"Either you love them or you hate them" - Kansas reliever Luis Cessa hails Diablos Rojos as 'Yankees of Mexico'  ahead of marquee exhibition clash

Pitcher Luis Cessa is among the many looking forward to MLB's scheduled preseason games in Mexico this weekend. Hailed as a showdown between America's baseball team and Mexico's baseball team, fans in the former market will soon see how popular the Yankees' opponent, Los Diablos Rojos, are.

A native of the town of Cordoba in the State of Veracruz, Luis Cessa grew up watching the Diablos, who are the best-known team in his home country. In a recent interview with ESPN, Cessa outlined that magnitude of the schedule preseason clash of titans.

"The Diablos are the Yankees of Mexico, they're the team everyone wants to beat down there. Either you love them or you hate them."

Currently a member of the Kansas City Royals organization, Cessa pitched out of the Yankees bullpen from 2016 until 2021. The pair of preseason games between the Yankees and the Diablos Rojos are slated to take place Sunday and Monday in the Mexican Capital.

Founded in 1940, the Diablos Rojos are the best known baseball team in Mexico. Having won the league title a league-best 16 times, the team's roster for the upcoming couple of games includes a wealth of former MLB talent, such as Robinson Cano, Alex Claudio, and former Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer.

"The New York Yankees and the Diablos Rojos del México today announced they will hold a historic two-game exhibition series at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium in Mexico City. The games are scheduled for Sunday, March 24 and Monday, March 25" - New York Yankees

Although this will be the first time that most fans of the Diablos get to see the New York Yankees, it is not the pinstripes' first date with the Diablos. In 1968, the Bronx Bombers showed off their talent in a two-game series against the Diablos, some 24 years before Luis Cessa was even born.

Luis Cessa looks to get back to glory of his Yankees' days

As a member of the Cincinnati Reds last season, Luis Cessa's ERA skyrocketed to over 9.00, a far cry from his less volatile days on the Yankees. Now, as a new member of the Royals. the 31-year old will be looking to get back on track, even with the momentous event in his home country. Cessa continued to tell ESPN about the upcoming series:

""The new stadium looks incredible. To have the Yankees come down, even for a couple of exhibition games, I think that's for posterity. It's an opportunity for fans who maybe can't travel to the United States to watch the team [in their country]."