Winter baseball seasons begin in Dominican Republic and Venezuela

The 2026-2027 winter baseball seasons have commenced in the Dominican Republic (LIDOM) and Venezuela (LVBP).

In the Dominican Republic, the LIDOM season is set to begin on October 16. The Tigres del Licey have announced significant updates, including the creation of the Manny Mota Award, new fan experiences such as a VIP Lounge and digital ticketing, and the implementation of the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) in collaboration with MLB. The Toros del Este are also preparing for the campaign with a roster featuring key players like Aaron Sánchez and Bryan De La Cruz.

In Venezuela, the LVBP season officially kicked off on October 12 with an inaugural matchup between the Navegantes del Magallanes and Tiburones de La Guaira at the José Bernardo Pérez Stadium. The Venezuelan league features eight teams and includes approximately ten active MLB players. The season is dedicated to the “Heroes of '26” and will feature an expanded quota of up to eight imported players per team. The league also announced an international exhibition game in Miami between Tiburones and Magallanes scheduled for November.