If you're Major League Baseball team has been eliminated from the playoffs or didn't make it to the postseason at all, have no fear: a new baseball season started last night.
Down in Venezuela, the Tiburones de La Guaira knocked off the defending champion Navegantes del Magallanes 10-6 in the Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional season opener behind a 2-for-4 night by Yangervis Solarte, who clubbed a two-run homer and drove in four runs.
Tonight, Venezuela's six other teams start the season, and Mexico's Liga Mexicana del Pacifico gets underway with the Jaguares de Nayarit visiting the defending champion Charros de Jalisco.
Below are five storylines to watch over the next four and a half months of the winter ball season.
Could This Be Robinson Cano's Farewell? - Robinson Cano has continued playing since leaving MLB, helping the Diablos Rojos del Mexico to a pair of Serie del Rey titles in the Liga Mexicana de Beisbol in the summer and playing for LIDOM's Estrellas Orientales in the winter. He signed with both the Estrellas Orientales and the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico's Tomateros de Culiacan for this winter, and the CBPC ruled that the Tomateros contract would be honored. The Tomateros have since released Cano, meaning he's free to play for the Estrellas again this winter in his hometown of San Pedro de Macoris. Don't be surprised if this winter marks the last time fans see Cano on the field as a professional baseball player.
Which Trevor Bauer Will the Estrellas Get? - Trevor Bauer is venturing to winter ball for the first time, playing for Diablos Rojos' teammate Robinson Cano's hometown team, the Estrellas Orientales of LIDOM. His last two seasons outside of MLB have not been as good as his first two. In 2023, he threw 130 2/3 innings for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball with a 2.76 ERA, and in 2024, he won the LMB's pitcher of the year award and a Serie del Rey with the Diablos. He went back to Japan and posted a 4.51 ERA in 133 2/3 innings in 2024. After splitting this year between the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League, where he was a solid starter with a 2.36 ERA over 42 innings across seven starts, he went back to Mexico, where he had a 4.41 ERA in 32 2/3 innings and 31 strikeouts. Bauer, 35, is racing the clock now, and also heading to what is arguably the toughest winter league in the world. Will he be dominant again? We'll see. He's expected to make his first start for the Estrellas on Nov. 1.
Will There Be Any Invitees to the Caribbean Series? - There hasn't been a four-team Caribbean Series since 2013, the last time winter ball's biggest event came to Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, where it will be this year. Every year since, at least one league outside the Confederacion de Beisbol Profesional del Caribe, the organization governing winter ball in Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela, has been invited to send a team to the Caribbean Series. But with the Serie de Las Americas now including the champions of Cuba's Serie Nacional, Panama's ProBeis, Colombia's Liga Beisbol Profesional Colombiano, and Nicaragua's Asociation de Beisbol Profesional Nicaraguense, it's hard to see those leagues sending a team to the Caribbean Series. The other notable invitee to the Caribbean Series over the past decade-plus was the Japan Breeze, who came to Mexicali in 2025 and were blown out.
Could the Charros de Jalisco and Leones del Escogido Make It Three In a Row? - Both the Charros de Jalisco and Leones del Escogido are looking to win a third consecutive title in their respective leagues, the LMP and LIDOM. The Charros won the LMP title and the Caribbean Series almost completely via offense - they had an atrocious 5.39 Team ERA and gave up 344 earned runs last season. Both marks were the league's worst, yet they somehow pulled the rabbit out of their gorra (that's the Spanish word for cap). The Leones went 23-27 in the regular season, which was good enough to both get manager Alex Cintron fired midseason and get into the round robin playoffs in the last spot. From there, they won the title, but didn't have the pitching to get to the Caribbean Series final. We'll see what happens this year.
Will An MLB Lockout Shake Up Rosters In December? - Should the MLB owners lock out the players at midnight on Dec. 1, MLB clubs won't be able to veto or limit the participation of players on the 40-man roster in winter ball. If so, it's likely that there will be an influx of players to winter ball teams in the final months of the regular season as players take the opportunity to play at home, keep their skills sharp, and prepare for a season that may not begin on time. While all four leagues in the CBPC, as well as most of the minor winter leagues, have roster limits for foreign players, you can bet that plenty of MLB players from Venezuela, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico would love the chance to play at home during the winter. If there's a lockout, their teams can't say no.
Where to Watch - Each league has a different streaming partner, some of which you have to pay for, and some of which you don’t.
The Dominican Republic’s LIDOM and the Liga Mexicana del Pacifico are streamed live on MLB.tv with commentary in Spanish. You’ll need to have a subscription to watch.
Puerto Rico’s LBPRC has streamed its games live on the league’s YouTube page for free.
Venezuela’s LVBP streams its games live on BeisbolPlay, which charges a fee. Currently, a season subscription for 2025-26 is US$22.99.
Tonight's Winter Ball Schedule
All times Eastern Daylight Time
Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional
7 p.m. - Leones del Caracas at Aguilas del Zulia
7 p.m. - Navegantes del Magallanes at Tiburones de La Guaira
7 p.m. - Tigres de Aragua at Caribes de Anzoategui
Liga Mexicana del Pacifico
10:15 p.m. - Jaguares de Nayarit at Charros de Jalisco