NEWS: Mexico’s Charros de Jalisco are Caribbean Series champs after wild walk-off win

The 2026 Caribbean Series ended in thrilling fashion on February 7 with a historic championship game won by one of the two Mexican teams in the field, as the Charros de Jalisco claimed the title in an unforgettable, 12-11 extra-innings battle against the Tomateros de Culiacán.

The 68th edition of baseball’s premier winter-league club tournament was held at Estadio Panamericano de Béisbol in Zapopan, Mexico, after being relocated from Venezuela amid political tensions and diplomatic uncertainty in that country — a situation that ultimately led Venezuela’s winter league champion to withdraw entirely from the event.

With Venezuela’s absence opening a spot, Mexico received two berths, fielding both its league champion (Charros de Jalisco) and runner-up (Tomateros de Culiacán) alongside teams from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Panama.

After falling in last year’s championship game to the Leones del Escogido of the Dominican Republic, Jalisco appeared firmly in control early, building a commanding 9–1 lead after four innings.

But the Tomateros de Culiacán refused to go quietly, mounting a furious comeback that erased the deficit and eventually pushed ahead 11–10, forcing the game into extra innings.

Jalisco loaded the bases in the bottom of the tenth, and a pair of wild pitches by a Tomatero reliever opened the door for the tying and winning runs, sealing a wild walk-off win.

The victory not only capped a memorable all-Mexico final, but also gave Mexico its first Caribbean Series championship since 2016, when the Venados de Mazatlán claimed the title, restoring the nation to the top of winter baseball’s biggest stage.

The rest of the field saw the Dominican Republic finishing third after a strong round-robin showing, followed by Puerto Rico in fourth and Panama in fifth.

The results underscored the depth and competitiveness that has defined the Caribbean Series since its founding in 1949, when Cuba, Puerto Rico, Panama and Venezuela launched the event to crown the best winter-league club in the region.

Over the decades, the Series has grown into one of baseball’s most tradition-rich tournaments, producing legendary performances and serving as a showcase for stars who would later shine in the U.S. major leagues.