CABO ROJO, PR — As a fan of the game, I have the pleasure of watching baseball from my home in Puerto Rico while it’s winter cold in New York City. Winter Baseball is alive and well, perhaps not as popular as the MLB games we watch in the states especially since the league does not have many of the MLB stars playing Winter ball as in the past. However the league has always had a few MLB players that want to want improve in some way as baseball in Puerto Rico and in the Caribbean is quite competitive. This year, one known star who decided to play for the Santurce Crabbers is 2016 and 2018 National League LatinoMVP winner, Javier Báez.
Javier Báez posing with Santurce Crabbers executives upon signing with the team for this 2025/26 winter season – Image Credit: Crabbers Facebook
Here is an update of Winter ball in Puerto Rico (Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente) with some exciting results. It took the Santurce Crabbers more than nine innings on Friday; timely hitting by Imported player of the Year Shed Long Jr., and a grand slam by Brian Navarreto to advance to their first winter league final in six years.
The Crabbers will face the Ponce Lions, who on the same night eliminated the Carolina Giants, 4-3, to reach their first final in 15 years.
It will be the first time since 1972-73 that the two teams have faced each other in a final for the winter league championship. The best-of-nine series begins Monday, January 12th, at Hiram Bithorn Stadium.
Here is a look at the other Caribbean countries winter baseball standings. The winer of each country will face off in the Caribbean Series beginning Sunday, February 1st. in Jalisco, Mexico.
Dominican Republic
LIDOM’s 2025-2026 standings – Image Credit: LIDOM
Mexico
Mexican league’s 2025-2026 standings – Image Credit: LMB
Venezuela
Venezuelan League’s 2025-2026 standings – Image Credit: Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesiona
Panama
Panamanian league’s 2025-2026 standings baseball standings – Image Credit: Probeis
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William Coppola
January 13, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Excellent reporting from Latin America. No one else is sending people in the States anything about this. Latino players make up roughly 25-30% of Major League Baseball (MLB) rosters, with many more in the minor leagues. The top 10 percent of players come from that 30%. People need to know where the next generation of exciting players are coming from.