| Willie Romero | |
|---|---|
| Leones de Yucatán | |
| Pitcher /Coach | |
| Born: (1974-08-05)August 5, 1974 (age 51) Maracay,Aragua,Venezuela | |
Bats: Right Throws: Right | |
Wilfredo Romero (born August 5, 1974) is a Venezuelan professionalbaseball coach and formerpitcher. He currently serves as the bench coach for theLeones de Yucatán of theMexican League.[1] He has alsomanaged extensively in Mexico and Venezuela.
Romero played several season of minor league baseball, mainly in theLos Angeles Dodgers organization, as well as in theMexican League (LMB).[2] WithSaraperos de Saltillo, he won theMexican League batting title in2002, posting a .387 batting average.[3] He also played 20winter league seasons in theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) between 1992 and 2012, withLeones del Caracas,Navegantes del Magallanes,Tigres de Aragua,Tiburones de La Guaira, andÁguilas del Zulia.[4]
After a stint as aplayer-manager in theMexican League with theLeones de Yucatán in 2012, Romero turned to coaching full-time with theAcereros de Monclova (2013).[5] He returned to Yucatan in 2015 as manager, remaining there until he was fired in 2017 after an altercation with a fan in the stands.[6][1] He later managed in the Mexican League for thePericos de Puebla in2023 and theOlmecas de Tabasco in2025.[7][8] In 2024, he managed theTri-City Dust Devils, theHigh-A affiliate of theLos Angeles Angels.[9] After being fired from Olmecas partway through the 2025 season, he rejoined Yucatán's coaching staff.[1] On July 29, 2025, Romero was promoted to the role of bench coach; the move was made after Oswaldo Morejón was fired andEliézer Alfonzo was promoted to manager.[10]
As manager of Navegantes del Magallanes in the 2021–22 season, he led the team, which lacked any players signed toMajor League Baseball contracts, to a LVBP championship after defeatingCaribes de Anzoátegui in seven games. However, he did not return the following year after being unable to agree on a contract, and was replaced byYadier Molina.[11]
Romero has earned five separate Manager of the Year honors in three different leagues: in2015 and2016 in the Mexican League, in 2017 in the Mexican Pacific League, and in 2022 and 2023 in Venezuela. With Aragua in 2023, he became the third manager to win the distinction in consecutive seasons, (along withLuis Dorante andAlfredo Pedrique) and the first to do so with different teams.[12]
On July 1, 2025, Romero was named manager of theTucson-based team which will be the first American team to compete in theMexican Pacific League.[13][14]