Willy Lebrón

Obispo Willy Lebrón Pérez

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 1", Weight 205 lb.

• Born March 28, 1979 in Las Matas de Farfan, San Juan Dominican Republic

BR register page

Biographical Information

Willy Lebrón pitched in the minors, Taiwan, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic and Mexico and was on the Dominican national team in numerous tournaments.

Lebrón pitched in the Dominican Summer League in 1999 and 2000. In 2001, he was 1-1 with 3 saves and a 5.11 ERA for the AZL Cubs. He did not pitch in 2002-2003 and returned to the DSL in 2004. He went 3-4 with 2 saves and a 5.11 ERA for the 2005 Bakersfield Blaze, working in 24 games. He allowed a .297 average. He helped the Dominicans take Silver at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games. In 2007, he pitched in Nicaragua. He also represented the Dominican Republic in the 2007 Pan American Games but did not appear in a game. He came to Taiwan in 2008 to pitch for the dMedia T-Rex. He allowed 6 runs in 8 innings for the T-Rex. Following the season, though, he was indicted for being part of a game-throwing scheme that forced the club to disband. He was banned from further play in the CPBL.

Back on the Dominican team for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games, he got the win over the Netherlands Antilles as the Dominican Republic won its first Gold in the Central American and Caribbean Games in 28 years. In the 2010 Pan American Games Qualifying Tournament, he was 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA, beating Puerto Rico. He came up big in the Gold Medal game against Cuba, tossing shutout ball from the 6th to 8th in relief of Lorenzo Barcelo in a 5-2 win; Dario Veras finished it off for the save.

He was 2-7 with a 4.66 ERA for the Senadores de San Juan in the Puerto Rican League. He tied Bill Pulsipher for the league lead in losses. The Kansas City Royals signed him for 2011, his 4th organization in the minors; like his prior three stints, it lasted one season, though he did well. He was 3-1 with a save and a 3.83 ERA in 23 games for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals and 1-1 with a save and a 0.55 ERA for the Omaha Storm Chasers, fanning 72 in 65 2/3 IP for the year.

In the 2011 Baseball World Cup, he was 1-1 despite a 0.00 ERA as he allowed four unearned runs in 10 2/3 IP (7 BB, 6 H, 9 K). He blanked the powerful Cuban national team for five innings before allowing three unearned runs in the 6th and leaving the game. He then got the win against Nicaragua. In addition, he pinch-ran for Willis Otáñez and wound up scoring a run in a loss to Australia.

He finally made his Dominican Winter League debut in 2011-2012, at age 32. He was 2-3 with a 3.28 ERA for the Licey Tigers. The next year, he was 1-1 wit ha 2.28 ERA for the team. In the 2013 Caribbean Series, he joined the Leones del Escogido, going 1-0 with a 2.08 ERA, getting a win over eventual champion Yaquis de Obregón. In the summer of 2013, he pitched in the Mexican League for the Rieleros de Aguascalientes (3-2, 6.97 in 6 G) and Saraperos de Saltillo (0-1, 4.91 in 6 G).

With Licey in 2014-2015, he allowed two unearned runs in three innings (0 H, 3 BB). He fanned six in five innings for the Dominican squad in the 2015 Pan American Games, allowing one run and again getting a win over Nicaragua. He had the second-best ERA on the Dominican staff, behind Adalberto Méndez.

His fastball peaked at 95 mph.

Sources

• 2006 Baseball Almanac
• Baseballdecuba.com
• CPBL Player Page
• Wiki Baseball (Chinese)
• Defunct SABR Database
• 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games website
• Old COPABE site
• 2011 Baseball World Cup Final Report
• 2015 Pan American Games