Águilas defeated Magallanes in extra innings with back-to-back home runs by Jackson Chourio and José Pirela

José Ángel Rodríguez S. l LVBP Press

January 2, 2026

Valencia.- Águilas del Zulia, the team with the fewest home runs in the elimination round, relied on a back-to-back performance from major leaguers Jackson Chourio and José Pirela to overcome in 10 innings4-3Navegantes del Magallanes, at the start of the Round Robin.

Superstar Chourio, in hisfirst postseason game in the LVBPHe went 5-for-4 with a double, three runs scored and one RBI, the result of the first of the consecutive solo home runs that the western team hit against Junior Guerra, in the tenth inning, after two outs.

“This is a dream come true for me,” the outfielder told LVBP.com after the game, having finished signing some baseballs for the Águilas fans who gathered at José Bernardo Pérez Stadium in Valencia. “I consider myself a lucky person because everywhere I go, I’m received with the greatest affection. What better way to repay them than by hitting the ball?”

The 21-year-old from Maracaibo became the youngest player in Major League history in 2025 with multiple seasons of at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases. He demonstrated his superiority by launching a home run on the first pitch of his at-bat against Guerra, with two outs, to break the 2-2 tie.

“I just wanted to make good contact,” Jackson Chourio said. “Luckily, it was a home run.”

After the home run by the Milwaukee Brewers star, came the historic José Pirela, who on a 1-2 count launched the ball to left field, bringing his career playoff home runs total to eight with the Eagles, tying Carlos “Cañón” Quintana for second place in the franchise and also scoring the winning run.

[ Brother Jaison was 0-5. Jaison batter 2nd in the lineup while Jackson batted 3rd ]

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JACKSON CHOURIO has officially finished his stint with the Águilas del Zulia (Venezuela Eagles) in the Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP) for the current 2025-2026 season and has traveled back to the United States.

His departure was planned as per an agreement with his MLB team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who wanted him to wrap up his winter ball participation before the end of the LVBP postseason. Chourio departed Venezuela on January 6, 2026, traveling via Curaçao to the U.S. amid some political uncertainty and travel concerns in the region.

During his time with the Aguilas this winter, Chourio played in eight games, batting .400 with a home run and five RBIs. His performance was a major boost for the team during their playoff push. He is expected to prepare for the upcoming 2026 MLB season with the Brewers.

AÑO JJ VB CA H 2B 3B HR CI TB BB K BR SAC SF AVE PEB SLG OPS GP AL
2025 7 30 10 12 2 0 1 5 17 4 4 1 0 0 .400 .486 .567 1.053 1 35

G 7, AB 30, R 10, H 12, 2B 2, 3B 0, HR 1, RBI 5, TB 17, BB 4, K 4, SB 1, SAC 0, SF 0, AVE 400, PEB 486, SLG 567, OPS 1.053

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Cleveland Guardians prospect JAISON CHOURIO has left the Venezuelan Winter League (LVBP) team Águilas del Zulia and is now training at the Guardians' development complex in Goodyear, Arizona.

The 20-year-old switch-hitting center field prospect had been playing for the Águilas (Eagles) during the offseason, along with his brother, Milwaukee Brewers star Jackson Chourio.

Jaison Chourio's departure follows that of his brother, Jackson, who also recently left the team to return to the United States as per an agreement with his MLB club and amid political uncertainty in Venezuela.

AÑO JJ VB CA H 2B 3B HR CI TB BB K BR SAC SF AVE PEB SLG OPS GP AL
2025 45 164 27 53 6 2 2 22 69 25 31 9 0 2 .323 .408 .421 .829 0 191

G 45, AB 164, R 27, H 53, 2B 6, 3B 2, HR 2, RBI 22, TB 69, BB 25, K 31, SB 9, SAC 0, SF 2, AVE 323, PEB 408, SLG 421, OPS 829

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[ Jaison Chourio had the best winter ball campaign that I can remember in recent history. In fact, I'd have to go all the way back to 2012-2015 and Jose Ramirez. From World Baseball Network and Cleveland.com, this four-year period covers his time with the Toros, noted for his development and impact in the league. During this time, he played for the Toros, contributing to his MLB readiness. I hope Jaison can follow along in Jose's footsteps. ]

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Johnathan Rodriguez carries the Most Valuable Player trophy in winter baseball

The Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League also announced the Manager of the Year award, which went to Andy González of the Ponce Lions.

January 9, 2026 - 11:40 AM

Carolina Giants outfielder Johnathan Rodriguez was elected Most Valuable Player of the 2025-26 season of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC) , as announced Friday on social media by the organization itself.

[ Cleveland Guardians prospect Johnathan Rodríguez, a native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, earned the MVP award for the 2025-26 Puerto Rican Winter League (LBPRC), playing for the Gigantes de Carolina, adding to his 2024 International League MVP award from MiLB for his stellar Triple-A performance with the Columbus Clippers. ]

Rodríguez beat the other two finalists in the voting, outfielder Dalton Guthrie, of the Leones de Ponce, and third baseman Emmanuel Rivera of the Indios de Mayagüez.

Rodríguez helped the Giants qualify for the postseason by finishing third in the regular season, batting .265, placing him among the top 10 hitters in the tournament, in ninth position.

But Rodríguez, who belongs to the Cleveland Guardians in the Major Leagues, was the leader of the Puerto Rican winter league in runs batted in with 23. Nine of his 39 hits were extra-base hits, divided into seven doubles, one triple and one home run.

On the other hand, the manager of the Ponce Lions, Andy González, took the Manager of the Year award, surpassing in the voting Omar López, of the Santurce Crabbers, and Edwards Guzmán, of the Giants.

González led the Leones to the second seed, finishing with a 23-17 record, three games behind first-place Santurce. This was a significant improvement after his team's elimination last season, when the Leones went 18-22 and then lost a wild card game against Caguas.

The day before, on Thursday, the LBPRC announced the Pitcher of the Year and Reliever of the Year awards, which went to the imported Ashton Goudeau, of the Indios, and Andrew Marrero, of the Leones, respectively.

The first awards were announced on Wednesday, which went to Shed Long Jr., the Cangrejeros' reinforcement, as Import of the Year, and Eric Torres, of the Leones, as Rookie of the Year.

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[ I thought Rodriguez's home run totals were low (1). ]

Offseason Goals:

The current winter ball stint with the Gigantes de Carolina is a key opportunity for Rodríguez to refine his approach and demonstrate improved strike-zone recognition to translate his powerful minor league hitting to the MLB level.

While no specific public statements about his exact winter training regimen were found, the general consensus among scouts and team management is that improving his strikeout rate is crucial for his long-term success.

Jonathan Rodríguez recorded 39 walks and 16 strikeouts during the 2025-2026 Puerto Rico Winter League (LBPRC) season.

The stats show a remarkable improvement. Looks like J-Rod sacrificed some power for some plate discipline ]

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Sorry about that:

Jonathan Rodríguez recorded 39 walks and 16 strikeouts during the 2025-2026 Puerto Rico Winter League (LBPRC) season.
Jonathan Rodríguez recorded 16 walks and 39 strikeouts in 147 AB during the 2025-2026 Puerto Rico Winter League (LBPRC) season.

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