SANTO DOMINGO. — The Baseball Operations management of the back-to-back national champions, Leones del Escogido, announced the continuation with the scarlet team of players Erik González, Sócrates Brito, Franchy Cordero, José Marmolejos, and Alexander Colomé.
Shortstop González, outfielders Brito, Cordero, and Marmolejos, and reliever Colomé were part of the list of free agents from Escogido that was released on February 13 by the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) and the National Federation of Professional Players (FENAPEPRO).
Erik González, 34 years old, won the Gold Glove award in the 2025-26 tournament, in which he was also named Gentleman of the Year.
During the regular season, the player from Puerto Plata posted a .299 batting average and .759 OPS, with 14 RBIs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, and 25 runs scored in 44 games. In the playoffs, he appeared in 23 games and hit .281 with a .350 on-base percentage, 6 stolen bases, 8 RBIs, 4 doubles, and 13 runs scored.
Sócrates Brito, 33 years old, played in 45 games during the preliminary phase and recorded a .294 average, 3 home runs, 25 RBIs, 7 doubles, 9 stolen bases, 24 runs scored, and a .775 OPS.
The native of Azua was once again decisive in helping the Leones win the championship, making the play that sealed the red crown for the second consecutive year. In this year’s playoffs, he hit .247, blasted 1 home run, drove in 12 runs, stole 10 bases, scored 11 runs, and added 6 doubles in 23 games.
Franchy Cordero, 31 years old, tied his career-high for home runs in a single tournament with 5 (a mark he had previously set in 2017-18). In 40 regular-season games, he batted .263, produced 17 runs, scored 17 others, added 5 doubles, and posted a .775 OPS.
Along with his fellow Azua native Brito, Cordero was named to the All-Tournament Team for the 2026 Caribbean Series in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he led the event with 3 home runs, 6 RBIs, and a 1.267 OPS in 4 games during the first round.
José Marmolejos, 33 years old, saw action in 26 regular-season games, hitting 7 doubles, scoring 13 runs, driving in 12, batting .269, and posting a .785 OPS. Between December 13 and 28, he had an 11-game hitting streak in which he combined for a .395 average, 1.143 OPS, 10 RBIs, and 7 doubles.
The player from the capital, who also plays first base, was a great help in the postseason, especially during the Round Robin. In that stage, he drove in 11 runs, hit .276, and had a .787 OPS.
Alexander Colomé, 37 years old, saved his best for the postseason, where he allowed no earned runs in 8.1 innings, striking out 6, with a 0.96 WHIP and a .179 opponents’ batting average, going 2-0.
Since the 2024-25 tournament onward, the native of San Pedro de Macorís has thrown 21.1 scoreless innings in the playoffs (8.1 in the two finals), including 19 strikeouts, a 0.98 WHIP, and three victories.
González, Brito, Cordero, Marmolejos, and Colomé will play under their mutual option season and have granted Escogido the reservation rights for the 2027-28 tournament as a team option.
The 18-time national champions are working to announce additional signings of their own free agents soon.