Schedule announced for inaugural Mexican Softball League. MLS

The newly formed Mexican Softball League (Liga Mexicana de Softbol - LMS) has announced the games schedule for its historic inaugural season. The league will open on 25 January, with each of the six teams playing 24 regular season games.

The six participating teams are Sultanes de Monterrey, Olmecas de Tabasco, El Águila de Veracruz, Diablos Rojos del México, Bravos de León and Charros de Jalisco.

Each team will play a total of 24 series, 12 at home and 12 on the road. The regular season ends on 3 March, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals in a best-of-five series to be played from 5-10 March.

The winners of the semi-finals will play the Serie de la Reina (Queen's Series), a five-game series from 12-17 March to determine the first-ever Mexican Softball League champion.

The inaugural series of the season in each city are:

  • Jalisco at León -  January 25 and 26
  • México at Tabasco - January 25 and 26
  • Monterrey at Veracruz - January 25 and 26
  • León at Jalisco - 27 and 28 January
  • Veracruz at México DF - 27 and 28 January
  • León at  Monterrey - 1 and 2 February

The rosters of the six teams will be built on a draft, to be hosted on Thursday, 7 December, with 120 players to be selected by the six teams. The draft will take place at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City. 



The rosters of the six teams will be determined by a draft on Thursday 7 December, in which 120 players will be selected by the six teams. The draft will be held at the Estadio Alfredo Harp Helu in Mexico City.

Softball is enjoying a period of sustained growth, no doubt helped by its debut as an Olympic sport at the 1996 Atlanta Games and its return three years ago in Tokyo after missing the previous two Games, London 2012 and Rio de Janeiro 2016. The United States won the gold medals in softball's first three Olympic appearances, with Japan taking the last two. 

It is a sport with a strong following in Mexico, partly because it borders the United States. Indeed, the Mexicans came close to a podium finish at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, losing 3-2 to Canada in the bronze medal match. 

However, in the inexplicable comings and goings of the International Olympic Committee, softball will not be present at the Paris Games and will return again in five years' time at Los Angeles 2028.