As anticipated by many, Aidan Miller has been added to the Arizona Fall League’s Surprise Saguaros roster.  To make room, catcher Luke Davis has been reassigned to the Scottsdale squad.  LHP Andrew Walling was also added to Surprise.  He is replacing Jose Pena who will continue his rehab at the Complex.

The fall and winter leagues begin play at various times after the MLB regular season ends.  Some start during the MLB playoffs.  Two tournaments are held just before MLB spring training usually starts.

Here’s a quick rundown of six familiar leagues and six less well known leagues.

The Arizona Fall League (AFL) is an MLB prospect league that starts the first week of October during the AL and NL Division Series.  The league consists of 6 teams that play 30 games each.  Each team is composed of prospects from five MLB teams.  This year the Phillies are part of the Surprise Saguaros with Cleveland, Kansas City, New York (NL), and Texas.  Teams send 8 players, 5 of whom are pitchers, at least one who can pitch multiple innings, and 3 position players.  The top 2 teams receive a bye into the semifinals.  Three rounds of single elimination games are played to determine a champion.

The Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) is the first of 3 winter leagues to start its season within a week of each other.  The league consist of 8 teams.  Teams play 56 games each and are permitted to have 8 foreign players on their active rosters.  The league champion takes part in the Caribbean Series.  The runner-up plays in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Mexican Pacific League (LMP) is the second winter league to start its season.  The league consists of 10 teams.  Teams play 68 games each and are permitted to have 7 foreign players on their active rosters.  The league champion takes part in the Caribbean Series.  The runner-up plays in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) is the third league to start its season within a week.  The league consists of 6 teams.  Teams play 50 games each and are permitted to have 8 foreign players on their active rosters.  The league champion takes part in the Caribbean Series.  The runner-up plays in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC) starts after the conclusion of the MLB world series.  The Puerto Rican league consists of 6 teams.  Teams play 40 games each and are permitted to have 8 foreign players on their active rosters.  The league champion takes part in the Caribbean Series.  The runner-up plays in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Australian Baseball League (ABL) starts during mid-November.  The league consists of 4 teams.  Each team plays 38-40 games in 10 rounds of mostly 4 games series, fewer around holidays like Boxing Day (December 26th).  Teams are permitted to have up to 11 foreign (imported) players on their rosters.  The top four teams compete in the playoffs – two best of three semifinal series and a best of three champion series for the Claxton Shield concluding in the final week of January.

The Liga Argentina de Béisbol (LAB) plays its professional season during the spring and summer months of the Southern Hemisphere from late October through January.  The regular season starts on October 31st and wraps up around December 20th.  There are 6 teams in the league.  Each team plays a schedule of 24 to 30 games during the regular season, typically 3 games per week over an eight-week period.  Because the league utilizes a regionalized system, the games are split across two core stages.  During the regional phase, teams play the majority of their games against local rivals within their own provincial hub.  Teams play a smaller portion of their schedule during an interprovincial phase.  Results from both phases are combined to determine the overall national standings.  The top 4 teams advance to the national playoffs, which take place in mid-January (specifically scheduled for January 10–17).  The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League plays a winter season that runs from late November through late January or early February.  The newly structured winter league consists of 6 teams.  The regular season of 30-32 games runs from late November through December.  The top qualifying teams advance to a postseason round-robin stage that runs through late December and early January where they play an additional 12 games against each other to determine the two finalist clubs.  The top two clubs face off in a final playoff series with the season officially wrapping up by February 2nd.  The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Curaçao Professional Baseball League (CPB) plays a short winter season, typically taking place in mid-to-late January or early February.  The league consists of three teams. The teams play two “regular season” games in a round robin tournament.  The top two teams play a single game championship final.  The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano (LPBC) plays a winter season that typically runs from late November through January.  The league consists of 4 teams.  The schedule is generally structured across two main phases.  There is a regular season that consists of roughly 30 games per team running through early January The postseason pits the two top teams in a best-of-seven championship series that wraps up in mid-to-late January.  The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Cuban Serie Nacional de Béisbol (SNB – Winter Season) plays from early September through late January.  Historically, teams have played a 75-game schedule, however, the season has been restructured to optimize resources and cut down on travel costs.  Under this new format, 16 teams will each play a 44-game season with the teams split into regional groups.  The 16 teams in the Series represent Cuba’s 15 provinces plus the special municipality of Isla de la Juventud.  Postseason playoffs run through the championship series in late January.  The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

The Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá (PROBEIS) plays a winter season that traditionally runs from late November or mid-December through January.  During a typical 4-team regular season, each team plays 30 games.  In a condensed, 3-team regular season, each team plays 21 games.  Following the regular season, the top-seeded teams advance to postseason playoff tier either a best-of-three semifinal and/or a best-of-five/seven championship final series.   The league champion takes part in the Serie de Las Americas.

• October 3-4, 2026: Opening weekend for the Arizona Fall League (AFL)
  • November 7, 2026: AFL Fall-Stars Home run Derby
  • November 8, 2026: AFL Fall-Stars Game
  • November 11, 2026: End of the AFL regular season
  • November 12, 2026: AFL Quarterfinals (3 v 6, 4 v5)
  • November 13, 2026: AFL Semifinals (1 v 4/5, 2 v 3/6)
  • November 14, 2026: AFL Championship
• October 4, 2026:  Start of the Cuban Serie Nacional de Béisbol (SNB – Winter Season)
  • December 22, 2026:  End of the Serie Nacional de Béisbol season
  • Late December 2026-late-January 2027: Playoffs, eight of sixteen teams
    • Upper Semifinal:  1st seed vs. 2nd seed (within the zone)Best-of-three series; loser moves to preliminary final.
    • Lower Semifinal:  3rd seed vs. 4th seed (within the zone)Best-of-three series; loser is eliminated.
    • Preliminary Final:  Loser of Upper Semifinal vs. Winner of Lower SemifinalBest-of-three series.
    • Zone Final:  Winner of Upper Semifinal vs. Winner of Preliminary FinalDetermines the Occidental and Oriental zone champions.
    • National Final:  Occidental Champion vs. Oriental ChampionBest-of-seven series to decide the national title.
• October 12, 2026: Start of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP)
  • December 27, 2026: Conclusion of the LVBP regular season
  • December 29-30, 2026: LVBP Play-in/Wild Card Series (12/30, if needed)
  • January 2, 2027: Start of the LVBP Round Robin Series, top five teams meet in 16-game round robin playoff
  • January 23, 2027: Start of LVBP best of seven Championship Series
• October 13-14, 2026: Start of the Mexican Pacific League (LMP)
  • November 22, 2026: LMP first half ends
  • November 24-December 30, 2026: LMP: LMP second half
  • December 30, 2026: Conclusion of the LMP regular season
  • January 2, 2027: Start of LMP First Round Series (8 teams, best of seven, winners reseeded)
  • January 22-30, 2027: LMP Championship Series (best of seven)
• October 16, 2026: Start of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM)
  • December 4-6, 2026: Scheduled break
  • December 22, 2026: Conclusion of the LIDOM regular season
  • December 26, 2026: Start of LIDOM Round Robin (four teams, 18 games)
  • Mid-January 2027: Start of the LIDOM Championship Series (best of seven)
• October 31, 2026: Start of the Liga Argentina de Béisbol (LAB)
  • January 10-17, 2027: Start of the LAB playoffs – best of three games semifinal series and a best of three championship series
• November 4, 2026: Start of the Roberto Clemente Professional Baseball League (LBPRC)
  • December 29, 2026: Conclusion of the LBPRC regular season
  • December 30, 2026: LBPRC Wild Card game.  Note: This game is played if the team that finishes in fifth place is within one game of fourth place. A sudden-death game will be played, and if the team that finished fourth wins, they will qualify for the postseason. If the team that finished fifth wins, a second seven-inning game will be played that same day, and the winner will earn the fourth and final spot in the semifinals. Therefore, the fifth-place team would have to win both games to advance.
  • January 2-10, 2027: LBPRC Semifinal Series (best of seven)
  • January 12, 2027: Start of LBPRC Championship Series (best of seven)
• Early November 2026: Start of the Liga Profesional de Béisbol Colombiano (LPBC)
  • Mid-to-late January 2027: The top two of four teams meet in a best-of-seven championship series.
• November 19, 2026: Start of the Australian Baseball League (ABL)
  • January 24, 2027: End of the ABL Regular Season
  • January 29-31, 2027: ABL Championship Series (best of three)
• November 27, 2026: Start of the Nicaraguan Professional Baseball League (LBPN)
  • January 9, 2027: End of the LBPN season
  • January 12, 2027: LBPN playoffs begin with 4 teams in a 12-game round robin
  • January 25-February 1, 2027: LBPN best of seven championship series
• Mid-January 2027: Start of the Curaçao Professional Baseball League (CPB) championship tournament.
  • Mid-to-late January-early February 2027: Three team round robin followed by a single game championship game.
• TBD:  Start of the Liga Profesional de Béisbol de Panamá (PROBEIS) winter season that runs through January.  The top teams advance to a best-of-three semifinal and/or a best-of-five/seven championship final series.
• February 1-7, 2027: Start of the Caribbean Series.  The five team tournament will include the champions from the Venezuelan, the Dominican Republican, Puerto Rican, and Mexican leagues. plus a fifth guest nation TBD.
  • February 1-5, 2027: Round robin
  • February 6, 2027:  Top four teams play a one-game semifinal
  • February 7, 2027: Third place and championship games
• February 8, 2027:  Start of the Serie de Las Americas
  • Ten team tournament that includes the champions from the Mexican, Cuban, Nicaraguan, Colombian, Curaçaoan, Panamanian, and Argentinian leagues as well as the runners-up from the Venezuelan, the Dominican Republican, Puerto Rican, and Mexican leagues.