2027 WHEBO predictions

 

Like any other WHEBO season, 2026 came and went with a lot of predictability and several surprises. As 2027 plays out, there is likely to be plenty of consistency and even more surprises; it’s just the nature of the game.

            (Each division is ranked first place to last in the preview below)

 

North American Association

Atlantic Division

Indianapolis

Overview: When you have a pitcher the likes of Edgar Luevano anchoring your staff, things are usually pretty damned good. Add Danny Diaz, Nick Sanchez, Moises Diaz, and possibly Guillermo Gutierrez, and things are even better. If the rotation has problems, look no further than the bullpen (Ryan Clarke, Ricky Granillo, Octavio Rosales, Ricky Sanchez, Nicol Snepvangers, and Brad Walmsley) to straighten things out.

When the team needs production from the offense, players like 1B Micah Denton, 2B Olakeakua Timu, SS Ryan Dragon, and CF Carlos Torres answer the call by consistently hitting around .300 each season. Add the power of RF Angel Munguia and the speed of CF Albert Ball, CF Dave Neely, and Torres) and you have the recipe for success. That success has led the Racers to a 691-444 record over the first 7 years of the league, which is the best record in the NAA and the third best in the whole of the WHEBO in that time.

            Outlook: Despite all of the team’s regular season success, it has not translated into any WHEBO championships. In fact, the Racers have yet to make it past the 2^nd round of the playoffs, although last season they took eventual America’s Cup winner Charlotte to seven games. This very well could be the year that the championship banner is raised in Indy.

            One to watch: SP Nick Sanchez. Sanchez has flirted with a 20-game win season only once, in 2024 when he went 19-6. He may get to 20 wins this season.

Montreal

Overview: With a rotation including Aaron Welch, Wes Bathgate, Melvin Moreno, and Kamakana Van buizen people would expect this team to be winners. Add Hector Garza to the rotation and a young Brysob Burrell looking to make a name for himself, and things get just that much better. The bullpen is more than solid with Henry Gonzalez, Bryan Malone, Fedele Nobilo, Bill Penrose, and closer Manny Sanchez. The offense is led by 1B Dave Flores, 2B Armando Rodriguez, CF/DH Wil Santa, and superstar CF Jordan Villasenor. Add 3B Juan Mendez, SS Bill Mate, LF Ignacio Rodriguez, and power-hitting RF Bobby Welch, and it’s no surprise this team is in the rear-view mirror of division foes Charlotte and Indianapolis.

            Outlook: The Monarques have been consistent throughout league history posting only one sub-.500 season. 2027 looks to be as good a time as any for the team to get out of the rear-view mirror and top the division.

            One to watch: SP Wes Bathgate. Remember when Bathgate won the Most Valuable Player (Pitcher) award in 2022? It’s time for another.

Charlotte

Rotation: With a 3 of the 5 men in the starting rotation consisting of Ludovic Despres, Waldo Verkleij, and Jose Escandon, it’s not much of a surprise that the Aviators are the reigning WHEBO Champions. Add righty Jose Ortiz and lefties Tomas Campa and Marcos Jimenez into the mix and there is a potential for more greatness in 2028. If the starting rotation was considered good, the bullpen might be even better. Lefties Joe Agnes, Francisco Lopez, Alex Luna and righties Bobby Ruiz, Ryan Siegal, and Dylan Sloan should all make the team this season.

            There are good contact hitters (1B Neyo Santulan, 1B Raul Sierra, 2B Roberto Palacio, 3B Willie Juarez, RF Nelson Arreola, RF/DH Wilfredo de la Rosa), decent power hitters (Santulan, Sierra, Juarez, CF Guillermo Meza, RF Edgar Bajana, de la Rosa), and solid speedsters (Sierra, Palacio, SS Lazaro Villanueva, Ruiz, Meza, Arreola) sitting in this team’s dugout just itching for a chance to be the first back-to-back champions in WHEBO history.

            Outlook: This team came on strong around mid-season in 2026 and kept on going right up until the final game of their championship series with the Guatemala City Mayans. Not many people would find it surprising to see this team take off like a wildfire to begin their 2027 campaign and eventually make the finals once again.

            One to watch: RF Wilfredo de la Santos. 155 homeruns and 360 RBI over his first three seasons in the league. The 28-year-old will continue hitting them out at home and on the road at a solid pace in 2027. He hit 61 out of the park last season; can Zapata’s 2020 record of 71 be within reach?

Ottawa

Overview: The only pitcher in the rotation that really stands out as being primed for success is Luis Cadavid. Daniel Murillo is an interesting option, but he still may need a bit of minor league experience before he’s ready to play with the big boys at the ML level. The remainder, Justin Downing, Mulatu Rehani, and Aidan Klattenburger are nothing more than filler players until the team gets some prospects moving up. The bullpen is a mashup of average guys and players who should be in the minors.

The offense is possible even worse with only two players who hit more than .260 last season (LF Derek Wagner and RF Armando Varela). 2B Carlos Rosa is still maturing and could turn into a decent option at the plate for both power and speed as could CF Antonio Mederos. Otherwise, there’s not much to look at offensively here.

            Outlook: Face it, the Lynx are the “WTF?” moment of the 2026 off-season. The team most likely to turn into a dynasty after winning two of the first four America’s cups was torn down and then pretty much abandoned by the GM. While it may seem like a long road to return to past glory, there are still plenty of youngsters moving through the farm system to make this team better. Patience is the key.

            One to watch: SP/RP Mike Hansen. This guy deserves to be in the rotation and getting 6+ innings an outing. He may give up his share of long balls, but he’ll also strike out a ton of guys in the process.

Pacific Division

Portland

Overview: The Beavers return with the same rotation members as 2026 (Alberto Argote, Cesar Rivera, Danny Salinas, Carlos Vega, Gary Woodford). Alex Escalara or Alex Lopez are also available for the rotation should there be an injury, or another pitcher falls into a bad slump. The bullpen was a bit down last season but Escalara, Willis Gutierrez, Alex Islas, Lopez, Ricky Lugo, Victor Medina, Bobby Mendoza, and closer Ed Ruiz should still keep things together enough to keep the team in the hunt for the playoffs.

The offense looks much the same with returning vets C Ramon Gomez, 1B Richard Smith, 2B Jesus Quintana, 3B Lorenzo Rivera, SS Oscar Maximo, LF Sherman Gonzalez, LF Carlos Gutierrez, LF/DH Alex Medellin, OF Casey Marmet, and CF Scott Sentner. C Jorge Palacio was signed during the off season as was RF Jesus Sandoval. Sandoval and Smith could combine for a decent one-two punch of power potential.

            Outlook: The Beavers have been unwavering in playing their style of baseball. They have been successful because that style plays well in 3 of the 4 stadiums in the Pacific Division. Portland may need to change things up a bit as their division rivals get better. The only reason they get the nod as top team is the consitency of their offense.

            One to watch: SP Cesar Rivera. Now that the sophomore slump is out of the way, Rivera could be on his way to a 20-win season.

Vancouver

Overview: A lot of people had Vancouver taking the Pacific division after Spring Training last season. It didn’t happen. A good rotation of Sean Capone, Seth Campbell, Juan Herrea, and Fidel Sanchez welcome FA signing Victor Morales to the fold this season. Morales adds a much better left-handed presence to the rotation than veteran Cooper Stobbie. Susumu Moreira and Rob Alvarado excelled out of the pen last season. The remainder of the pen arms were fair to poor in comparison.

There were some very nice pieces on the offense in 2026 led by 1B Eddie Maytorena, LF David Castellanos, and CF Edgar Tinoco. The power came from 3B Alex Manzano, RF Ken Manley, and DH Manny Perez. Newly signed 2B Efrain San Martin definitely adds a nice spark for this offense with his lead-off batter abilities.

            Outlook: In this division, anything can happen. The Cascades offense looks a bit stronger with the signing of San Martin and that can help any struggles the pitching staff may have had in 2026.

            One to watch: CF Edgar Tinoco. There’s little reason why this kid shouldn’t be hitting .300+ every season. He also has the speed and base running skills to be a risk to score at any time he’s on base. He’ll be a good tag team partner with San Martin at the top of the order.

San Jose

Overview: The move from Sacramento to San Jose did well for the Gold Sox as they captured their second Pacific Division title. The pitching rotation was led by Arturo Arroyo, Sal Anaya, and Miguel Dominguez. Bryan Ong and Fernando Pereira helped out as well. The bright spots out of the pen were righties Alex Aguayo and Alex Lopez, closer Francisco Valenzuela, and lefty Alejandro Silvestre. The rest of the staff struggled much of the time.

There was power to spare on the offense with 1B Jordan Canchola, 3B Jorge Acevado, SS Bruce Powers, LF Chris Benton, RF Julio Verver, and RF Gus Centrano knocking a combined 226 shots over the fences. That’s about all the offense had to show for itself as the only player hitting above .270 was Benton.

            Outlook: The Sox lived and died by the long ball in 2026. With this division showing signs in Spring Training of being very tight race, it might be a tough road for the team to return to the top of the division in 2027.

            One to watch: 1B Jordan Canchola. After hitting 59 home runs in 2026, could he make it to 60 or more. The way this guy hits for power against righties, there’s a very good chance of that happening.

Las Vegas

Overview: Despite an off year in 2026, Jorge Gallego remains the staff ace in Las Vegas. Follow him with lefty Alejandro Arellano and righty Bobby Villa and you have the start of a very solid rotation. Fidel Tapia will likely return as a starter this season and the #5 spot will likely go to 24-year-old Chris Zapata. The pen looks good as well with the likes of Danny Contero, Jesus Fuentes, Pedro Ortiz, Angel Rodriguez, Luis Rutz, Rick Walsh, and closer Ricky Salas all returning. Ricky de Anda and Melvin Macias may get the call this season as well.

There is a decent mix of veteran players and younger guys on the offense. There’s not a lot of power here, but enough from players like LF Santiago Cardenas, LF Hector Rodriguez, and RF Eddie Ulloa to manufacture some runs. Rodriguez, CF Bobby Cuenca, CF Luis Robles, and RF Bobby Vieyra are the speed of the team and LF Justin Aycock, Rodriguez, Cardenas, and Ulloa should produce near .300 averages at the plate. SS Hector Bonilla should get the callup for the start of the season and will be another high-contact speedster on the base paths.

            Outlook: The Scorpions have cultivated a solid crop of younger talent over the past several seasons and their time is approaching. Whether everything meshes well or not this season is a mystery right now, but Las Vegas definitely has the talent to turn some heads in 2027.

            One to watch: SS Hector Bonilla. Should Bonilla get make the ML roster to start the season, it’s not unthinkable that he could end up in contention for Rookie of the Year honors. His great skills at the plate and incredible speed and baserunning abilities will make him a fun player to watch in 2027.

West Division

San Antonio

Overview: The Marshalls are 2 years removed from their first America’s Cup Championship and defending West Division champions. The current rotation of Chris Bray, Geoff Companioni, Tony Trevino, and Elias Rodriguez are as solid as any team’s starting four. The #5 starter, if the team decides to go that route, is still unknown. J.D. Barnet is very close to being ready for a full-time starting gig, as is Roy Pitts and Jorge Perez. The bullpen, outside of a tough season for Ignacio Cubas, is solid and returns veterans Eric Bosell, Jose Juarez, Donato Topete, and closer Joe Bogart, among others, to vie for another playoff appearance.

The offense will once again be led by 1B/DH John Woolridge, 2B Eduardo Ojeda, LF Luis Diaz, and aging veteran RF Javier Rodriguez. Others who will help the cause include 1B Alexis Contreas, 1B Fritz Dunphy, 2B Alex Villarreal, 3B Kieron Atkinson, and RF Duane Archer.

            Outlook: There’s a strong mix of power and speed on the offense and the pitching staff can take control of a game as well as any other staff in the league. It’s not much of a stretch to predict the Marshalls to take the division once again in 2027 or make a deep run in the post-season.

            One to watch: LF Luis Diaz. He has very good contact skills, gets on base with regularity, shows good power, and is a speedster on the base paths. If nothing else, he will consistently hit between .300 and .325 with 30+ doubles, home runs, and stolen bases.

Tucson

Overview: The Outlaws made it all the way to the America’s Cup championship series in 2024; took their division in 2025 and then all but disappeared in 2026. The rotation was solid, if nothing else, with 4 starters reaching double digits in victories. Some exceptional work from bullpen players such as Jesus Baez, Jose Hinojosa, and closer Jorge Ortiz was all but wiped out with most of the remaining pen arms posting ERA’s above 5.00. They brought in Jeremy Benton via trade, who can pitch out of the pen or work out of the rotation, to help out this season.

Even with 3B Steve Chesson and LF Robert Pichardo making consistent contact and getting on base often, the rest of the offense seemed to sputter through the 2026 season. 2B Melvin Maciel did show good power once again as did LF/1B Ferry Bouman, but even they both seemed a little “off” from the previous season.

            Outlook: Tucson is a tough one to figure out after their great rise in 2024/25 and sudden fall in 2026. Maybe the whole team was just in a funk? Maybe their opponents were just that much better? Still, this Outlaws team can make some noise once again if they figure things out early in 2027.

            One to watch: SP Enrique Gomez. His “off” season included a 3.93 ERA in 37 starts. He can get back to his winning ways and be a contender for Pitcher of the Year if the offense picks up the pace.

Salt Lake City

Overview: As is with most rebuilding teams, the Knights are struggling to field a contender at this time. The returning rotation of Josh Pero, Josh Delameter, Alex Herrera, and Luis Vasquez aren’t really as bad as they looked last season. However, newly signed International FA Bosko Perisic probably isn’t going to be much help to the team right now. A bullpen of Pedro Diaz, Bill Licea, William McDonald, Fernando Rosales, Andres Tirado, Francisco Valdes, and CL Gaetan Hebert hope to keep things together enough for the team to improve over last year’s showing.

The offense has a few bright spots from 2026 returning (C Antenor Rebelo, 3B Efrain del Rivero, SS Tomas Espinosa, LF Alex Bujunda, and RF Gabriel Saro). The players to keep an eye, however, are International FA signings 1B Pedro Rodriguez and CF Richard Hudson. Rodriguez brings a powerful bat to the lineup and Hudson will hit-for-average and then use his exceptional speed and baserunning skills to become a scoring threat. He also shows above average power.

            Outlook: The offense is improved over the 2026 version, but the pitching staff is still a bit underwhelming. The Knights should improve upon their 2026 record and move out of the basement this year.

            One to watch: CF Richard Hudson. The kid has “Rookie of the Year” written all over him. It would not be surprising to see him hit around .325 and swipe 50+ bases.

Nashville

Overview: The Nashville Stars have never had a winning season in the WHEBO despite staff ace Raul Bermudez’s efforts. Unless the team decides to go with a 6-man rotation, someone (Nate Hinojosa, Tobias Mangerico, International FA signing Sitaram Naik, Willie Aguire, or Felipe Rodriguez) will be looking on from the bench, or the minor leagues. Good seasons out of the pen from Les Brown and closer Yahuhiro Uchida evened out bad seasons from Jordan Maldonado and Phil Menu. Brett Tooley, Gerrie Manders, and Fernando Pegan round out the bullpen hopefuls.

While there’s a good amount of speed and stealing ability on the offense, most players aren’t getting on base often enough to use it. CF David Ramos is the sole player to hit more than .275 last season and he only managed 17 stolen bases. There are capable hitters on the squad (C Sam Zimmerman, 1B Omar Herrera, 1B Fernando Irias, 2B Jose Aguilera, 2B Russell Fenton, 2B Fernando Salazar, 3B Victor Gomez, SS Jose Ayala, SS Yadier Flores, LF Ricky Esquivel, RF Pete Dugger), they just aren’t making consistent contact.

            Outlook: There are several young players who may be ready to make the move to the ML roster this season, however, until the experienced players begin to play to their potential, the Stars will be looking up at everyone else in the division.

            One to watch: SP Felipe Rodriguez. Look for Rodriguez to bounce back from a terrible 2026 and post solid numbers for 2027.

South American Association

Baja Division

Guatemala City

Overview: When your pitching staff is anchored by Jesus Mejia, you are expected to win. GC has done that with Mejia, but has upped the ante with additional starters Felipe Perez, Marco Fuentes, and Scott Newman. Those four were a combined 60-32 last season. That’s one less win than the two worst SAA teams. The bullpen has a solid group of arms including Leonardo Baltodano, Pok-too Cuan, Baltesar Magellan, Victor Moreno, Mike Parra, Jim Uhlman, and John Tasman.

            On the offense, players like 2B Hector Escobedo, SS Jordan Baltazar, and LF Dana Bunney have great speed on the base paths. That allows power-hitters like 3B Louie Stoddart and RF Louie Harris to ring up lots of RBI. Escobedo and Bunney are the best hit-for-average players on the team. The weak spot of the offense is the bench, but they have proven that they can win and make it deep into the playoffs with similar rosters.

            Outlook: Will GC be the best team in the Baja Division? Most likely. Will GC be the best team in the SAA? Quite possibly. Will GC make it to the America’s Cup finals for the 4^th time. Highly probably. With a team built around exceptionally solid pitching, there may be no limit to what they can accomplish in 2027.

            One to watch: SP Gordon Lovell. Lovell is a good upgrade over current #5 starter Justin Green and while he is no match to the rest of the rotation, he could certainly give the team another double-digit winning pitcher this season.

Mexico City

Overview: After winning 86 or more games in each of the first five WHEBO seasons, the Diablos fell to below .500 for the past two seasons. Returning rotation men Alberto Carrillo, Micah Magraw, and Bill Trenholm are focused on turning things around for the Mexico City faithful. The remaining rotation spots are open to competition though Thomas Platts might have the best shot at the #4 slot. Bruno Carpentier, Max Molina, Huirangi Wanda, and Alonza Prado are poised to work out of the pen again in 2027, but they will need some help from somebody. Youngsters Bob Atley, Manual Baca, and Ronald Wilson got some looks this spring, so one or more of them might get the call.

1B Nick Robles, 2B Will Ruiz, LF Murdoch Vallis, and RF Marlin Deacon all performed well in 2026, but the rest of the offense seemed to sputter more often than fire on all cylinders. Ruiz, Vallis, and Deacon offer a good deal of speed and baserunning ability as well. 2B Alex Huertas may be ready to add some more speed to the offense if he makes the opening day roster and 1B Daniel Hermosillo may make the squad as well.

            Outlook: Mexico City may well be looking to a small rebuild as it is well known that Vallis is available for the right deal. The team seems rather weak over all with just a handful of players on either side of the ball who perform well. It might be another tough year for the Diablos.

            One to watch: LF Murdoch Vallis. Regardless of trade rumors, this kid has “it.” He was just 3 home runs and 3 stolen bases shy of a 40/40 season. He should make it in 2027, and possibly have 40+ doubles as well.

Tijuana

Overview: The Goats find themselves in the unenviable position of being in a division with Guatemala City. However, with two other teams either rebuilding or considering that option, Tijuana has some room to improve in 2027. Most of the rotation is still relatively young (Ernesto Gutierrez, Sam Sonier, and Wilson Frausto), so there is room for improvement from their 2026 showings. The question remains who will become their #5 starter. The bullpen needs to improve overall as well since only Frank Rodriguez, Omar Silva, and closer Ivan Alvarez had ERA’s below 4.00.

The offense here is a bit of a mess with only 1B Danny Figueroa, 3B Mason Hartley, SS Jose Fernandez, SS Alejandro Pacheco, CF Tom McIndoe, and rookie RF Ken Burbidge hitting over .250. Burbidge had a very solid year and will be the player to build the team around for the near future.

            Outlook: There’s not much power and very little speed on the offense, so plating runs is going to be a bit difficult. There are some prospects down on the farm who are very near to making the move up to the ML level. We may see a couple get a September call-up in 2027.

            One to watch: RF Ken Burbidge. He’s the heart and soul of this offense, if not the whole team, right now. He hits for average, does a good job of getting on base, has a little power and a lot of speed. He didn’t finish 2^nd in the WHEBO SAA Rookie of the Year voting for nothing.

Guadalajara

Overview: The rebuilding Black Roses brought in four new starting pitchers this off-season: Bobby Sanchez, Danny Aguilar, Jeff Cousins, and Mark McInnis. The sole homegrown start is Koen Boshuizen. The pen is an average looking group with last year’s standout being Cliff Giddens. Stephen Weeks was brought in via free agency to help as the team rebuilds. Others likely to make the squad are Savatore Berumen, Javier Mospqueda, Pedro Panora, and Antonio Vela.

The lineup is a bit week with regards to most hitting skills. Standouts from 2026 include SS Leandro Unas, RF Sandy Marin, and OF Luis Rios. Veteran power hitters 3B Ben Howe and LF/DH Mickey Kurucz were brought in from Ottawa and San Antonio respectively to help 24-year-old slugger Mario Bautista knock runs in. Bautista, Rios, 2B Luis Rosado, and SS Scott Brown add the speed on the base paths.

            Outlook: Again, the Black Roses are in rebuild mode so not much is expected from them during this season. They will likely play spoiler a few times during the 2027 campaign against the better teams of the SAA as they look toward the future.

            One to watch: RP Cliff Giddens. In his brief time with Guadalajara after being traded from San Antonio, the 35-year-old showed that he could still perform well. He might end up with a double-digit win total out of the pen this season.

 

Caribbean Division

San Juan

Overview: The Senators can lay claim to the best record in WHEBO history at the beginning of the 2027 season. Their experimental pitching scheme has led to some interesting stats lines, but it also led the team to yet another playoff appearance. Many pitchers fared well under the new scheme, including Vinnie Aguilar, Matt Briggs, Jose Fernandez, Guillermo Gonzalez, Lee Lorte, Bill Matte, Omar Razo, and closer Jorge Serna. International FA signing Chuk-yan Mi will look to add his name to successful pitchers in 2027.

The offense was less experimental but still very successful last season. 1B Jose Diaz, 2B Joe Vennard, 3B Gerardo Lozano, SS Dave Hodges, LF Marcos Tejeda, and CF Angel Esquivel all hit .293 or above. The best power hitter on the squad was RF Jose Medina though he will see competition for the team’s HR title this year from DH Randy Doucette who was acquired in a trade from Tucson in the off-season.

            Outlook: Despite the occasional slump throughout the years, all the SAA GM’s, especially those in the Caribbean Division know not to underestimate the Senators. They aren’t afraid to make moves throughout the season to make the team stronger.

            One to watch: DH Randy Doucette. Doucette has hit 40+ home runs only twice in his four-year career. Look for him to make this the third time. He could easily hit 50 out in 2027.

Santo Domingo

Overview: The Dukes are simply stacked in the top of their rotation. Jose Solis, Nick Doss, Alex Jurez, and Mike Phillips may be among the best four-man rotation in the league. Looking to the pen, it’s hard to envision a team looking better with 8 different pitchers holding ERA’s of 3.00 or less in 2026. Closer Jay Johnson continues to dominate in his mid-thirties as does 40-year-old Antonio Rodriguez.

1B Chris Miller, perennial MVP candidate 2B Jose Garza, and SS Gareth Gardiner all hit above .300 last season. 3B Joham Roura, LF Juan Sandoval, and RF Johnny Zapata added the long ball and CF Henry Gonzalez added the speed. With all this talent, it’s no surprise they won the division title last year.

            Outlook: Santo Domingo and San Juan have had some classic battles for the division title over the course of WHEBO history. This year is looking to be another. Could it come down to a one-game playoff to see who goes to the post-season as division champion and who possible stays home?

            One to watch: 2B Jose Garza. How is it that Garza hasn’t hit .400 yet? Plus, how is it he doesn’t have a championship ring yet? And only two MVP awards? Come on, man!

Cienfuegos

Overview: The Elephants field a solid rotation for their top four starters, led by righties Luis Romero and Enrique Mendoza. Others that should stay at the ML level once again are Edwin Gonzalez and Carlos Jasso. The #5 spot may be up for grabs as 23-year-old Victor Delgado looks like he may be ready for The Show this season. Closer Julio Sotelo had another stellar season as did Alex Dominguez. Rounding out the likely bullpen candidates for the upcoming season are Cienfuegos veterans Mario Gonzalez, Marco Madrid, and Robert Pedraza. 2-way player Jesus Loya pitched in relief during 22 games, but his 7.29 ERA may have management looking for more offense and less pitching from the 27-year-old outfielder.

            The lineup is built for above-average contact and OBP, and features some speedy base runners (CF Victor Castillo, RF Edwin Estrella, 3B Frank Bolanos, CF Willie Rodriguez) and several high-contact men (1B Graham Wadham, LF Jesus Loya, CF Rodriguez). There is a bit of power scattered here and there as well (1B/DH Mario Lopez, 1B Jose Arellano, 2B Armando Trujillo, CF Castillo). They also field one of the better catchers in the league with Jon Maldonado behind the plate.

            Outlook: Since their initial 91-71 season in 2020, the Elephants have been slowly building up depth in their minor league system to make a run at powerhouses San Juan and Santo Domingo. With a few of the younger players possibly ready to make the move up to the ML squad, Cienfuegos is poised to make their move toward the top in 2027.

            One to watch: 1B Quincy Sleigh. While he may not be able to dethrone Lopez at DH or Wadham at 1B, he does add the option of another solid hitter with power to work his way into the lineup every few games.

Havana

Overview: The Lions have an odd way of looking very good on paper each year and then not living up to those expectations. Starting pitchers Enrique Mora, Andres Vega, and Chris Pestano should all do better than what they seem to do. ML hopeful Alex Prado is probably not ready to make the jump right now, but he’s looking like a strong candidate to see some major league time very soon. Salvado Espino has another year under his belt and should see some improvement this season. The bullpen could have several faces in 2027 as Salvadore Gonzalez and Steve Hargrove look to move up from the minors and the team has already signed Alex Salinas to add another lefty to the pen. Others in line for the season are Zach Aldridge, Philip Buffrey, Jorge Pomares, Ferdinand Veldhuijzen, and Juan Abreu.

The offense has some decent contact hitters (1B Romeu Zanelli. 3B Julio Rangel, LF Steve Mora, RF Rey Requena) and some power guys (Zanelli, LF Agustin Perez) and a handful of speed guys (2B Dominic Williams, LF Steve Mora, CF Manny Alderete,  and RF Jovesa Fatialofa) but only three players managed to hit over .250 in 2026.

            Outlook: There is good enough pitching here to be successful, but the offense needs to show up more often. The Caribbean Division is one of the toughest in all of the WHEBO, but with a little luck, the Lions can make it interesting in 2027.

            One to watch: SP Andres Vega. It’s hard to think that a player might have a “break out” season in his fifth year in the league, but Vega is poised to be one of the best, if not the best pitcher in the Lions rotation.

South Central Division

Panama City

Overview: The Parrots started out slowly in the WHEBO, having drafted young for the future. The future came earlier than expected as they have now won 5 consecutive division titles. Jorge Alfaro, Emilio Galindo, Manny Perez, and Lazaro Rojas all were double digit winners in the rotation last season. Of the others who drew starting duties, Edward Pearson may be the best option for a spot in this year’s rotation. The pen was solid with CL Nick Garza looking like a stud. Others who did well include Killian Card, lefty Carlos Gutierrez, innings eater Marty Halbach, Juan Marin, Oscar Pineda, and Hector Quinones.

The offense has speed (2B Ramon Matos, LF Pavel Weeda, and CF Edgar Castellanos), power (3B Chris Laney, LF Juan Ortiz, and RF Andrew Jones), and contact hitters (C Ryan Gomez, 1B Fred Bolger, 1B Antonio Gonzalez, Matos, Laney, SS Alex Loza, Ortis, and Jones). They can plate runs as well as any team in the league.

            Outlook: The Parrots made it all the way to the America’s Cup Championship game in 2025. With a very solid pitching staff and an even better offense, there’s no reason to believe they will falter in 2027.

            One to watch: 3B Chris Laney. How is this guy not hitting .400 with 50+ round-trippers? He’s just now entering his prime as a player. Look for him to put up some monster numbers in 2027…and beyond.

Bogota

Overview: The Toro’s pitching staff is anchored by 24-year-old ace Felix Coronel. In his first two seasons, Coronel has put up a 31-19 record with a solid 3.35 ERA. Predicting the youngster to manage 20 or more wins in the 2027 season is not too much of a stretch. Others likely to see the opening day roster are right-handed pitchers Danny Murillo, Jordan Leos, Alex Ortiz, and veteran lefty Ryad Brunet. The team’s best bullpen hurler is veteran Danny Durham. Most likely to see ML time this season are righties Victor Chacon, Francisco Estrella, Matt Maki, Maximilien Tisserand , and 2-way player Ruben Rodriguez.

            On offense there’s a decent mix of speedy players (SS Scott Thompson, LF Danny Ayala, CF Joey Manriquez, 1B/DH Ruben Rodriguez) and power-hitters (1B Carlo de Leon, 2B Jose Chairez, 3B Jimmy Scarpelli, 1B/DH Ruben Rodriguez) among the potential players to make the opening day roster, but only a few solid contact-hitters (de Leon, Rodriguez, Manriquez).

            Outlook: Overall, the starting rotation is young with four of five at 27 years of age or younger to start the season. 34-year-old Brunet’s exceptional work ethic can easily keep him around as those younger guys get better. The offense looks to be more about the long ball rather than contact and getting on base, but that plays well in three of the four South Central ballparks, so the scheme isn’t too far-fetched. If Leos and Murillo improve this season, it’s not out of the question that the Toros could become a .500 team.

            One to watch: SP Danny Murillo. With a blazing 100+ mph fastball and an arsenal of 5 solid pitches (and a little support from the offense), Murillo could make a solid showing in 2027 with 15 or more wins.

Maracaibo

Overview: Maracaibo were the best of the South Central early on in the league, winning 194 games over the first two years of the league and taking home the America’s Cup in 2021. Since then they have struggled but brought themselves back into contention in 2026. The veterans of the rotation (David Acosta, Eddie “The Other” Mejia, Matthew Patel, and George Wiseman) fared well in 2026, but it seems they should have done better overall. Rookie Oscar Sota proved he was ready for the ML level and should see continued success in 2027. The bullpen gets a boost from two new lefties (Federico Abundiz and Jesus Gomez) to help out incumbents Zaire Hobson, Gabe Nunez, and closer Dave Duran. Two wild cards are Jose Alvirez and Juan Barron, who started 17 and 32 games respectively in 2026.

There’s some power to be seen in the lineup, but with players like 3B Mark Crowley andRF Bob Meza racking up almost 300 K’s between them, other players might be better options. There are some good hit-for-average guys (1B Willie Arellano, 1B Jonathan Avila, Elias Quinteros, and LF/CL Dave Duran. Duran is really the intriguing player as he can play left field more often since a closer isn’t always needed every game.

            Outlook: The Eagles are on their way back to prominence in the division. Some new players here and there and they could be a 90-win team very soon. They may be a few players shy this season.

            One to watch: SP Oscar Sota. He’s still developing as a pitcher, but with a strong showing last season, and a little luck, he might just be the best pitching in this rotation.

Managua

Overview: The Quakes have suffered through several rough seasons, patiently working on building up their young talent to be ready for future success. The team brought in Manuel Mata via free agency to help solidify a very average rotation. Elias Contreras, Jayden Harwood, Nelson Cano, and Americo Hombrinhos return from the 2026 campaign hoping to build on their 29-45 combined record. Charlie Brunet had a strong showing as a rookie last season, as did veteran hurler Jesus Nunez. Jesus Jurado had a down year, but more consistency is needed from Carlos Aldama, Taylor Gutteridge, Cooper Oakes, Eric Shinn, and Walt Stackhouse if the team hopes to move out of the basement.

The star of the offense has been Cesar Lopez though he may have some competition from newly signed 1B Victor Ortiz. 3B Demas Cerqueira comes over from San Juan with solid power to aid young RF Roger Duffy in producing runs. The remainder of the offense is average to below average although veteran 2B Joel Milner seems to be still going strong at age 33.

            Outlook: There’s not a whole lot to see with the Quakes currently. A few solid pitchers and hitters won’t likely turn things around for the team. They have several monster pitchers working their way through the minor leagues, but those guys probably are still a year or two away.

            One to watch: 1B Victor Ortiz. The 37-year-old switch-hitter could be rejuvenated in his return to the SAA South Central.