The Leones fired longtime GM Yoshihiro Seki after their latest bid for the PEC came up short leaving their San Juan rivals dancing on the Havana infield. “We’re not playing horseshoes. This is PEBA baseball. Close doesn’t count.”, was the response of club owner Patrick Hildreth.
Seiki had been the GM of the club from 2025 -2031. He guided the team to a division title and playoff appearances in every one of those years. There have long been rumors of a rift with members of the pitching staff. When asked about this, SP Enrique Vázquez, MR Carlos Ruiz and CL Ricardo Pérez all declined to comment giving the rumors a whiff of validation.
Former BC Juan Garcia has been tapped to take over the GM role. Garcia’s roots with the club predate Seiki’s. Garcia started with the organization as hitting coach of the Edo Battousai in the old LRS. He was there when Havana made its PEBA debut in 2021. After a sabbatical in 2022, he was hired in 2023 for the GM job at the club’s SS-A affiliate; guiding the Yasu Storks to a playoff appearance. He returned to Havana in 2024 where he has been serving as the club’s bench coach.
Garcia takes the helm
Hitting coach Jorge Gonzáles will be moved to the bench coach role. The longtime Codger hitting coach (2016-2025) and Leones hitting coach since 2026 will provide vast PEBA experience when his counsel is needed.
In a move that might be described as poetic, in the same year that saw the return to action of the Edo franchise in the WIL, Edo legend Morhiro 'Homu-Ran' Nakamura was tapped to become the new hitting coach for the Leones. Nakamura was hired as a hitting coach in 2030 to help guide the Rookie ball club Taranga Taniwha to the playoffs in their, and the league’s, inaugural season. Though some consider him an average hitting coach it has been suggested that he is being groomed for a shot at the GM spot. In any event his emphasis on power hitting is expected to be a big benefit to the club’s outfielders.
Nakamura
