The 2024-25 Caribbean Winter League season ended on an impressive note from the club team tournaments at the 2025 Caribbean Series and the first-year event, the 2025 Serie De Las Americas (SDLA) in Nicaragua, which was held in three different venues at Estadio Nacional Soberanía in Managua, Estadio Roberto Clemente in Masaya, and in Estadio Rigoberto López Perez in León.
With the Caribbean Series in Mexicali at El Nido de los Águilas, ending just a little bit over a week ago and the Serie De Las Americas that operated in its first year from January 24-30, international baseball is a big turning point for all of the winter leagues in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Nicaragua, Curacao, Colombia, Cuba, Panama, and Argentina that participated in two events.
The 2024-25 champions in the Liga de Béisbol Profesional de la República Dominicana, the Leones del Escogido, Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacifico, Charros de Jalisco, Liga de Beisbol Roberto Clemente in Puerto Rico, Indios de Mayaguez, Liga Venezolana de Béisbol, Cardenales de Lara, and first-year invitee Japan Breeze that appeared in the 2025 Caribbean Series and the Panama Probeis champion, the Aguilas Metropolitanas, the Liga Profesional De Béisbol Colombia, Caimanes de Barranquilla, the Liga de Beisbol Profesional Nacional in Nicaragua, the Leones de Leon, the 2024 Cuban Serie Nacional champion, Lenadores de Las Tunas, the 2025 Curacao Professional Baseball League champion, Curacao Goats, and 2024 Liga Argentina de Béisbol, Club Daom participating at the 2025 Serie De Las Americas.
From the span of 14 games at the Caribbean Series there were 201,119 fans in attendance at El Nido de los Aguilas in Mexicali, which is just south of the United States and Mexico Border.
The tickets were sold at full capacity for each Mexico night game and the championship game on February 7 but only averaged more than 12,000 for the evening game of each round, according to Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes on Feb. 14.
The 2025 Caribbean Series was a major success for Mexicali, marking its first time hosting the tournament since 2009. Outside El Nido de los Águilas, fans enjoyed a festival featuring live music, local cuisine, rides, and attractions, creating an electric atmosphere throughout the event. The last time Mexicali hosted, the Tigres de Aragua, champions of the 2008-09 Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional, won the title.
The Landscape of Two International Winter Ball Tournaments for the Near Future
The 2025 SDLA event was organized by the Asociación de Béisbol de las Américas.
On Sept. 20, 2024, officials from the Federación Argentina de Béisbol, Federashon di Beisbol Korsou, Panama ProBeis, Federación Nicaragüense de Béisbol Asociada, Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombia, and Federación Cubana de Béisbol y Softbol held a press conference in Panama City to announce the creation of the Asociación de Béisbol de las Américas Tournament. The event is intended to provide a competitive platform for teams from nations not invited to the Caribbean Series.
The Latin American Series, held from 2013 to 2019, previously served as a secondary tournament for teams excluded from the Caribbean Series before being discontinued in 2020.
The SDLA’s formation provided an opportunity for club teams that were not invited to the 2025 Caribbean Series, particularly benefiting nations such as Nicaragua, which previously participated in the 2024 event at loanDepot Park in Miami. Other teams that had competed in the main winter ball tournament during this period included Colombia (2020-23), Cuba (2014-19, returning in 2023), Curaçao (2023-24), and Panama (2019-24).
New Teams and the 2026 Caribbean Series Outlook
The 2026 Caribbean Series in Caracas, Venezuela, will once again feature Japan Breeze, alongside Cuba’s 2025-26 Serie Nacional champion. South Korea will send a team composed of minor league and main roster players from the Korean Baseball Organization, forming an All-Star squad. Italy’s participation will be determined by either the 2025 Serie A1 champion or an assembled All-Star team, a scouting platform for 2026 World Baseball Classic roster additions.
Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase and Enrique Rojas of ESPN Deportes confirmed that Cuba, South Korea, Italy, and Japan Breeze will participate in the 2026 Caribbean Series in Caracas, reporting the news on Feb. 3.
Vía @Enrique_Rojas1: Japan Breeze aseguró su participación en la Serie del Caribe del 2026. También hay negociaciones con la KBO (Corea del Sur) e Italia para que participen tan pronto como el año que viene.
También dice que la SDC del 2026 está pautada para Gran Caracas y se…
— Daniel Álvarez-Montes (@DanielAlvarezEE) February 4, 2025
Rojas said Feb. 14 that KBO officials met with the CBPC in Mexicali and that Commissioner Juan Puello Herrera plans to travel to Italy and South Korea in the coming months for further discussions on the proposal.
The Confederación de Peloteros del Caribe and the Federación Nacional de Peloteros Profesionales de la República Dominicana representatives Yamil Benitez and Erick Almonte spoke at a press conference in front of media outlets at the 2025 Caribbean Series before the start of the championship game on February 7 about the logistics for going into the 2025-26 winter league season and the 2026 event being in Caracas.
World Baseball Network’s Leif Skodnick reported that Yamil Benitez, president of CONPEPROCA, said he had no concerns about the 2026 event being held in Caracas. “Yes, there are challenges. It’s not a secret. In my case, as a Puerto Rican, an American citizen, at the 2023 Caribbean Series, when I arrived in Venezuela, I was surprised because I thought it was [going to be different getting] in the country there in Venezuela, in Caracas and it was not like that. It was so pleasant. On the first day, we had security, and after the first day we were walking in Venezuela as if nothing had happened.”
Expansion, Exhibition Series, and Future Logistics
CONEPEPROCA and FENAPEPRO must also address logistical challenges from two recent events.
The Choques de Gigantes was held at loanDepot Park in Miami from Nov. 8-10 during the past winter league season. The event featured Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional franchises Leones del Caracas, Navegantes del Magallanes, and the 2024-25 league champion, Cardenales de Lara. It also included Cangrejeros de Santurce and Criollos de Caguas from Puerto Rico’s Liga de Beisbol Roberto Clemente, as well as the Estrellas Orientales from LIDOM.
The Titanes del Caribe series was originally scheduled for Yankee Stadium from Nov. 8-9, with a third game at Citi Field on Nov. 10, featuring the Tigres del Licey and Aguilas Cibaeñas from LIDOM.
Promoters Felix Cabrera of Felix Cabrera Presents and Pedro Zamora of Zamora Live opted not to pay the New York Yankees’ $2 million ballpark lease fee, deeming the cost too high. Instead, they moved two games from the Bronx to Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they were played Dec. 7-8 during the 2024-25 season.
The 2024 Titanes del Caribe “La Revancha” series was played at Citi Field on Nov. 10 before 30,795 fans. The Aguilas Cibaeñas defeated the Tigres del Licey 3-2 on a game-winning single to the left side of the infield by pinch hitter Bladimir Restituyo in the bottom of the ninth inning.
CONEPEPROCA and FENAPEPRO will need to evaluate several logistical factors over the next few months, including the 2026 Caribbean Series in Caracas and whether the two exhibition series will be played at neutral sites in the United States after the 2025 Major League Baseball season.
The four members of the Confederación de Beisbol Profesional del Caribe—Venezuela’s LVBP, the Dominican Republic’s LIDOM, Puerto Rico’s LBPRC, and Mexico’s LAMP—will compete in the 2026 Caribbean Series. Confirmed venues for the tournament include Estadio Simon Bolivar, Estadio Forum de La Guaira, and Estadio Universitario in Caracas. In addition to the four league champions, Japan Breeze, South Korea, Italy, and Cuba will also participate, bringing the total number of teams to eight.
Junior Matrille, Gigantes del Cibao press coordinator and Baseball Writers’ Association of America member, reported on his Instagram on Feb. 8 that the Caribbean Series will be held in Caracas in 2026, Hermosillo in 2027, Miami with the Dominican Republic as the representative in 2028, San Juan in 2029, and Caracas again in 2030.
Rojas also said on Feb. 14,” In July last year, the Venezuelan government cut diplomatic relations with several countries, including the Dominican Republic, questioning the controversial election results that President Nicolás Maduro used to stay in power. By expelling the Dominican consular mission from Caracas and withdrawing its staff in Santo Domingo, Venezuela essentially broke its historical ties with the Dominican Republic. For many analysts, the participation for the Dominican Republic in the next Caribbean Series will be difficult if the current situation persists for next February. However, baseball people are optimistic about it.”
Telerebelde reported on its Telegram channel on Feb. 12 that logistics for the 2027 Caribbean Series in Hermosillo have been finalized.
“#BREAKING MINUTE.CUBA INVITED TO THE 2027 CARIBBEAN SERIES#. HERMOSILLO. MEXICO. Excellent news for Cuban baseball to participate in two consecutive Caribbean Series.The 2027 Caribbean Series, which will be held in Hermosillo, Sonora, will feature the participation of ten teams. This year, the four traditional teams will be included: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela and Puerto Rico. In addition, Japan will be added again, as well as Cuba, Nicaragua and Panama, along with the novelty of having the participation of Italy and South Korea. On the other hand, the competition format will undergo significant changes. Without a doubt, this edition is expected to be the best of the Caribbean Series. “
No additional information has been released about the 2027 Caribbean Series in Hermosillo at Estadio Fernando Valenzuela by Spanish-language media outlets in the United States or Latin America.