After what could only be described as a trying first season due to circumstances beyond his control, Gaige Howard is back for another season in the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico - one where he will actually play a home game at home.
Howard's first season in the LMP, spent with the Tucson Baseball Team, saw his club play every game on the road when the team was unable to secure work visas for players and staff. But Howard, who slashed .288/.386/.358 with 12 doubles and 24 RBIs, is back for more this year, returning to the league with the Venados de Mazatlan.
“I’m excited to be here. We’re preparing for the season and I think we have a good team and it’s going to be a good year,” Howard told the Venados' website. "I want to work hard and I’m going to play with intensity. My mind is strong and I want to be better every day."
The Carlsbad, California native returned to Mexico this summer for his second season in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol, where he batted .357/.455/.477 for the Bravos de Leon, hitting 19 doubles and driving in 43 runs in 71 games as Leon finished in fifth place in the Zona Sur with a 50-43 record.
Howard played 39 total games with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization in 2022 and 2023 before heading to independent ball with the Schaumburg (Ill.) Flyers for the rest of 2023. He started 2024 in the Atlantic League with Lancaster before going to the Tigres de Quintana Roo in the LMB.
With the ability to hit to both gaps from the left side and enough speed to leg out an extra base, Howard has the potential to be an elite player in the LMP if he can adjust to the stronger pitching in Mexico's winter league.