GUADALAJARA, Mexico – For the second time in less than a decade, the Caribbean Series is coming to metropolitan Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico after being moved from Venezuela.
It wasn’t originally going to be in Venezuela, either, having been planned for San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Estadio Hiram Bithorn, but after that ballpark was named a host venue for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, this year’s series was moved to Caracas.
At last year’s Caribbean Series, the rumors of the series being moved elsewhere began as Venezuela dealt with political strife in the wake of the disputed re-election of Nicolas Maduro during the summer of 2024. The Confederacion de Beisbol Profesional del Caribe, which operates the Caribbean Series, continued ahead with plans to have this year’s event in Caracas, but after the United States military made more than 20 strikes on boats in the waters off Venezuela, representatives of the LBPRC, LIDOM, and the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico told the CPBC that they would not send teams to Caracas were the series to be held there.
And so, in December, Guadalajara once again became the host site of a Caribbean Series that was moved out of Venezuela. This previously happened in 2018, when the series was originally planned to be held on Margarita Island, Venezuela, but was moved to the then-newly renovated Estadio Panamericano.
For the 2026 edition of winter baseball’s crown jewel, Mexico’s Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico will be represented by the two-time defending champion Charros de Jalisco and the two-time runner up Tomateros de Culiacan. The Charros won’t be the only repeat champion on the field in Zapopan, though, as the Leones del Escogido, last year’s Caribbean Series champions, won the LIDOM title again and will have a chance to repeat. Puerto Rico’s LBPRC will send the Cangrejeros de Santurce, the iconic club that counts Roberto Clemente among its alumni, and Panama’s Federale de Chiriqui round out the field of five teams.
Venezuela, notably, will not be represented at this Caribbean Series. The champion of the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional will instead play in the Serie de Las Americas, which was relocated from Panama to Venezuela after the Caribbean Series moved to Mexico.
Where to Watch – Fans in the United States can watch the 2026 Caribbean Series in Spanish on ESPN Deportes and in English on MLB Network and MLB.tv with a subscription.
Mexico Red – Charros de Jalisco
Regular season – 38-30, Fifth Overall
Playoffs – Beat Hermosillo 4-2, Beat Mexicali 4-1, Beat Culiacan 4-0
Key Pitchers – Luis Miranda, SP; Manny Banuelos, SP; Luis Ivan Rodriguez, SP; Ronald Medrano, SP; Matt Foster, RP; Jesus Cruz, RP, Trevor Clifton, RP.
Key Players – Mateo Gil, IF; Michael Wielansky, IF; Willie Calhoun, OF; Billy Hamilton, OF; Bligh Madris, OF/DH; Julian Ornelas, OF.
Outlook – Benji Gil’s Charros swept the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico finals from the Tomateros de Culiacan, and adding Eric Filia and Luis Miranda as reinforcements from Los Mochis only makes them stronger.
With four solid starters in Miranda, Banuelos, Rodriguez, and Medrano, the big question for the Charros pitching-wise might be covering the middle innings should one of their four starters have a rough outing. Foster, Cruz, and Clifton are all elite relievers at this level, with Cruz filling the set-up role in Mexicali and Foster and Cruz serving as closers.
For the Charros, the offense has powered them through the regular season, where they scored 377 runs, the most in the LAMP, and the playoffs as well. Adding the bat of Willie Calhoun during the playoffs brought additional power to the lineup, and adding a doubles machine in Eric Filia makes the lineup extremely potent.
Banuelos will start the Charros’ opener against the Leones del Escogido on Sunday, which will likely be their toughest test in the round robin.
Dominican Republic – Leones del Escogido
Regular Season – 23-27, Fourth Place
Playoffs – 12-6 Round Robin (T-1), Beat Toros del Este 4-1 In Final Series
Key Pitchers – Travis Lakins, SP; Radhames Liz, SP; Enny Romero, SP; Jefry Yan, RP; Phillips Valdez, RP; Joe Corbett, RP.
Key Players – Aderlin Rodriguez, IF; Junior Lake, OF; Socrates Brito, OF; Cristhian Adames, IF; Franchy Cordero, OF; Gustavo Nunez, IF.
Outlook – Ramon Santiago took over a struggling club from Alex Cintron a month into the season and somehow not only got them back to the finals despite barely making the playoffs, but led them to a second title in as many years and a return trip to the Caribbean Series with a chance to be repeat champions. Should they do it, they’d be the first since Puerto Rico’s Criollos de Caguas in 2017 and 2018.
The Leones lost a key bat out of the lineup when Alcides Escobar, the LIDOM finals MVP, who is Venezuelan, was denied permission to join the Leones in Guadalajara for the Caribbean Series. Escobar joined Escogido after Dec. 15, which is the deadline for a player from another country to join a team and be eligible for the Caribbean Series, according to an Instagram post by Diamante23. He batted .333 with a homer and five RBIs in the five-game championship series, and the Leones will surely miss him.
That said, the Leones still have a potent lineup, much of which contributed to last year’s Caribbean Series title. It’s not the same lineup that won the big prize a year ago, but Escogido is as good at the plate as any other team that will be in Guadalajara. Cristhian Adames, Gustavo Nunez, and Aderlin Rodriguez form the core of the order, along with Junior Lake, Socrates Brito, and Franchy Cordero.