Rojas leads Dominican team to championship

There is no offseason for St. Lucie Mets manager Luis Rojas. On Tuesday night, Rojas managed Leones del Escogido to the Dominican Winter League championship.
 
Escogido outlasted rival Tigres del Licey in the nine-game finals with an 8-4 victory in the sixth game (won series 5-1). The Leones went just 9-9 in the round robin round of the playoffs and had to beat Toros del Este in a one-game playoff to advance to the finals.
 
Rojas, 34, is in his second year as the Leones manager. He became the youngest manager ever to win the Dominican Winter League.
 
Former St. Lucie Mets Rafael Montero gave up three runs in nine innings in the playoffs for the Leones. Rojas's brother Moises Alou is the team's general manager.
 
Longtime St. Lucie pitching coach Phil Regan previously managed Escogido to the Winter League Championship in 1988 and 1989. Rojas's father Felipe Alou also coached Escogido to four championships in 1981, 1982, 1990 and 1992.
 
Next up for Rojas and the Leones is the Caribbean World Series which starts in February and is hosted by the Dominican Republic. The Leones will take on the champions of Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Cuba and Mexico. The Dominican representative last won the Caribbean Series in 2012 (Escogido).
 
Rojas just completed his first year as manager of St. Lucie. The Mets went 68-70. Rojas previously managed the Mets Single-A club Savannah for three years. He won the South Atlantic League Championship with the Sand Gnats in 2013.

Baseball America named Rojas as the best managerial prospect in the Florida State League in 2015.