The 2025 Caribbean Series baseball tournament (Serie Del Caribe) is happening in Mexicali, Mexico. It brings together the best teams from Latin America’s winter baseball leagues to compete for the top spot. This year, there is extra interest because Albert Pujols, not as a player but as the manager of the Leones del Escogido, is part of the event. The Dominican team earned its spot in the tournament by winning the championship of the Dominican professional winter league, LIDOM. For Pujols, a future Hall of Famer, this tournament is a chance to strengthen his baseball legacy—not as a player but by leading a team from the dugout.

What is the Caribbean Series?

The Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe) is an annual baseball tournament that determines the best team from the professional winter leagues of Latin America. It started in 1949 and includes teams from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Mexico, with Cuba, Panama, and Colombia joining in recent years. The tournament takes place right after the winter leagues finish their seasons. It gives top players, from young talents to experienced stars, a chance to compete on a big stage. Over time, the Caribbean Series has become an important event, showing off Latin American baseball culture with passionate fans and exciting games. Many baseball players use the winter leagues and Caribbean Series to improve their skills before moving on to higher levels.

Tournament Format

The 2025 Caribbean Series will have a round-robin format, with five teams. After all teams play each other once, the top four will move on to the knockout stage. In the semifinals, the top seed will face the fourth seed, and the second seed will play against the third seed. The winners of these matches will go on to the final for the championship, while the losers will compete for third place.

Who Is Represented At The 2025 Caribbean Series?

The 2025 Caribbean Series includes the champions from the Dominican Republic’s LIDOM, Mexico’s LMP (Liga Mexicana del Pacífico), Puerto Rico’s LBPRC (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente), and Venezuela’s LVBP (Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional). This year, there is a special invited team from Japan, bringing an exciting international element to the tournament.

Leones del Escogido

The LIDOM champions will represent the Dominican Republic, led by manager and former player Albert Pujols. Pujols became the manager of the Leones in February 2024. In his first year as manager, he helped the team win its first LIDOM championship since 2016. The team has won four Caribbean Series titles before (1988, 1990, 2010, 2012) and is aiming for a fifth title in 2025. The Leones have a strong team, with former MLB players like Robinson Canó, Sócrates Brito, Johnny Cueto, Alex Colomé, Fernando Abad, and Francisco Mejía. With Pujols leading them, Escogido has both experience and a Hall of Fame baseball mind guiding them in the tournament.

Charros de Jalisco

The Charros are trying to win their first Caribbean Series title after winning the LMP championship this winter. The team is based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and includes former MLB players like Billy Hamilton, Manny Bañuelos, Stephen Nogosek, and Jack Mayfield, bringing valuable experience to their championship run. Mexico has always been a strong team in the Caribbean Series, and with Jalisco representing them, they hope to win Mexico’s first title since 2016.

Indios de Mayaguez

The Indios de Mayaguez, representing Puerto Rico, are two-time Caribbean Series champions (1978, 1992). They are hoping to end a 33-year gap without a title. The team includes current and former MLB players like Emmanuel Rivera, Eddie Rosario, Isán Díaz, Dereck Rodríguez, and Henry Ramos. With a mix of experienced players and young talent, they aim to go far in the tournament and bring back the Caribbean Series title to Puerto Rico, which last won in 2018.

Cardenales de Lara

The Cardenales de Lara won the LVBP championship this winter and secured their spot in the Caribbean Series. Although they have been successful in Venezuela, they have never won a Caribbean Series title. This year’s tournament is their chance to change that. The team has strong players like Ildemaro Vargas, Edwin Escobar, Alexi Amarista, Ali Sánchez, and Hernán Pérez, all of whom have MLB experience. They are looking to help Venezuela win again after the Tiburones de la Guaira’s victory last year.

Japan Breeze

The Japan Breeze is the only team in this year’s Caribbean Series that is not from Latin America, giving the tournament an interesting international touch. The team is managed by Alex Ramírez, a former MLB outfielder from Venezuela. The Breeze also has Munenori Kawasaki, a former MLB infielder.

What the Caribbean Series Could Mean for Pujols

The Caribbean Series is the top event in Latin American winter league baseball. For Albert Pujols, it is a chance to show he can be a good manager at a high level of talent. His role as manager of Leones del Escogido is not just a one-time challenge—it could be the start of his future as a manager in Major League Baseball. Many former MLB players have used LIDOM to begin their coaching careers, like Tony Peña, who won several LIDOM titles and a Caribbean Series title in 2001 before becoming the manager of the Kansas City Royals in 2002 and later the New York Yankees. Luis Rojas also managed Leones del Escogido before becoming the New York Mets manager in 2020.

How to Watch the 2025 Caribbean Series

The Caribbean Series games will be shown in both English and Spanish this week. The English broadcast will be on MLB Network, and the Spanish broadcast will be on ESPN+.

Published: 1st February 2025

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