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). The league was founded in 1985. Like the other rookie league teams, DSL teams are operated by their respective MLB franchises.

League structure The league's season usually begins in early June, with each team playing a 72-game schedule, and ends in mid-August. All 30 Major League Baseball teams have at least one team in the DSL, and many have two. Since the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only Latin America-based rookie league.

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.

History The 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.

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.

The start of the 2020 season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the season being cancelled entirely on 30 June. The start of the 2021 season was delayed until 12 July, with the season ultimately concluding on 2 October with no postseason. The league has since returned to its June-to-August schedule.

Teams +Dominican Summer League teams (2025)DivisionTeamMLB affiliationStadiumCentralDSL Brewers GoldMilwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers Baseball DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Cubs BlueChicago CubsChicago Cubs Dominican Baseball Academy DR, El ToroDSL Guardians GorylCleveland GuardiansCleveland Guardians Baseball DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Orioles OrangeBaltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Pirates GoldPittsburgh PiratesAcademia de Baseball de Los Piratas de Pittsburgh, El ToroDSL RojosCincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds DR Complex, Santo DomingoEastDSL MiamiMiami MarlinsMiami Marlins Baseball Academy DR, Boca ChicaDSL NYY YankeesNew York YankeesNew York Yankees DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL Rangers RedTexas RangersTexas Rangers Baseball Academy DR, Boca ChicaDSL RockiesColorado RockiesRockies of Colorado Academy DR, Boca ChicaDSL Tigers 2Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers DR Facility, San Pedro de MacorisDSL TwinsMinnesota TwinsMinnesota Twins DR Complex, Boca ChicaNorthDSL Astros OrangeHouston AstrosHouston Astros DR Complex, El ToroDSL BravesAtlanta BravesAcademia de Los Bravos de Atlanta DR, San Pedro de MacorisDSL Dodgers BautistaLos Angeles DodgersCampo de béisbol Las Palmas de los dodgers de los Angeles DR, Santo DomingoDSL RaysTampa Bay RaysAcademia de Baseball Tampa Bay Rays DR, Santo DomingoDSL Red Sox BlueBoston Red SoxBoston Red Sox Baseball Academy DR, El Santo Domingo EsteDSL Royals FortunaKansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals DR Complex, Santo DomingoNorthwestDSL Brewers BlueMilwaukee BrewersMilwaukee Brewers Baseball DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Dodgers MegaLos Angeles DodgersCampo de béisbol Las Palmas de los dodgers de los Angeles DR, Santo DomingoDSL Guardians MendozaCleveland GuardiansCleveland Guardians Baseball DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Padres GoldSan Diego PadresAcademia Padres San Diego DR, Carlos PintosDSL Red Sox RedBoston Red SoxBoston Red Sox Baseball Academy DR, El Santo Domingo EsteDSL Tampa BayTampa Bay RaysAcademia de Baseball Tampa Bay Rays DR, Santo DomingoSouthDSL AngelsLos Angeles AngelsLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL Arizona RedArizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks AZPB DR, Boca ChicaDSL Blue Jays RedToronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL Giants BlackSan Francisco GiantsSan Francisco Giants DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Mets OrangeNew York MetsNew York Mets DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL NationalsWashington NationalsNationals Complex Dominican, Santo DomingoDSL Tigers 1Detroit TigersDetroit Tigers DR Facility, San Pedro de MacorisSoutheastDSL CardinalsSt. Louis CardinalsAcademia St Louis Cardinals, Boca ChicaDSL ColoradoColorado RockiesRockies of Colorado Academy DR, Boca ChicaDSL MarlinsMiami MarlinsMiami Marlins Baseball Academy DR, Boca ChicaDSL Mets BlueNew York MetsNew York Mets DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL NYY BombersNew York YankeesNew York Yankees DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia Phillies Baseball Academy DR, Santo DomingoDSL Rangers BlueTexas RangersTexas Rangers Baseball DR Complex, CayacoaSouthwestDSL Arizona BlackArizona DiamondbacksArizona Diamondbacks AZPB DR, Boca ChicaDSL Blue Jays BlueToronto Blue JaysToronto Blue Jays DR Complex, Boca ChicaDSL Cubs RedChicago CubsChicago Cubs Dominican Baseball Academy DR, El ToroDSL Giants OrangeSan Francisco GiantsAcademia De Béisbol Felipe Alou, Santo DomingoDSL MarinersSeattle MarinersAcademia Marinero de Seattle, Santo DomingoDSL Pirates BlackPittsburgh PiratesAcademia de Baseball de Los Piratas de Pittsburgh, El ToroDSL White SoxChicago White SoxWhite Sox DR Complex, Santo DomingoWestDSL Astros BlueHouston AstrosHouston Astros DR Complex, El ToroDSL AthleticsAthleticsAcademia de Béisbol de los Atléticos de Oakland, Santo DomingoDSL Orioles BlackBaltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Padres BrownSan Diego PadresAcademia Padres San Diego DR, Carlos PintosDSL RedsCincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds DR Complex, Santo DomingoDSL Royals VenturaKansas City RoyalsKansas City Royals DR Complex, Santo Domingo

Champions

League 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. The most recent champions (2025) are the DSL Padres Gold, one of the two DSL affiliates of the San Diego Padres.

See also Dominican Summer League rosters Venezuelan Summer League

References

Further reading

External links Official website

DSL Encyclopedia and History at Baseball Reference