Hungry for some thrilling, competitive baseball during the MLB offseason?

The Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) may be the answer, and fans can take a free peek at what the league has to offer now, as the Escogido-Licey contest is being streamed at no cost on MLB.TV. The broadcast, available in Spanish only, can be accessed online and in the MLB app on every device.

And if the game leaves you wanting more? MLB.TV subscribers can live-stream all LIDOM games this season, with no blackout restrictions. That includes the postseason, which will begin on Dec. 19. All games are broadcast exclusively in Spanish and will only be available live, not archived.

To prepare for Friday night’s game, here is a quick rundown of what you need to know:

Who are these teams?

Tigres del Licey (4-8) are the home team, based in Santo Domingo and playing at Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal -- named after the Hall of Fame pitcher and Dominican native. Historically, this has been a dominant club, with 22 league titles.

Leones del Escogido (6-6) are the visiting team but also are based in Santo Domingo and share the ballpark with Licey. This is another highly successful franchise, with 16 LIDOM championships.

Who are the key players?

Ronny Mauricio (Licey) is one of the sport’s most exciting prospects. The 20-year-old ranks 53rd among MLB Pipeline’s top baseball prospects and is the Mets' No. 3 prospect. A 6-foot-3, switch-hitting shortstop, Mauricio had a strong 2021 season, posting a .745 OPS and hitting 20 home runs while reaching Double-A. He’s off to a stellar start in LIDOM, batting .341 with two homers in 12 games.

At 37, Hanley Ramirez (Licey) is still a familiar name for MLB fans, although he last played at that level for Cleveland in 2019. A three-time All-Star, Ramirez won the 2006 NL Rookie of the Year Award while with the Marlins and captured a batting title in 2009, going on to slug 271 homers.

Franchy Cordero (Escogido) is scheduled to make his season debut Friday, and while his Major League success has been sporadic, there is always the potential for an eye-popping at-bat. His lone MLB homer of 2021 was also the longest hit by any Red Sox player all season -- 474 feet on May 23 at Philadelphia. The 118.6 mph exit velocity was the second-hardest on any homer in the Majors in 2021.

Fernando Rodney and Pedro Strop (Escogido) are both relievers with extensive Major League experience. Rodney is still going at age 44, although he hasn’t pitched in MLB since 2019. His 327 career saves rank 18th on the all-time AL/NL list and would rank third among active pitchers if he returns.

The 36-year-old Strop has appeared in 561 MLB games. He helped the Cubs win the 2016 World Series but has made just six appearances for the Reds and Cubs since the start of 2020.

It’s also worth noting that while Albert Pujols has been with Escogido this season, recently calling the experience a “dream come true,” he will not play Friday.