Caribbean Series as a Path to MLB Managing

The Caribbean Series has long been a proving ground for worthy Major League Baseball managers. Since its inception in 1949, the annual winter tournament has consistently showcased coaching talent from across Latin America and beyond, often serving as a direct pathway to MLB leadership roles.

Across its 67-year history of competition, the Caribbean Series has been a key scouting ground, helping players and managers build their résumés in Major League Baseball, the Negro Leagues, Caribbean winter leagues, and Liga Mexicana de Béisbol.

The tournament was paused from 1961-69 due to the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba. It returned in 1970 with the Dominican Republic’s debut alongside Puerto Rico and Venezuela, reviving the Confederación de Béisbol Profesional del Caribe. Mexico joined in 1971, cementing the four-nation core that remains today.

The Caribbean Series as a Stepping Stone to MLB

The tournament has long served as a crucial proving ground for managers who later took the reins in MLB dugouts. Manny Mota, Tommy Lasorda, Felipe Alou, Phil Regan, Herman Franks, Cananea Reyes, Juan José Pacho, Francisco Estrada, Eddie Díaz, Félix Fermín, Tony Peña, and Ozzie Guillén all built their managerial résumés in the Caribbean Series before rising to the sport’s highest level.

Beyond MLB, the tournament has also fueled coaching success in international leagues, particularly Liga Mexicana de Béisbol, which runs parallel to the MLB season and continues to develop top managerial talent.

Caribbean Series Champions Who Became MLB Managers

Guillén and Lasorda remain the only managers to have won both a Caribbean Series and a World Series title. Lasorda won the 1973 Caribbean Series with Tigres del Licey, while Guillén led Tiburones de La Guaira to victory in 2024 at loanDepot Park in Miami, which was the first time that the tournament was held at a Major League Baseball venue.

The 2025 Caribbean Series once again provided a stage for five managers who could soon find themselves on MLB radars.

Top MLB Managerial Candidates at the 2025 Caribbean Series

The 2025 Caribbean Series featured a highly respected group of managers, each with the potential to attract interest from Major League Baseball front offices.

Among those leading winter league champions at the tournament were Albert Pujols, managing Leones del Escogido from the Dominican Republic; Henry Blanco, leading Cardenales de Lara from Venezuela; Wil Cordero, at the helm of Indios de Mayagüez from Puerto Rico; Benji Gil, guiding host nation Mexico with Charros de Jalisco; and Alex Ramírez, managing Japan Breeze, the tournament’s first-time invitee.

Each of these managers not only played in Major League Baseball but also built strong connections within international baseball pipelines—an invaluable asset in today’s globalized game.

Alex Ramírez Brings NPB Experience to the Caribbean Series

Ramírez brings extensive experience in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), managing the Yokohama DeNA BayStars from 2016-2020—the same franchise where he starred as a player.

“It’s a learning experience for us and for me just being able to be in Mexicali, playing against these legends that have been in the Caribbean all their lives, and managing in Japan for five seasons,” Ramírez told World Baseball Network on Feb. 1 before his team’s first game. “Nobody knows how I build from my managerial fronts due to being in Yokohama, and now is the time to showcase myself and what I can do as a manager for the Japan Breeze.”

Japan Breeze struggled in its tournament debut, losing all four games and allowing 35 runs, including 30 earned. With an eye on the 2026 Caribbean Series in Caracas, Venezuela, Ramírez must evaluate his roster and make adjustments to improve his club’s competitiveness.

Henry Blanco’s 16-Year Major League Experience To Forward 

Henry Blanco, a Caracas, Venezuela native, played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball, suiting up for 11 teams. He began his coaching career in 2014 as a bench coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks before joining the Chicago Cubs as a quality assurance coach (2015-17). He later served as the Washington Nationals’ bench coach (2018-21) and is now entering his fourth season as the club’s catching coordinator.

A two-time World Series champion, Blanco won rings with the 2016 Cubs and 2019 Nationals during his coaching career.

In Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional (LVBP), Blanco has built an extensive managerial résumé, leading Bravos de Margarita (2014-19, 2020-21) before taking over Cardenales de Lara for three seasons.

Venezuela fell short of a top-three finish at the 2025 Caribbean Series, but Blanco’s experience against elite competition in Mexicali could spark interest from Major League organizations looking for their next manager. He remains focused on player development, particularly the mentorship of young talent.

“Those guys have been a big help for us,” Blanco told World Baseball Network on Feb. 3, referring to veterans on his roster. “They help the young guys, especially the ones playing in the Caribbean Series for the first time. They’re teaching them how to handle this kind of situation and keep playing our game.”

With the 2026 Caribbean Series set for Caracas, Blanco will have an opportunity to manage in his home country, potentially on an even bigger stage.

“I think being a part of a tournament like this and managing at the Caribbean Series is something special,” Wilfredo “Coco” Cordero said during a postgame press conference on Feb. 7. “Having the opportunity to come to Mexicali this year and compete against managers who played in the majors for such a long time makes it fun for all of us.”

Benji Gil’s MLB Aspirations and Leadership

For host nation Mexico, Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico champion Charros de Jalisco entered the 2025 Caribbean Series under Benji Gil with an undefeated record, setting up a highly anticipated showdown against the Dominican Republic.

Gil previously led Tomateros de Culiacán to the Caribbean Series in 2015, 2018, 2020, and 2021 before guiding Charros de Jalisco to the 2025 tournament on home soil.

He also made an impact internationally, managing Mexico’s national team to the 2023 World Baseball Classic semifinals in Miami. Despite falling to top-ranked Japan on Munetaka Murakami’s walk-off double in the ninth inning, Gil’s leadership further strengthened his case as a strong MLB managerial candidate, particularly after securing a bronze medal in one of the most competitive WBC tournaments in history.

Gil’s Coaching Career and Path to MLB

Gil managed Mexico at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where the team lost all three games to the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Israel in a six-team field.

In 2021, he led the Mariachis de Guadalajara in their inaugural season, guiding them to a first-place finish in the Zona del Norte with a 46-17 record. The team advanced to the best-of-seven Zona del Norte semifinal but fell to Rieleros de Aguascalientes in six games.

Gil joined the Los Angeles Angels as their first base coach in 2022 but has since been searching for a managerial role in MLB. Opportunities with the Angels and San Diego Padres in 2023 and 2024 did not materialize.

With bilingual fluency and a deep understanding of Latin American talent, Gil remains a strong candidate for an MLB managerial role. He will also look to lead Mexico on another deep run in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

“I can speak for myself of course that I am looking for a chance and should be considered a manager in the majors since I understand analytics. I am bilingual and bicultural, alongside other mentors that have helped me along the way to get to this position. The rest of the managers here are bilingual and it’s a shame that we scout Latin America for players all the time and the important along with smart players including championship baseball at the Major League level does not exist without the Latin American influence and the players from Latin America are learning to play the game right in the development from the minor leagues and also all around the winter leagues in the offseason in the Caribbean. There are great coaches, not just the ones that are here managing, but there are great coaches that just prepare the players right and I just hope for myself alongside the others here that we get some looks to hopefully manage at the MLB level sometime very soon,” Gil said on Jan. 31, the opening day of the 2025 Caribbean Series.

Gil led Charros de Jalisco to the 2025 Caribbean Series final with an undefeated record before falling to Albert Pujols’ Leones del Escogido in the championship game. Despite the loss, his leadership throughout the tournament reaffirmed his readiness for an MLB managerial role.

Gil managed his son, Mateo Gil, with Charros de Jalisco during the 2024-25 Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico regular season and at the 2025 Caribbean Series.

Despite spending eight seasons in the majors, no Mexican-born manager has ever led a Major League club. Gil could be the one to break that barrier, and perhaps push MLB organizations to look deeper into coaching talent south of the United States. After all, his leadership guided Charros de Jalisco to the 2025 Caribbean Series final with an undefeated record before falling to Albert Pujols’ Leones del Escogido in the championship game.

Mexican Club Team Managers Who Have Won the Caribbean Series

Since Mexico’s first Caribbean Series title in 1974, several managers have led their clubs to championships, solidifying the country’s influence in the tournament.

In 1974, Bobby Wine managed Naranjeros de Hermosillo to Mexico’s first title. Cananea Reyes followed with championships for Naranjeros de Hermosillo in 1976 and Águilas de Mexicali in 1986. Francisco Estrada won with Tomateros de Culiacán in 1996 and again in 2002.

Juan José Pacho led Venados de Mazatlán to two championships, first in 2005 and later in 2016. Eddie Díaz managed Yaquis de Obregón to back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2013. Matías Carrillo secured a championship for Naranjeros de Hermosillo in 2014.

Wilfredo “Coco” Cordero’s Impact on Puerto Rican Baseball

Wilfredo “Coco” Cordero, manager of Indios de Mayagüez, is the first in Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente history to win Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a regular-season batting title, as well as manage a team to a league championship.

At the 2025 Caribbean Series, he led Puerto Rico’s champions to a third-place finish, securing a 7-4 victory over Venezuela’s Cardenales de Lara in the consolation game.

“This game was important. When we came to Mexicali, the goal was the championship, but it wasn’t possible, so the third-place game became an obligation to finish the tournament with a good performance,” Cordero said after the victory.

His leadership in Puerto Rico’s winter league has established him as a respected figure in Caribbean baseball, further positioning him as a potential candidate for future managerial roles at higher levels of the sport.

Albert Pujols’ Transition to Managing

Albert Pujols, a former MLB standout, took on his first managerial role at the 2025 Caribbean Series, leading Leones del Escogido from the Dominican Republic. His transition from a decorated playing career to coaching reflects a growing trend of former players leveraging their on-field experience into leadership positions.

Managing in his first Caribbean Series, Pujols downplayed personal aspirations and focused on developing his players.

“For me, really, my job is not to compete against the managers. My job is to prepare my players every day, and that’s what we’re continuing to do—especially after tough defeats, bouncing back, and taking care of business against the club teams that are left standing here at the Caribbean Series,” Pujols said during a postgame press conference on Feb. 5.

As more former Latin American players transition into managerial roles, their success in winter leagues and international tournaments will continue to shape the next wave of MLB coaching hires.

With pitchers and catchers reporting this week and spring training approaching, MLB clubs have a final chance to assess the five managers who led teams in Mexicali. Their performances in the Caribbean Series could open doors for big league opportunities in the near future.

MLB Latino-Born Managers

*Baseball Reference Recognizes Latino-Born Managers Who Managed in the Negro Leagues Prior to 1950
^Denotes Winning Both a Caribbean Series & World Series

Venezuela: Carlos Mendoza, Ozzie Guillén^, Miguel Cairo, Al Pedrique

Puerto Rico: Sandy Alomar, Alex Cora, Joe Espada, Charlie Montoyo, Edwin Rodríguez

Dominican Republic: Manny Acta, Felipe Alou, Tony Peña, Luis Pujols, Luis Rojas, Juan Samuel

Cuba: Bernardo Baró*, Pelayo Chacón*, Martín Dihigo*, Reinaldo Drake*, José María Fernández*, Preston Gómez, Fredi González, Mike González*, Marty Martínez, José Méndez*, Tony Pérez, Ramiro Ramírez*, Cookie Rojas, Carlos Tosca