Caribbean Region LLWS 2026: Los Nacionales Little League Santiago, Dominican Republic
Los Nacionales Little League proudly represents the entire Caribbean Region at the 2026 LLWS. The Santiago, Dominican Republic team went a strong 7-1 through the Caribbean Regional. They earned their first-ever Williamsport trip with an entirely dominant regional tournament run.
| Team | Los Nacionales Little League |
| City | Santiago, Dominican Republic |
| Region | Caribbean |
| Regional Record | 7-1 |
| LLWS Opener | August 19 at 1:00 PM ET vs Latin America Region |
| Venue | Volunteer Stadium, Game 1 |
| TV | ESPN |
| Manager | Pablo Padilla |
Los Nacionales beat Aruba North 5-3 to win the entire Caribbean Region title. This marks the Dominican Republic’s 10th official trip to Williamsport since the year 1978. They open the LLWS on August 19 at 1:00 PM ET on ESPN.
Los Nacionales LL , Full 2026 LLWS Roster
| # | Player | Position(s) | Bats | Throws | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexander De Leon | CF | S | R | 5’0″ |
| 2 | Franklin Nuñez | 2B | S | R | 5’0″ |
| 3 | Yansel Guzman | CF | R | R | 5’4″ |
| 4 | Jostin Vega Nuñez | P / RF | R | R | 5’6″ |
| 5 | Christofer Pichardo | P / RF | L | L | 5’3″ |
| 6 | Roniel Garcia | LF / 2B | R | R | 5’2″ |
| 7 | James Cruceta Nin | LF / P | R | R | 5’4″ |
| 9 | Diego Suarez Herrera | SS | R | R | 5’5″ |
| 13 | Carlos Jose Abreu | 3B | R | R | 5’3″ |
| 14 | Dariel Cruz | RF / 1B | L | R | 5’3″ |
| 16 | Ethan Estevez | SS / CF | L | R | 5’5″ |
| 17 | Eddyel Jimenez | 3B | R | R | 5’2″ |
| 21 | Darwin Morales | 1B / C | S | – | 5’6″ |
| 22 | Jose Almonte | C / 1B | R | R | 5’7″ |
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Pablo Padilla |
| Coach | Ysrael Puello |
| Coach | Esteban Saint |
Key Players for Los Nacionales LL at the 2026 LLWS
Jostin Vega Núñez , #4
P / RF · Bats R · Throws R · 5’6
Jostin Vega Nuñez gives Los Nacionales a truly genuine pitching and hitting threat daily. He handles right field duties whenever he isn’t standing on the pitching mound. That two-way role gives manager Pablo Padilla real added lineup flexibility every game.
Christofer Pichardo, #5
P / RF · Bats L · Throws L · 5’3
Christofer Pichardo brings genuinely rare left-handed pitching skill to this entire 2026 Dominican roster. He also plays right field whenever he steps away from the pitching mound. His left-handed bat also adds a genuinely different look to the entire lineup.
José Almonte, #22
C / 1B · Bats R · Throws R · 5’7
Jose Almonte currently stands as the tallest player on the entire Los Nacionales roster. He splits his time between catching and first base for manager Pablo Padilla. That size gives Los Nacionales a truly strong defensive presence behind home plate.
Diego Suárez Herrera , #9
SS · Bats R · Throws R · 5’5
Diego Suarez Herrera anchors the key shortstop position for this entire Dominican Republic team. His steady glove greatly helped Los Nacionales cruise through the regional tournament bracket. Manager Pablo Padilla relies on him in the most critical infield defensive moments.
James Cruceta Nin , #7
LF / P · Bats R · Throws R · 5’4
James Cruceta Nin gives Los Nacionales added depth across both left field and the mound. He fills whatever role manager Pablo Padilla truly needs during tight tournament games. That flexibility helped Los Nacionales stay largely dominant across the entire regional run.
Los Nacionales LL Caribbean Regional Record , 7-1
Los Nacionales Little League went a strong 7-1 through the Caribbean Regional Tournament this year. They beat Aruba North 5-3 in the championship game to claim the title. This marks the league’s first-ever appearance at the Little League World Series.
| Round | Opponent | Result | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pool & Bracket Play | Multiple Opponents | 6-1 | Los Nacionales dominated regional play and advanced through the bracket to reach the championship game. |
| Championship | Aruba North | Win | 5-3. The Caribbean Region title was secured, earning the program its first-ever trip to Williamsport and a final 7-1 record. |
A historic first trip for the Dominican Republic: Los Nacionales clinched the entire Caribbean Region title with a tight, dramatic 5-3 win. This marks the Dominican Republic’s 10th trip to Williamsport since the year 1978. The country’s best-ever finish came as runner-up back in the distant year 1983.
Caribbean Region LLWS 2026 Schedule
| Game | Date | Time (ET) | Opponent | Venue | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | August 19 | 1:00 PM | Latin America Region | Volunteer Stadium | ESPN |
| Subsequent games depend on results. Updated after each game. | |||||
Tournament curtain-raiser: Game 1 on August 19 officially opens the entire tournament at 1:00 PM ET. Los Nacionales face the Latin America Region champion at Volunteer Stadium right away. Fans across the entire Dominican Republic should tune into ESPN for this opener.
Los Nacionales Little League, Santiago, Dominican Republic
Santiago is currently the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic. The city sits directly in the fertile Cibao Valley in the country’s north. Baseball still remains the single most popular and important sport across the entire country.
The Caribbean Region includes countries such as Aruba, Curaçao, and the entire Dominican Republic. Curaçao received a full direct entry into the 2026 LLWS without playing regionals. Los Nacionales beat Aruba North to earn the region’s only remaining automatic berth.
The Dominican Republic first reached the Little League World Series back in 1978. Los Bravos de Pontezuela made the country’s most recent trip back in 2017. That earlier team finished with a modest 1-2 record in Williamsport that year.
The Dominican Republic at the LLWS: The Dominican Republic once finished as LLWS runner-up back in the distant year 1983. That still remains the country’s best-ever finish at the Little League World Series. Los Nacionales now hopes to build further on that impressive earlier national achievement.
Conclusion
Los Nacionales Little League proudly represents the entire Caribbean Region at the 2026 LLWS. The Santiago, Dominican Republic squad went a strong 7-1 through the regional tournament. They beat Aruba North 5-3 to finally claim their first-ever trip to Williamsport.
Key players to watch closely include pitcher Jostin Vega Nuñez and catcher Jose Almonte. They open the tournament on August 19 against the entire Latin American region. The game starts at 1:00 PM ET at Volunteer Stadium on ESPN today.
