Cidra’s Busby dominates women’s softball MVP voting

Hayley Busby was named LPSF Most Valuable Player after leading the league in home runs and RBIs with the Bravas of Cidra. (LPSF)

By THE STAR STAFF

Hayley Busby, the versatile import player for the Bravas of Cidra, was named Most Valuable Player of the 2026 Women’s Premier Softball League (LPSF by its initials in Spanish) season after receiving majority support from the sports journalists, team owners and managers who participated in the voting.

Busby amassed 62 points to dominate the voting by a wide margin. Pitcher of the Year Morgan Smith, of the league champion Prodigiosas of Sabana Grande, took second place with 34 points, followed by Ciara Bryan (Cidra) with 27, Nia Carter (Valencianas of Juncos) with 18, Eliana Enríquez (Sabana Grande) with 14, and Yahelis Muñoz (Leonas of Ponce) with 12. Alexis Bermúdez (Juncos) received three points, and Stormy Kotzelnick (Juncos) received one.

Busby, a native of Phoenix, Arizona and former Oklahoma State and University of Virginia standout, was one of the regular season’s most productive hitters, finishing with a .479 batting average -- the result of 23 hits in 48 official at-bats. She also posted a .581 on-base percentage and a powerful .958 slugging percentage.

Busby led the LPSF with six home runs and 19 RBIs; she finished second in hits (23) and also ranked second in runs scored (15) and walks drawn (13). Her .479 average was the fourth-best in the league.

Over 18 games, Busby recorded 62 plate appearances, hitting three doubles and a triple in addition to her six home runs. She struck out only four times during the entire regular season, establishing herself as one of the most consistent threats in the Cidra lineup. Her performance was instrumental in the Bravas finishing the regular season with a 13-5 record, tying the Prodigiosas and the Valencianas for the best record in the regular season.

The recognition for Busby caps an outstanding individual season, during which she was also selected as the utility player for the 2026 LPSF Offensive All-Star Team.

Bravas’ Román named LPSF Manager of the Year

Bravas manager Edwin Román was named LPSF Manager of the Year after prevailing in a tight vote earlier this week.

Román tallied 49 points, edging out Galis Lozada (of runner-up Juncos) and Normagelie Vázquez (of Sabana Grande) -- each with 48 points -- by a single point. Ponce manager Adrix Paradizo finished fourth with 22 points.

Of the 19 ballots cast, Román received eight first-place votes. Lozada and Vázquez each received five first-place votes, while Paradizo garnered one. One ballot was submitted without second- or third-place selections.

Román, who also manages the Puerto Rico Men’s National Softball Team, led the Bravas through an impressive regular season, finishing with a 13-5 record.

Cidra finished tied with the Prodigiosas and the Valencianas for the regular season’s best record, following a close battle for the top three spots.

With Román’s selection as Manager of the Year and Busby’s selection as MVP, the LPSF has finalized the announcement of its 2026 award winners. Besides Sabana Grande’s Smith (Pitcher of the Year), Alexis Bermúdez (Juncos) was previously named Reliever of the Year and Enríquez (Sabana Grande) was named Rookie of the Year.

Edwin Román was named LPSF Manager of the Year after winning the vote by a single point. (LPSF)