Caribbean Series
Annual baseball tournament
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Caribbean Series (Spanish: Serie del Caribe) is an annual club tournament contested by professional baseball teams in Latin America. It is organized by the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation. The series is normally played in February, after the various winter leagues have ended their national tournaments.
| |
| Sport | Baseball |
|---|---|
| First season | 1949 |
| Director | Juan Francisco Puello Herrera |
| Organizing body | Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation |
| Countries | Dominican Republic Mexico Puerto Rico Venezuela |
| Region | Caribbean and Latin America |
| Most recent champions |  Charros de Jalisco (1st title) (2026) |
| Most titles |  Tigres del Licey (11 titles) |
| Broadcasters | United States: ESPN Deportes (Spanish) MLB Network (English) |
| Related competitions | LIDOM LMP LBPRC LVBP |
| Official website | seriedelcaribe.net |
 2026 Caribbean Series | |
The Dominican Republic has won the most Caribbean Series championships (23), with Tigres del Licey being the most successful team in the tournament's history. The series has been won by 29 teams from seven countries. Only two teams have won the tournament two consecutive years, the most recent being Criollos de Caguas from Puerto Rico in 2017 and 2018.
History
The competition was the brainchild of Venezuelan baseball entrepreneur Pablo Morales and Oscar Prieto Ortiz, who devised the idea after seeing the success of the Serie Interamericana in 1946, which featured the clubs Brooklyn Bushwicks from the United States, Cervecería Caracas from Venezuela, Sultanes de Monterrey from Mexico, and an All-Star team composed of Cuban players.[1]
Inspired by the Interamerican Series and his experience as a former president of the International Baseball Federation, Morales joined Prieto and presented the idea to baseball representatives of Cuba, Panama, and Puerto Rico during a meeting held in Havana on August 21, 1948.[2] The representatives then agreed to stage a four-country, round-robin tournament 12-game to be known as the Serie del Caribe, to be launched in Cuba from February 20–25 of 1949.
The Series ran annually from 1949 through 1960, with Cuba winning seven times. However, the event was suspended in 1961, as a result of the Cuban Revolution. Fidel Castro dissolved all professional baseball in Cuba, and MLB Commissioner Ford Frick ruled that American major leaguers were barred from playing in Havana, where the 1961 series had been scheduled.[3][4]
It was not until 1970 that the Caribbean Series was revived. Moreover, the 1981 Caribbean Series was not held due to a Venezuelan League player's strike.
The tournament featured the champions of the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela for over 40 years. Cuba returned in 2014. Panama returned to host the 2019 edition. Colombia was added for the 2020 edition, replacing Cuba who could not participate due to visa issues. Curaçao was invited as a guest in 2023.[5]
Participants
Permanent members
- Key
- Member of the Caribbean Professional Baseball Confederation
| Country | League | First edition |
|---|---|---|
| Dominican Republic |
Dominican Professional Baseball League | 1970 |
| Mexico |
Mexican Pacific League | 1971 |
 Puerto Rico |
Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente | 1949 |
 Venezuela |
Venezuelan Professional Baseball League[b] | 1949 |
Other participants
| Country | League | First edition | Latest edition |
|---|---|---|---|
 Cuba |
Cuban League | 1949 | 1960 |
| Cuban National Series | 2014 | 2019 | |
| Cuban Elite League | 2023 | ||
 Curaçao |
Curaçao Professional Baseball League | 2023 | 2024 |
 Colombia |
Colombian Professional Baseball League | 2020 | 2023 |
 Nicaragua |
Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League | 2024 | 2024 |
 Panama |
Panamanian Professional Baseball League[a] | 1949 | 2026 |
 Japan |
Japan Breeze | 2025 | |
Notes
- a After the 1960 tournament, Panama would not appear in another Caribbean Series until 2019.
- b Venezuela's LVBP was replaced by the Liga Occidental de Béisbol Profesional for the 1960 tournament
Series
- From 1949 to 2012 the winner was determined by win-loss record.
- In 2013 the winner was determined by championship game between the two teams with the best records.
- Since 2014 the winner has been determined by knockout round between the four teams with the best records.
Starting with the 2013 Caribbean Series, a championship game was introduced where the two teams with the best win–loss record from the round-robin first stage would meet to determine the champion. In 2013 the first round consisted of 12 games and each team faced the other teams twice, one as home club and the other as an away team; from 2014 on, with the return of Cuban teams to the tournament, the first stage was changed to a round robin of 10 games where each team faced the other teams once.
- Notes
- Mexico's Naranjeros de Hermosillo, Puerto Rico's Cangrejeros de Santurce, and Venezuela's Tiburones de La Guaira all tied for second place, with a 2-4 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Águilas Cibaeñas and Venezuela's Tigres de Aragua tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Cangrejeros de Santurce and Venezuela's Leones del Caracas tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Tigres del Licey and Mexico's Venados de Mazatlán tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Águilas Cibaeñas and Mexico's Naranjeros de Hermosillo tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Águilas Cibaeñas and Venezuela's Leones del Caracas tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Vaqueros de Bayamón and Venezuela's Leones del Caracas tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Águilas Cibaeñas and Venezuela's Tiburones de La Guaira tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayagüez and Mexico's Potros de Tijuana tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Senadores de San Juan and Venezuela's Leones del Caracas tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Mexico's Tomateros de Culiacán and Venezuela's Navegantes del Magallanes tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Venezuela's Cardenales de Lara and Mexico's Naranjeros de Hermosillo tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Vaqueros de Bayamón and the Dominican Republic's Tigres del Licey tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Águilas Cibaeñas and Venezuela's Tigres de Aragua tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- The Dominican Republic's Toros del Este and Puerto Rico's Criollos de Caguas tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
- Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayagüez and Venezuela's Tigres de Aragua tied for second place, with a 3-3 record.
Championships by team
Championships by country
| Rank | Country | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dominican Republic |
23 | 1971, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025 |
| 2 | Puerto Rico |
16 | 1951, 1953, 1954, 1955, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1995, 2000, 2017, 2018 |
| 3 | Mexico |
10 | 1976, 1986, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2026 |
| 4 | Cuba |
8 | 1949, 1952, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 2015 |
| Venezuela |
1970, 1979, 1982, 1984, 1989, 2006, 2009, 2024 | ||
| 6 | Panama |
2 | 1950, 2019 |
| 7 | Colombia |
1 | 2022 |
Undefeated teams
| No. | Team | Record | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Tigres del Licey |
6–0 6–0 5–0 |
1971 1977 1991 |
| 2 | Cangrejeros de Santurce |
6–0 6–0 |
1953 2000 |
| 2 | Águilas Cibaeñas |
6–0 7–0 |
1998 2021 |
| 1 | Alacranes del Almendares |
6–0 | 1949 |
| 1 | Leones del Habana |
5–0 | 1952 |
| 1 | Elefantes de Cienfuegos |
6–0 | 1960 |
| 1 | Senadores de San Juan |
6–0 | 1995 |
| 1 | Leones del Caracas |
6–0 | 2006 |
| 1 | Venados de Mazatlán |
6–0 | 2016 |
