The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Dominican Republic at the Rookie level, which is the lowest grade below Major League Baseball (MLB).[1] The league was founded in 1985.[2] Like the other rookie league teams, DSL teams are operated by their respective MLB franchises.[3]
 | |
| Classification | Rookie |
|---|---|
| Sport | Baseball |
| Founded | 1985 |
| No. of teams | 51 |
| Country | Dominican Republic |
| Most recent champion | DSL Padres Gold (2025) |
| Most titles | DSL Dodgers (8) |
| Official website | www |
League structure
editThe league's season usually begins in early June, with each team playing a 72-game schedule, and ends in mid-August.[2][4] All 30 Major League Baseball teams have at least one team in the DSL, and many have two.[5] Since the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only Latin America-based rookie league.[6]
The DSL is nicknamed the "kindergarten of professional baseball", because the emphasis is on players' improvement rather than teams' win-loss record. Players are generally between the ages of 17 and 22, and many of them are recent international signings from Latin American countries. DSL players train at their teams' academies in the Dominican Republic throughout the year but only play professional games during the summer league season.[5]
History
editThe initial links between Major League Baseball and the Dominican Republic were informal. In 1951, the Dominican Professional Baseball League began letting MLB teams send players that they had signed or hoped to sign to play in the league, in exchange for the teams sending American coaches to the DPL. By the 1980s, more MLB players were coming from the Dominican Republic than any other country beside the United States.[7]: 21
In the 1980s, the Los Angeles Dodgers initiated the current academy-based structure for Dominican minor leagues in the Dominican Republic. Ralph Avila, a Dodgers staff member, noticed that many promising Dominican players failed to progress toward the major leagues because they did not have the support system in place to adapt to the demands of the professional game and the cultural differences between the U.S. and the D.R. Avila and the Dodgers designed a baseball academy to teach prospects how to be successful players on and off the field, and the other teams followed suit, leading to the modern system.[7]: 23–25
The start of the 2020 season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the season being cancelled entirely on 30 June.[8][9] The start of the 2021 season was delayed until 12 July, with the season ultimately concluding on 2 October with no postseason.[4] The league has since returned to its June-to-August schedule.[2]
Teams
edit| Division | Team | MLB affiliation | Stadium[citation needed] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central | DSL Brewers Gold | Milwaukee Brewers | Milwaukee Brewers Baseball DR Complex, Santo Domingo |
| DSL Cubs Blue | Chicago Cubs | Chicago Cubs Dominican Baseball Academy DR, El Toro | |
| DSL Guardians Goryl | Cleveland Guardians | Cleveland Guardians Baseball DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Orioles Orange | Baltimore Orioles | Baltimore Orioles DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Pirates Gold | Pittsburgh Pirates | Academia de Baseball de Los Piratas de Pittsburgh, El Toro | |
| DSL Rojos | Cincinnati Reds | Cincinnati Reds DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| East | DSL Miami | Miami Marlins | Miami Marlins Baseball Academy DR, Boca Chica |
| DSL NYY Yankees | New York Yankees | New York Yankees DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Rangers Red | Texas Rangers | Texas Rangers Baseball Academy DR, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Rockies | Colorado Rockies | Rockies of Colorado Academy DR, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Tigers 2 | Detroit Tigers | Detroit Tigers DR Facility, San Pedro de Macoris | |
| DSL Twins | Minnesota Twins | Minnesota Twins DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| North | DSL Astros Orange | Houston Astros | Houston Astros DR Complex, El Toro |
| DSL Braves | Atlanta Braves | Academia de Los Bravos de Atlanta DR, San Pedro de Macoris | |
| DSL Dodgers Bautista | Los Angeles Dodgers | Campo de béisbol Las Palmas de los dodgers de los Angeles DR, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Rays | Tampa Bay Rays | Academia de Baseball Tampa Bay Rays DR, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Red Sox Blue | Boston Red Sox | Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy DR, El Santo Domingo Este | |
| DSL Royals Fortuna | Kansas City Royals | Kansas City Royals DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| Northwest | DSL Brewers Blue | Milwaukee Brewers | Milwaukee Brewers Baseball DR Complex, Santo Domingo |
| DSL Dodgers Mega | Los Angeles Dodgers | Campo de béisbol Las Palmas de los dodgers de los Angeles DR, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Guardians Mendoza | Cleveland Guardians | Cleveland Guardians Baseball DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Padres Gold | San Diego Padres | Academia Padres San Diego DR, Carlos Pintos | |
| DSL Red Sox Red | Boston Red Sox | Boston Red Sox Baseball Academy DR, El Santo Domingo Este | |
| DSL Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Rays | Academia de Baseball Tampa Bay Rays DR, Santo Domingo | |
| South | DSL Angels | Los Angeles Angels | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim DR Complex, Boca Chica |
| DSL Arizona Red | Arizona Diamondbacks | Arizona Diamondbacks AZPB DR, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Blue Jays Red | Toronto Blue Jays | Toronto Blue Jays DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Giants Black | San Francisco Giants | San Francisco Giants DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Mets Orange | New York Mets | New York Mets DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Nationals | Washington Nationals | Nationals Complex Dominican, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Tigers 1 | Detroit Tigers | Detroit Tigers DR Facility, San Pedro de Macoris | |
| Southeast | DSL Cardinals | St. Louis Cardinals | Academia St Louis Cardinals, Boca Chica |
| DSL Colorado | Colorado Rockies | Rockies of Colorado Academy DR, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Marlins | Miami Marlins | Miami Marlins Baseball Academy DR, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Mets Blue | New York Mets | New York Mets DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL NYY Bombers | New York Yankees | New York Yankees DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies Baseball Academy DR, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Rangers Blue | Texas Rangers | Texas Rangers Baseball DR Complex, Cayacoa | |
| Southwest | DSL Arizona Black | Arizona Diamondbacks | Arizona Diamondbacks AZPB DR, Boca Chica |
| DSL Blue Jays Blue | Toronto Blue Jays | Toronto Blue Jays DR Complex, Boca Chica | |
| DSL Cubs Red | Chicago Cubs | Chicago Cubs Dominican Baseball Academy DR, El Toro | |
| DSL Giants Orange | San Francisco Giants | Academia De Béisbol Felipe Alou, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Mariners | Seattle Mariners | Academia Marinero de Seattle, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Pirates Black | Pittsburgh Pirates | Academia de Baseball de Los Piratas de Pittsburgh, El Toro | |
| DSL White Sox | Chicago White Sox | White Sox DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| West | DSL Astros Blue | Houston Astros | Houston Astros DR Complex, El Toro |
| DSL Athletics | Athletics | Academia de Béisbol de los Atléticos de Oakland, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Orioles Black | Baltimore Orioles | Baltimore Orioles DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Padres Brown | San Diego Padres | Academia Padres San Diego DR, Carlos Pintos | |
| DSL Reds | Cincinnati Reds | Cincinnati Reds DR Complex, Santo Domingo | |
| DSL Royals Ventura | Kansas City Royals | Kansas City Royals DR Complex, Santo Domingo |
Champions
editLeague champions have been determined by different means since the Dominican Summer League's formation in 1985. As of 2025, 16 teams—8 division winners and 8 wild card teams—qualify for the playoffs. Teams are divided into four pools of four teams each and participate in a round-robin competition called the DSL Cup. The four teams with the best record in each pool advance to the championship bracket of two rounds (semifinals and finals). All postseason series are a best-of-three format.[10] The most recent champions (2025) are the DSL Padres Gold, one of the two DSL affiliates of the San Diego Padres.[11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ↑ "Dominican Summer League (Foreign Rookie) Encyclopedia and History". Baseball-Reference. Sports Reference. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 "About the Dominican Summer League". Dominican Summer League. Minor League Baseball. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ↑ "MiLB Rookie Leagues". MLB.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- 1 2 Sanchez, Jesse (12 July 2021). "Dominican Summer League Opens Today". MLB.com. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
- 1 2 Sanchez, Jesse (23 August 2018). "A look inside the Dominican Summer League". MLB.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ Badler, Ben (21 January 2016). "Venezuelan Summer League Shuts Down". Baseball America. Archived from the original on 31 January 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
- 1 2 Gmelch, George; Nathan, Daniel A. (March 2017). Baseball Beyond Our Borders: An International Pastime. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 978-1-4962-0105-8. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
- ↑ "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. 13 March 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
- ↑ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. 30 June 2020. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
- ↑ "New Playoff Format Coming to 2025 Dominican Summer League". Dominican Summer League. Minor League Baseball. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ↑ Jackson, Josh (30 August 2025). "DSL Padres Gold club wins first-ever Dominican Summer League Cup". MLB.com. Retrieved 1 May 2026.
Further reading
edit- Badler, Ben (15 August 2018). "MLB Changes Rules For International Signings". Baseball America. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
External links
edit- Official website (in English)
- DSL Encyclopedia and History at Baseball Reference