Baseball in Mexico
Baseball first rose to popularity in Mexico during the 1880s, and may have been introduced there as early as 1846. Mexico's current premier baseball league, the Mexican Baseball League, was founded in 1925 and consists of two divisions with 16 teams in total. The Mexican League has been classified as a Triple-A level league since 1967, and was classified as a Double-A league before then.
| Baseball in Mexico | |
|---|---|
Statues outside of the Mexican Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. | |
| Country | Mexico |
| National team(s) | Mexico |
Club competitions | |
Mexican League * North division * South division Liga Norte de Mexico Mexican Academy League Mexican Pacific League | |
International competitions | |
World Baseball Classic (2006–present) Caribbean Series (1971–present) Pan American Games (1951–present) Baseball World Cup (1941–1965) | |
The sport has traditionally been considered one of the most popular sports in Mexico, second only to football in some areas. Baseball is primarily popular in the northern part of the country, in the states nearest the Mexico–United States border. Over 120 different players have made appearances for Major League Baseball teams, the first being Mel Almada who played for the Boston Red Sox starting in 1933. Other notable Mexican MLB players include Fernando Valenzuela, Vinny Castilla, Joakim Soria, and Julio Urias.