Meet Renee Murillo, the 12-Year-Old Who Just Became Mexico’s MVP Twice in One Month
At 12 years old, Renee Patricia Murillo Mendoza is already one of the brightest names in Mexican youth baseball. This year alone, she has been named the Most Valuable Player at two major tournaments in less than a month. She pitches with precision and plays anywhere her team needs her. And she carries herself with the same focus and joy as her idols, Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani.
Born in Tecate, Baja California, Renee led her team, Liga Infantil y Juvenil Tijuana Municipal, to win the MLB Cup México 2025 in San Luis Potosí. According to El Sol de San Luis, she not only delivered a standout pitching performance. She also helped turn around a 0–5 deficit to a 10–8 victory in the final. The packed Potosí Baseball Park gave her a roaring ovation as she was named MVP for the second time this year.
Renee Murillo has been on a winning streak
Just weeks before the MLB Cup, Renee starred at the Telmex U-12 Tournament in March, playing for Baja California. In the final, she hit a three-run home run in the last inning to secure the championship. She was named MVP on a date with added significance: International Women’s Day.
Her impact has gone beyond Mexico. At the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup in Taiwan, she struck out five in a win against Germany, according to the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). That game marked a rare moment in international baseball: she faced Germany’s Mona Brauch on the mound, one of just three girls competing in the tournament.
Baseball has always been part of her life
Renee started playing when she was four, inspired by her brother Rodolfo and taught by their grandfather, Rodolfo Mendoza, who played in Liga Tecate. “I’ve always played as a pitcher. They also put me at second base and in the outfield, wherever, but what I want is to play and show that women can also do well in baseball,” she told MLB México.
She is a dedicated Los Angeles Dodgers fan, drawn to the energy and consistency of Betts and Ohtani. “I always watch how they play, how they are on and off the field, always happy, and they make it look very easy. I would like to see them play live someday,” she told El Sol de San Luis.
Renee Murillo brings her culture to the field
Renee is instantly recognizable on the mound thanks to her custom hairband made with ribbons in the colors of the Mexican flag, featuring her name, number, and hometown. “It’s pretty. And it’s kind of my thing. When people see the hairband, they know it’s me,” she told the WBSC.
Her teammates and family call her “Perrucha,” a nickname that means “aggressive little dog.” She says only her mother can use it.
The future looks bright for Renee Murillo
While her long-term dream is to play in the Mexican Softball League, Renee also wants to join Mexico’s new U-15 girls’ baseball league. She told the WBSC she is happy to see more girls joining the game at every level because it proves baseball “isn’t exclusive to boys.”
“I think Germany’s pitcher threw well today,” she said after the matchup in Taiwan. “And I believe the other girl pitches really well, too.”
For Renee, baseball remains the King of Sports because it demands discipline, intelligence, and endurance. With two MVP titles in a single year, a place in the national team, and a growing international profile, she is proving that her vision for herself and for girls in baseball is well within reach.
