Regarding the Yucatan Lions' failure, Yadir Drake remains "the most valuable"

Few players from the Yucatán Lions were spared the famous "burnout" that follows a season that was a sporting failure.

And, as team CEO Erick Arellano Hernández noted, "Out of many, I'd count three or four as returning for next season. The rest, no."

He didn't name names, but numbers don't lie, and those who delivered were truly few. One was Yadir Drake, the "Black Panther" of Matanzas , who had outstanding numbers both in the regular season and in the playoff series against the Diablos Rojos of Mexico. Others, Yoanner Negrín and César Valdez, were already veterans, but had a positive record, especially in key games for the organization.

Drake, therefore, was singled out by journalists from the Diario , those of Sports and those who follow the beasts as fans, as the "Most Valuable Player" of the 2025 season. Bad campaign, certainly, but Drake was always at the head of the offensive departments and always played intense ball, whether in his known position, right field, and when he was required at first base.

Since his arrival at the fair, Drake has provided the extra something that, according to the owner, was missing from the 2025 edition in its disappointing year.

A baseball player born in Matanzas, Cuba , on April 12, 1990, Yadir Drake has earned this recognition from the newspaper for the third time, having received it in the 2021 and 2022 seasons . And, when he was chosen this year, those who voted for him agreed: "The only one who gets his uniform dirty every day."

Drake is already a veteran in professional baseball. He played with his hometown team in Matanzas until he left in 2011, with a suitcase full of dreams and aspirations. He tried his luck with Dodgers affiliates starting in 2014 and in 2017 arrived in Mexican baseball with the Durango Generals . He emigrated to the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters that same year, and in 2018 appeared with the Sultanes de Monterrey . On December 10, 2019, Drake was traded to the Leones , his team since then.

Therefore, he is one of the team's key players, both on and off the field. This year, the "Melenudos" had a record number of players on their roster: 31 regulars and 35 pitchers. And few have the numbers to suit up for the Yucatecan club.

His offensive numbers, in addition to being high and above average, are consistent. And consistency is something that the common denominator for players on their teams is lacking. Hence the previous appointments for this publishing house in 2021 and 2022.

In 2024, when the Lions played in Kanasín, he was a key figure. The one who batted and fielded, and the one who was always signing autographs, taking photos, and shaking hands, something many players avoid and seek alternative exits from the stadium. Drake, there he is.

The numbers leave no room for doubt. Neither does the dirty uniform. This year, Drake missed only three of the Leones' 92 games , and that was due to a physical injury. His statistics were consistently in the top ten in the Mexican League , and he closed the season batting .362, with 20 home runs and 72 RBIs. He collected 127 hits, the sixth-highest total in the LMB.

Many baseball experts say that if Drake had a fixed position in the batting order, his numbers could be better. But with the Lions under three managers this year, the "Black Panther" batted second, third, fourth, and fifth. He didn't rest on the managers' moves all year.

The beasts arrived in the postseason, and Drake also carried the load. The rest, almost all of them, finished far below what could be expected from foreigners or those not born in Mexico.

In the four games against the Diablos Rojos, in which he played in the outfield and as the first player on defense, he hit .385, with one home run and two RBIs. Only he and Henry Ramos (.308) hit over .300. From spring to summer, Yadir Drake was the one who roared the loudest for the Leones. The rest, almost all of them, were in short supply.