Toros Del Este
Professional Baseball Team
Challenge
In 2015, the Toros del Este faced a major challenge: modernizing their digital presence in a league where most teams were still underutilizing social media. Being out of playoff contention in several seasons made it even harder to keep fans engaged and connected.
Solution
As a former player, sports journalist, and digital marketing specialist, I led the creation of the first organized Social Media Marketing Department in LIDOM. The strategy focused on:
Content with humor, sarcasm, and relatability that resonated with fans across all teams.
Innovative use of viral hashtags: #TorosContraTodos, #MadrugandoConLosToros, #YoSigoaMisToros, and #ToroLona.
Continuous digital coverage: before, during, and after the season, including live reporting from MLB spring training and team operations trips.
Results
Sustained growth across platforms
Facebook: +45% (from 27,000 to 39,500).
Twitter: +53% (from 21,261 to over 40,000).
Instagram: from 2,600 to nearly 30,000 followers.
In January 2017 alone: +1,250 new Twitter followers in just 23 days, despite the team being out of playoff contention.
Viral impact
#ToroLona reached almost 850,000 people and became a national trending topic.
Earned media recognition, with outlets like Snack Report highlighting the Toros’ digital strategy as a benchmark in the Caribbean.
Global Impact
The Toros’ digital presence became so strong that it gained international recognition:
In early 2020, after winning the Dominican National Championship and the Caribbean Series, the Toros ranked in the Top-10 globally in Instagram interactions among all professional baseball teams.
With 2.72 million interactions (likes, comments, shares, views) between January and March 2020, the Toros placed 7th worldwide, ahead of iconic franchises such as the Chicago Cubs (2.63M) and major Japanese clubs Hanshin Tigers and Fukuoka Hawks.
The list was led by the Los Angeles Dodgers (7.09M) and included global powerhouses like the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and Tokyo Giants.
At the time, the Toros were the youngest team in LIDOM and the one with the fewest followers in the Top-10, making their achievement even more remarkable.
Testimonials
“It has been hard work and a lot of learning. We set objectives that reached the hearts of baseball fans, and being included in this ranking speaks volumes of what we’ve achieved as a brand.”
— Antonio Puesán, Head of Social Media, Toros del Este“It is impressive that two Dominican teams can be in this Top-10, but even more valuable is that the Toros, being the youngest team and with the fewest followers, generated such impact.”
— Jorge Sturla, Vice President, Toros del Este
Highlights
First LIDOM team to provide live reporting from MLB spring training.
Created engaging content that kept the Toros trending even when eliminated.
A digital transformation that became a model for other teams in the league.
From 2015 to 2020, total followers grew from 42,156 to 243,830 across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook — and nearly 255,000 including YouTube.