) | 4–1 | Cinco Estrellas | Julio Moreno |
| 1960–61 | Season canceled due to extreme weather | Season canceled due to extreme weather | Season canceled due to extreme weather | Season canceled due to extreme weather |
| 1961–62 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro | 4–2 | Indios del Bóer | Stanford Graham |
| 1962–63 | Indios del Bóer | 2–1 | Leones de León | Tony Castaño |
| 1963–64 | Cinco Estrellas $^†$ | 4–2 | Oriental | Wilfredo Calviño |
| 1964–65 | Indios del Bóer (2) | 4–2 | Round robin | Calvin Byron |
| 1965–66 | Indios del Bóer (3) | 4–1 | Leones de León | Calvin Byron |
| 1966–67 | Cinco Estrellas (2) | 4–3 | Indios del Bóer | Julio Moreno |
| No professional baseball from 1967 to 2004 |||||
| 2004–05 | Leones de León (4) | 4–3 | Tigres de Chinandega | Noel Areas |
| 2005–06 | Tigres de Chinandega | 4–2 | Fieras de San Fernando | Jorge Fuentes |
| 2006–07 | Indios del Bóer (4) | 4–0 | Leones de León | Noel Areas |
| 2007–08 | Indios del Bóer (5) | 4–2 | Fieras de San Fernando | Lourdes Gourriel |
| 2008–09 | Season suspended | Season suspended | Season suspended | Season suspended |
| 2009–10 | Leones de León (5) | 4–1 | Oriental de Granada | Roger Guillén |
| 2010–11 | Indios del Bóer (6) | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Noel Areas |
| 2011–12 | Indios del Bóer (7) | 4–2 | Tigres de Chinandega | Julio César Sanchez |
| 2012–13 | Tigres de Chinandega (2) | 4–2 | Oriental de Granada | Germán Mesa |
| 2013–14 | Gigantes de Rivas | 4–1 | Indios del Bóer | Manny Collado |
| 2014–15 | Indios del Bóer (8) | 4–2 | Gigantes de Rivas | Javier Colina |
| 2015–16 | Gigantes de Rivas (2) $^†$ | 4–3 | Oriental de Granada | Germán Mesa |
| 2016–17 | Tigres de Chinandega (3) $^†$ | 4–1 | Gigantes de Rivas | Len Picota |
| 2017–18 | Tigres de Chinandega (4) $^†$ | 4–1 | Gigantes de Rivas | Len Picota |
| 2018–19 | Leones de León (6) $^†$ | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Sandor Guido |
| 2019–20 | Leones de León (7) | 4–1 | Tigres de Chinandega | Sandor Guido |
| 2020–21 | Gigantes de Rivas (2) | 4–2 | Tigres de Chinandega | Joel Fuentes |
| 2021–22 | Leones de León (8) | 4–3 | Gigantes de Rivas | Sandor Guido |
| 2022–23 | Indios del Bóer (9) | 4–2 | Gigantes de Rivas | Joel Fuentes |
| 2023–24 | Gigantes de Rivas (3) | 4–2 | Tren del Norte | Germán Mesa |
| 2024–25 | Leones de León (9) | 4–3 | Tren del Norte | Sandor Guido |

### Championships by team

| Rank | Team | Wins | Years |
| 1 | Indios del Bóer | 9 | 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2014–15, 2022–23 |
| 2 | Leones de León | 9 | 1957, 1957–58, 1959–60, 2004–05, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2024-25 |
| 3 | Tigres de Chinandega | 4 | 2005–06, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2017–18 |
| 4 | Gigantes de Rivas | 3 | 2013–14, 2020–21, 2023–24 |
| 5 | Cinco Estrellas | 2 | 1963–64, 1966–67 |
| 6 | Oriental | 1 | 1958–59 |
| 6 | Cigarilleros del Marlboro | 1 | 1961–62 |

## International competition

From its inception, the Nicaraguan professional league sought to participate in international club competition. It hosted a tournament billed as the Serie Panamericana, or Pan-American Series, in 1958, inviting the champions of the Colombian and Mexican Pacific Leagues. This tournament, won by Leones de León, was a success; Nicaraguan organizers hoped it would allow them to join the Caribbean Series, but such an invitation was not forthcoming.
The LPBN did participate in the Interamerican Series three times in the 1960s, while the Caribbean Series was suspended. It hosted the 1964 edition, which was won by Cinco Estrellas.
Nicaragua was an inaugural member of the Latin American Series, winning the tournament four times in the 2010s.
The LPBN would not participate in the Caribbean Series until 2024, when it was invited to participate in the tournament in Miami. Their entry was controversial, because it was alleged that the regime of Daniel Ortega offered $1 million to the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation to secure the participation in the tournament.

### Interamerican Series champions

| Season | Winner |
| 1964 | Cinco Estrellas |

### Latin American Series champions

| Season | Winner |
| 2016 | Gigantes de Rivas |
| 2017 | Tigres de Chinandega |
| 2018 | Tigres de Chinandega |
| 2019 | Leones de León |

## Individual leaders by year
### Hitting

| Season | Player | Team | | Player | Team | | Player | Team | |
| | Batting average | Batting average | Batting average | Home Runs | Home Runs | Home Runs | RBI | RBI | RBI |
| 2004–05 | Adolfo Matamoros | Chinandega | .378 | Luis Iglesias | Chinandega | 4 | Marlon Abea | San Fernando | 33 |
| 2004–05 | Adolfo Matamoros | Chinandega | .378 | Marlon Abea | San Fernando | 4 | Marlon Abea | San Fernando | 33 |
| 2005–06 | Bárbaro Cañizares | Bóer | .352 | Michel Abreu | Bóer | 14 | Wilson Batista | Chinandega | 42 |
| 2006–07 | Justo Rivas | León | .377 | Clyde Williams | Bóer | 16 | Clyde Williams | Bóer | 40 |
| 2007–08 | Ofilio Castro | San Fernando | .351 | Luke Gorsett | Chinandega | 6 | Danilo Sotelo | San Fernando | 32 |
| 2007–08 | Ofilio Castro | San Fernando | .351 | Jimmy Hurts | San Fernando | 6 | Danilo Sotelo | San Fernando | 32 |
| 2007–08 | Ofilio Castro | San Fernando | .351 | Marcos Sánchez | San Fernando | 6 | Danilo Sotelo | San Fernando | 32 |
| 2009–10 | Jimmy González | Granada | .363 | Lenín Aragón | Bóer | 6 | Lenín Aragón | Bóer | 38 |
| 2009–10 | Jimmy González | Granada | .363 | Lenín Aragón | Bóer | 6 | Edgard López | León | 38 |
| 2010–11 | José Campusano | Bóer | .363 | Brian Nichols | León | 10 | Manuel Mejía | Bóer | 37 |
| 2011–12 | Renato Morales | Granada | .387 | Esteban Ramírez | Chinandega | 12 | Wuillians Vasquez | Bóer | 51 |
| 2012–13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | .416 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | 13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | 56 |
| 2012–13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | .416 | Ramón Flores | Chinandega | 13 | Yurendell DeCaster | Chinandega | 56 |
| 2013–14 | Wuillians Vasquez | Chinandega | .351 | Ronald Garth | Granada | 8 | Esteban Ramírez | Chinandega | 35 |
| 2014–15 | Yurendell DeCaster | Rivas | .368 | Rudy Van Heydoorm | Rivas | 6 | Ramón Flores | Rivas | 38 |
| 2015–16 | Jonel Pacheco | Chinandega | .427 | Juan C. Torres | Granada | 6 | Ronald Garth | Chinandega | 30 |
| 2016–17 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | .407 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | 11 | Wuillians Vasquez | Rivas | 55 |
| 2017–18 | Javier Robles | Bóer | .354 | Curt Smith | Chinandega | 6 | Elmer Reyes | Rivas | 34 |
| 2018–19 | Elmer Reyes | Bóer | .360 | Juan Silverio | Bóer | 6 | Juan Silverio | Bóer | 19 |
| 2019–20 | Ofilio Castro | León | .409 | Alvaro Gonzalez | Chinandega | 10 | Elian Miranda | Chinandega | 31 |
| 2019–20 | Ofilio Castro | León | .409 | Alvaro Gonzalez | Chinandega | 10 | Alvaro Gonzalez | Chinandega | 31 |
| 2020–21 | Ronald Garth | León | .400 | Cheslor Cuthbert | Rivas | 9 | Héctor Gómez | Tren | 41 |
| 2020–21 | Ronald Garth | León | .400 | Willy García | Tren | 9 | Héctor Gómez | Tren | 41 |
| 2021–22 | Alay Largo | Tren | .424 | Willy García | Tren | 11 | Alay Largo | Tren | 45 |
| 2022–23 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | .355 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | 7 | Manuel Geraldo | Bóer | 31 |
| 2023–24 | Omar Mendoza | Chinandega | .358 | Jesus Lopez | Chinandega | 8 | Omar Mendoza | Chinandega | 29 |
| 2024–25 | Sabriel Polanco Fernández | Tren | .369 | Ademar Rifaela | Bóer | 12 | Chase Dawson | León | 37 |

### Pitching

| Season | Player | Team | | Player | Team | | Player | Team | |
| | ERA | ERA | ERA | Win–loss record | Win–loss record | Win–loss record | Strikeouts | Strikeouts | Strikeouts |
| 2004–05 | Julio Raudez | San Fernando | 1.46 | Julio Raudez | San Fernando | 10–3 | Miguel Pérez | León | 99 |
| 2005–06 | Wilton López | León | 1.34 | Julio Raudez | Chinandega | 10–0 | Devern Hansack | León | 89 |
| 2006–07 | José Luis Sáenz | San Fernando | 1.96 | Wilton López | León | 8–2 | Willy Lebrón | San Fernando/León | 89 |
| 2007–08 | Wilton López | León | 1.45 | Diego Sandino | San Fernando | 10–0 | Juan Figueroa | Bóer | 60 |
| 2009–10 | Wilfredo Amador | León | 1.95 | Wilder Rayo | León | 7–2 | Melvin Cuevas | Granada | 57 |
| 2010–11 | Carlos Estrella | Granada | 1.19 | Rodney Rodríguez | Granada | 8–5 | Rodney Rodríguez | Granada | 93 |
| 2011–12 | Eric Blackwell | León | 2.75 | Wilder Rayo | León | 8–3 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 74 |
| 2012–13 | Wilder Rayo | León | 2.06 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 7–1 | Juan Figueroa | Granada | 79 |
| 2013–14 | Carlos Estrella | Rivas | 1.62 | Carlos Téller | Bóer | 7–0 | Santos Hernandez | Granada | 71 |
| 2014–15 | Rodney Rodríguez | Bóer | 2.29 | Paul Estrada | Chinandega | 8–1 | Rodney Rodríguez | Bóer | 58 |
| 2015–16 | Austin Davis | Bóer | 1.12 | Roger Luque | Granada | 5–2 | Paul Estrada | Rivas | 52 |
| 2015–16 | Austin Davis | Bóer | 1.12 | Roger Luque | Granada | 5–2 | Abraham Elvira | Chinandega | 52 |
| 2016–17 | Gustavo Martínez | Granada | 1.95 | José Rosario | Rivas | 7–1 | Frankie de la Cruz | Granada | 58 |
| 2017–18 | Jorge Bucardo | Bóer | 1.56 | Manauris Baez | Bóer | 5–0 | Paul Estrada | Bóer | 49 |
| 2018–19 | Luis Angel Mateo | León | 3.29 | Jorge Bucardo | León | 3–0 | Luis Angel Mateo | León | 35 |
| 2019–20 | Isaac Silva | León | 2.59 | Carlos Sano | Chinandega | 4–0 | Carlos Sano | Chinandega | 37 |
| 2020–21 | Leónardo Crawford | Rivas | 2.65 | Willy Paredes | León | 6-1 | Alexander Santana | Chinandega | 47 |
| 2021–22 | Bryan Torres | Rivas | 0.81 | Ronald Medrano | Rivas | 5-0 | Pedro Fernández | Chinandega | 71 |
| 2022–23 | Edgard Martinez | Tren | 2.22 | Yeudy García | Bóer | 5-0 | Ronald Medrano | Rivas | 57 |
| 2023–24 | Yeris Gonzalez | Chinandega | 1.69 | Luis Ramirez | Tren | 6-2 | Joanner Negrin Perez | León | 42 |
| 2024–25 | Ismael Cabrera Taveras | León | 1.11 | Bryan Torres | León | 7-0 | Luis E Peña | León | 57 |