# Mexican Softball League

The Mexican Softball League (LMS) (Spanish: Liga Mexicana de Softbol) is a professional softball league in Mexico. The LMS was established in September 2023 and started its first official season in January 2024. The league is affiliated to the Mexican League; all of the participant teams are softball sections of the Mexican League baseball teams. The LMS is the first professional softball league in Mexico and Latin America.

## History

The Mexican Softball League (LMS) was announced in September 2023 as a joint effort between the Mexican League and the Mexican Softball Federation as the first professional women's softball league in Mexico. Six teams, all of them softball sections of the Mexican League baseball teams, were confirmed to take part in the league's inaugural season in 2024: Bravos de León, Charros de Jalisco, Diablos Rojos del México, El Águila de Veracruz, Olmecas de Tabasco and Sultanes de Monterrey.
The league held its inaugural draft on 7 December 2023 at the Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú in Mexico City. A total of 120 players were picked by the six LMS teams, amongst them players such as Stefanía Aradillas (who represented Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics) and Yuruby Alicart (who was part of the Venezuelan squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2013 World Games, where she was a silver medalist). Players from Mexico, United States, Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia were part of the league's first professional softballers. In January 2024, New Era was announced as the league's official cap and uniforms supplier for all the six teams.
The inaugural Mexican Softball League season was presented on 22 January 2024 and it opened on 25 January 2024, immediately attracting huge crowds. The match between Sultanes and El Águila at the Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey was attended by 13,408 spectators, while 2,500 people attended the Estadio Domingo Santana for the Bravos–Charros game.
Charros de Jalisco became the first LMS winners, defeating Sultanes de Monterrey in the 2024 Serie de la Reina 3 games to 1. Charros' pitcher Yeraldine Carrión was awarded as the most valuable player of the championship series.
In October 2024, El Águila de Veracruz signed Maxime van Dalen, who became the first Dutch player to play in the league.
On 22 October 2024 two new teams joined the league ahead of the 2025 season, Algodoneros de Unión Laguna and Naranjeros de Hermosillo.

## Teams

| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Founded |
| Algodoneros de Unión Laguna | Torreón, Coahuila | Estadio de la Revolución | 7,689 | 2024 |
| Bravos de León | León, Guanajuato | Estadio Domingo Santana | 6,500 | 2023 |
| Charros de Jalisco | Zapopan, Jalisco | Estadio Panamericano | 16,500 | 2023 |
| Diablos Rojos del México | Iztacalco, Mexico City | Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú | 20,062 | 2023 |
| El Águila de Veracruz | Veracruz, Veracruz | Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila | 7,319 | 2023 |
| Naranjeros de Hermosillo | Hermosillo, Sonora | Estadio Fernando Valenzuela | 16,000 | 2024 |
| Olmecas de Tabasco | Villahermosa, Tabasco | Estadio Centenario 27 de Febrero | 6,600 | 2023 |
| Sultanes de Monterrey | Monterrey, Nuevo León | Estadio de Beisbol Monterrey | 21,803 | 2023 |

## Champions

| Team | Champions | Runners-up | Winning seasons | Runners-up seasons |
| Charros de Jalisco | 1 | 0 | 2024 | – |
| Sultanes de Monterrey | 0 | 1 | – | 2024 |

## Salaries

Players in the LMS have a monthly salary of $18000 Mexican pesos (roughly equivalent to $1055 USD), while elite players (more experienced or foreign players) can earn up to $51000 pesos per month (approximately $2900).

## Media coverage
### Television

Fox Sports and ESPN Deportes broadcast the majority of the LMS regular season games as well as the complete championship series.

### Internet

Claro Sports and GameTime, a streaming platform owned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, stream all the LMS regular season and playoffs games.