The Leones de León are a professional baseball team competing in the Nicaragua Professional Baseball League (APBN). Their home games are played at Estadio Rigoberto López Pérez in León, Nicaragua. Their biggest rival is Indios del Bóer, which are based in the capital of Managua.
Leones also fields a team in Nicaragua's summer league, the Germán Pomares Ordóñez First Division, representing the department of the same name, albeit with different colors (blue and red) and management from the professional team. The team is historically the most successful in the first division.
History In , the first full season of professional baseball in Nicaragua, the "Melenudos de León" (León Mane-men) were skippered by manager Tony Castaño, whose pitching staff included Conrado Marrero, formerly of the Washington Senators. In the following 1957–58 season, Cuban pitcher Manuel Montejo of León threw the country's first professional no-hitter, in a 5–0 win over Cinco Estrellas on November 5, 1957.
Leones won the 1958 Pan American Series (Serie Panamericana), a one-off international club tournament against Venados de Mazatlán of the Mexican Pacific League and Vanytor de Barranquilla of the Colombian league. They also won the 2019 Latin American Series, the other counterpart of Caribbean Series, in a final game against the Chileros de Xalapa of the Mexican Liga Invernal Veracruzana.
The team has also won the most titles in Nicaragua's amateur league, the Germán Pomares Ordóñez First Division (Campeonato Nacional de Béisbol Superior Germán Pomares Ordoñez), with 20 (1939, 1943, 1960, 1962–64, 1967, 1968, 1973, 1974, 1981, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2019).
With the return of professional baseball in 2004, Leones were one of four teams in the new professional league. After a brief absence, the team returned to the professional league for the 2017–18 season, as a replacement for the defunct Orientales de Granada.
Leones previously played their home games at the Estadio Héroes y Mártires de Septiembre, which held a capacity of 3,328 spectators. Since 2024, they have played at the new Estadio Rigoberto López Pérez.
Championships Season Manager Opponent Series score 1957 Tony Castaño 1957–58 Wilfredo Calviño Cinco Estrellas 4–2 1959–60 Julio Moreno Cinco Estrellas 4–1 2004–05 Noel Areas Tigres de Chinandega 4–3 2009–10 Roger Guillén Oriental de Granada 4–1 2018–19 Sandor Guido Tigres de Chinandega 4–1 2019–20 Sandor Guido Tigres de Chinandega 4–1 2021–22 Sandor Guido Gigantes de Rivas 4–3 2024–25 Sandor Guido Tren del Norte 4–3 2025–26 Sandor Guido Gigantes de Rivas 4–3 Total championships 10
International competition Latin American Series record Year Venue Finish Wins Losses Win% Manager 2019 Veracruz 1st 7 0 Sandor Guido Total 7 0
Serie de las Américas record Year Venue Finish Wins Losses Win% Manager 2025 Managua 2nd 5 2 Sandor Guido 2026 Great Caracas 5th 2 4 Sandor Guido Total 7 6
Roster
References