The Southern Winter League connects local and international prospects

YUMA, Arizona (KYMA, KECY) – A new baseball league is poised to thrive at the professional level in hopes of rekindling fan excitement for baseball in the region.

This September, San Luis Rio Colorado will host the Southern Winter League at the 7,000-seat Triple-A ballpark on the south side of the Bosque de la Ciudad.

Held in Yuma in 2019 and once known as the Fiesta Winter League, it now crosses national borders to provide a new opportunity for professional baseball’s prospects to showcase their talents. There, more than 125 players will be divided into four originally formed teams by nationality. 4 years ago – now with a different name.

League founder and CEO Gary Garcia Snyder said he never envisioned the league moving to Mexico, but this time Yuma has the tools to build a professional baseball league. However, he said he hopes to expand to Yuma. It’s my second year.

“We didn’t have enough facilities in the professional baseball leagues,” Snyder said. “I had the opportunity to speak to San Luis, Mexico.

Snyder also pointed to the opportunities presented by moving across borders to a place that has everything it needs to make the league a success.

“You have to go where the opportunities are, and that’s a triple-A stadium. It’s so great and great for the players,” Snyder added. “It’s across the border, but it gives you a lot of access to different levels of players that you can’t get in-state. If you love baseball, you have the closest opportunity here in Yuma County.”

The administration is now working to acquire sponsors to help grow the league, allowing the league to expand in the coming years for longer seasons and more players to reach more spectators.

The team consists of the Yellow Sox (American), Datireros (Latin American), Maples (Canadian) and Samurai Dinosaurs (Japanese), with the rest of the roster featuring local players to complete the team.

And it’s a big plus for many prospective players looking to pave the way for a bigger and better future in their baseball careers.

“We currently have three former MLB players as managers,” Snyder said. “Another player will be announced soon. The fourth team will have a manager from Japan.”

Tryouts begin in late July/August, and the regular season runs through September/October.