The baseball world mourns the loss of former Boston Red Sox prospect and Washington Nationals first baseman Tony Blanco, who died Tuesday following a nightclub accident in the Dominican Republic.

Blanco, 43, was at the Jet Set in Santo Domingo when a roof collapsed during singer Rubby Pérez’s live performance. The incident took place shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday. Longtime MLB reliever Octavio Dotel also died after the collapse. According to NBC News, authorities had confirmed at least 113 deaths as of Wednesday morning.

Blanco hit .177 with a home run, seven RBIs and a .490 OPS across 56 games for the Washington Nationals in 2005. He played 17 professional seasons, including spending 2009-2016 in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League. Blanco initially signed with the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1998, and he played three years in their farm system. Baseball America listed Blanco as the league’s No. 87 prospect in 2001 and No. 93 a year later.

The Red Sox included Blanco in the December 2002 trade that brought veteran second baseman Todd Walker to Boston. Former Reds general manager Jim Bowden reflected on acquiring Blanco in an X (formerly Twitter) post Tuesday evening. Bowden said the Dec. 16, 2002, trade between the Reds and Red Sox was the first MLB trade “solely made by the internet.”

“He had great raw power, bat speed, and a smile to match,” Bowden wrote. “He will be missed. May he rest in peace.” Devastated to hear that former Dragons, BayStars and Buffaloes slugger Tony Blanco lost his life in the Jet Set disaster.

To remember him, I’d like to share his greatest moment, his 2012 CL Wildcard winning Grand Slam. It’s still the last playoff series the Dragons have won. pic.twitter.com/re4QOaR60l — Gaijin Baseball/外国人野球 (@GaijinBaseball) April 8, 2025 Bowden and Blanco reunited ahead of the 2005 season, when the Nationals acquired the corner infielder through the minor league draft. Blanco remained in the Nationals’ organization through 2007 and spent 2008 in the Colorado Rockies’ system.

From there, Blanco was off to Japan, hitting .272 with 181 homers, 542 RBIs and an impressive .868 OPS over eight seasons. Blanco’s son, Tony Jr., plays first base and the outfield in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system. The younger Blanco, who turns 20 next month, hit .305 with four home runs, 17 RBIs and a .891 OPS across 30 games in the Florida Complex League last year.