Michael De La Cruz is a Dominican catcher from Tamboril who has built his professional career across the US minor leagues and the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM). At 33, he’s still in the game — a switch-hitter behind the plate, which is a rare combination at his position — and currently suiting up for the Leones del Escogido in the 2026-27 LIDOM season.
Quick Facts
- Full name: Michael De La Cruz
- Position: Catcher
- Team: Leones del Escogido (LIDOM)
- Number: 55
- Bats / Throws: Switch / Right
- Height / Weight: 5’10» / 190 lbs
- Born: May 15, 1993 — Tamboril, Dominican Republic 🇩🇴
Background
De La Cruz comes from Tamboril, a town in the Dominican Republic with deep baseball roots. He signed professionally and spent the bulk of his career in the Detroit Tigers organization, working his way through Double-A and Triple-A. Despite his defensive experience and the unusual advantage of switch-hitting from behind the plate, he has not yet reached the major leagues.
Professional Career
De La Cruz’s best season at the Double-A level came in 2023 with the San Antonio Missions, where he appeared in 100 games and hit .256 with 7 home runs and an OPS of .699 — his strongest numbers at that level. In 2024, he returned to San Antonio for 71 games but saw his average dip to .209 with an OPS of .561.
He also had a brief Triple-A appearance with the Toledo Mud Hens in 2022 (1 game), and spent 20 games with the Erie SeaWolves that same year, batting .200 with 2 home runs. His career arc reflects the grind of staying relevant in a competitive professional system.
Winter League
In LIDOM, De La Cruz spent several seasons with the Tigres del Licey. His best winter came in 2023-24: 36 games, a .274 average, 1 home run, 12 RBI, and an OPS of .739. More recently, he hit .224 with 9 RBI in 28 games for Licey in 2025-26, and has since moved to the Leones del Escogido for 2026-27, where he’s batting .200 with 1 home run and 4 RBI through 8 games.
Season-by-Season LIDOM Stats
- 2026-27 · Leones del Escogido: 8 G | .200 AVG | 1 HR | 4 RBI | .735 OPS
- 2025-26 · Tigres del Licey: 28 G | .224 AVG | 0 HR | 9 RBI | .648 OPS
- 2024-25 · Tigres del Licey: 19 G | .111 AVG | 1 HR | 2 RBI | .555 OPS
- 2023-24 · Tigres del Licey: 36 G | .274 AVG | 1 HR | 12 RBI | .739 OPS
Fun Fact
Switch-hitting catchers are genuinely rare in professional baseball. The position demands so much physically that most catchers stick to one side of the plate. De La Cruz’s ability to hit from both sides gives managers a tactical edge in matchup situations — and it’s one of the reasons he’s stayed in professional rosters for over a decade.
Watch his run with the Leones del Escogido — De La Cruz is chasing consistency and looking to remind organizations why he belongs on a professional roster.
