Yasiel Puig’s arrival to the Tiburones de La Guaira in the Venezuelan Winter League set the stage for a historic season. He made his debut on November 26th, going 1-3 against the Leones Del Caracas. In November he finished with 7 hits in 5 games, including 3 extra base hits and a home run.
In December, Puig’s season became one for the record books. Puig elevated his game, during a 12-game hitting streak from December 2nd to the 16th, he had 21 hits, 4 doubles, and 6 home runs in that span. He finished the season with a 7-game hitting streak, adding 3 more home runs to his total. Puig’s outstanding December earned him the Player of the Month award in the LVBP. Over the 21 games, he slashed .408/.516/.829 with 31 hits including 5 doubles, 21 RBI and demonstrated his power with 9 home runs, hitting one every 8.44 at-bats. He finished the regular season with a .418/.518/.846 slash line, 7 doubles, 10 home runs, and 23 RBIs.
In the Round Robin, he continued his dominance, in 12 games had 6 multi-hit games, 3 consecutive games with a home run, finishing with four. His play helped the Tiburones reach the LVBP finals. The championship series against the Cardenals de Lara had its controversy, in Game 2 when a brawl erupted after Miakel Garcia’s home run. Puig’s role was clarified through social media, where he was seen attempting to stop the fighting despite getting punched by a Cardenlas player.
The Tiburones won the championship in 5 games, the first in 37 years for the team. In the finals, Puig had 3 multi-hit games, a home run, and 6 RBIs with a .421 average. In a postgame interview, Puig expressed the significance of ending the championship drought, stating, “After 37 years; today the drought ended. We can’t be sharks without water.”
Puig and the Tiburones celebrated the championship, with Puig sharing moments on his social media. After the celebrations, the Tiburones were headed to Miami for the 2024 Caribbean Series representing Venezuela.
The Caribbean Series began on February 1st, and the Tiburones’ first game was against the Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Republic. Puig’s hot streak carried over from LVBP into the game as he hit a 416-foot home run in the 8th inning. Venezuela’s manager, Ozzie Guillen, stated during a press conference that he believes Puig is better than 70% of the players in the Major Leagues.
The Tiburones finished group play 5-1, tied with Panama with the best record. They faced Curacao in the semifinal round. Puig went 0-3 in the game but scored a run in the team’s 6-2 victory. The finals were a rematch of their first game of the Caribbean Series against the Dominican Republic.
In the championship game, despite suffering a hamstring injury, Puig got a hit before leaving the game early. The Tiburones defeated the Tigres del Licey 3-0, winning the team’s first Caribbean Series title and Venezuela’s first since 2008.
In the post-game interview, Puig said he would rank winning the Caribbean Series as the best moment of his career. He thanked the fans, Venezuela, and the Tiburones de la Guaira for their support, belief in him, and the opportunity given.
Puig’s season with the Tiburones de la Guaira was not only historic but monumental for his career. As one of the hottest hitters in the world during the LVBP season, Puig’s performance on the field electrified fans and was a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication to the game. His play helped lead the Tiburones de la Guira to two championships and they are now crowned the kings of Caribbean baseball.