TheLeones de Yucatán (English: Yucatán Lions) are aprofessional baseball team in theMexican League. The team play its home games atParque Kukulcán Alamo inMérida, Yucatán. The Leones have won the Mexican League title five times in1957,1984,2006,2018 and most recently in2022.^[1]

Leones de Yucatán
Team logo Cap insignia
Information
League	Mexican League (Zona Sur)
Location	Mérida, Yucatán
Ballpark	Parque Kukulcán Alamo
Founded	1954
League championships	5 (1957,1984,2006,S2018,2022)
Division championships	10 (1984, 1989, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2007, S2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)
Former ballparks	Parque Carta Clara
Colors	Green, orange, white
Ownership	Grupo ARHE
President	Erick Ernesto Arellano Hernández
Manager	Ramón Santiago
Website	http://www.leones.mx/
Current uniforms
Home Away

The Leones de Yucatán were founded in 1954 under the leadership of Alvaro Ponce Vidiella and Humberto "Beto" Abimerhi Abimerhi. The team's entry to the Mexican League was announced on 5 January 1954. The team nickname is a reference to the name of the beer company built by the Ponce family. The Leones opened the season on 17 April at the newly built Carta Clara Park, hosting the previous season's champions, theTecolotes de Nuevo Laredo, and earning an 8–0 victory.^[2][3] In its first year in the league, the Leones won 47 games and lost 32, with one tie, and finished in second place to the defending champion Tecolotes. The team ceased play after the 1958 season and the franchise moved toVeracruz in 1959.^[4][5]

After the 1969 season, filmmakerManuel Barbachano Ponce, moved thePericos de Puebla franchise to Mérida, renaming it the Leones. In the opening game of the 1970 season on March 18 the Leones beat theRojos del Águila de Veracruz, 4–1. The franchise remained in Mérida for five seasons and then moved toVillahermosa, Tabasco, when Ariel "Picho" Magaña Carrillo purchased the team.^[4]

The third incarnation of the Lions began in 1979. On 6 April 1978, the Assembly of the Mexican League approved five expansion teams for the 1979 season. One of the expansion teams was awarded to Yucatán.^[6]

On 16 March 1979, the Leones officially returned to the Mexican League when they opened the season at theCafeteros de Córdoba and lost 10–4. The Leones finished fifth in the Southern Division with 62 wins and 69 losses. RookiepitcherFernando Valenzuela, who later became a star inMajor League Baseball, played for the Leones in 1979. Valenzuela had awin–loss record of 10–12 with anearned run average (ERA) of 2.42 and allowed only 70walks whilestriking out 141 batters in 181innings, catching the attention of theLos Angeles Dodgers with whom he would play from 1980 to 1990.

Since they began play in the Mexican League in summer 1954, the Lions have had fierce rivalries, first with theMexico City Diablos Rojos and theMexico City Tigres, and then from 1980 with theCampeche Piratas.

The Leones have retired the following numbers:^[7]

• 1Juan José Pacho
• 2 Luis "Rayo" Arredondo
• 3 Mercedes Esquer Llanes
• 4 Oswaldo Morejón
• 15 Juan Fernando Villaescusa Elías
• 17 Carlos Paz González
• 18Ray Torres
• 19 Ricardo Conde Hernández
• 21Héctor Espino
• 29 Leonel Aldama Rossel

• Official website(in Spanish)