Emmanuel Rivera signs extension with the Mayagüez Indios
By THE STAR STAFF
The Mayagüez Indios have secured third baseman and team captain Emmanuel Rivera for two more seasons after reaching an agreement to keep him with the franchise through the 2027-28 and 2028-29 campaigns.
The extension comes ahead of Rivera’s 11th winter baseball season. He made his debut with the Indios in 2016-17, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
“Emmanuel Rivera means a great deal to this organization. He is our captain, a Puerto Rican player and a product of Mayagüez. He has never turned his back on our league, loves this franchise and has a deep passion for the team,” said Indios president CPA José Julio Feliciano.
Rivera’s professional career began in 2015, when he was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the Major League Baseball Draft. He made his MLB debut in 2021 and played in the 2023 World Series with the Arizona Diamondbacks before returning to Puerto Rico to rejoin the Indios for the start of the local season.
“It is an honor to finalize this new two-year agreement with someone we have known since he was eight years old. Emmanuel has earned this opportunity, and we hope this is the first of several extensions that will allow him to remain with his hometown team for many years to come,” Feliciano added.
During the 2025-26 local season, Rivera won the batting title with a .348 average and earned his second consecutive Gold Glove Award. His other honors include selection to the Caribbean Series All-Star Team in 2023 and that same year’s Luis Rodríguez Olmo Presidential Award, presented by La Pro.
“We are very pleased to finalize Emmanuel Rivera’s extension. He is an outstanding player and an important figure for both our franchise and Mayagüez. Having him with us for the coming years is a major achievement for the organization, his family, who have always supported us, and his hometown. We hope they receive this news with great joy,” said Indios general manager Alex Cintrón.
