Mexico has Latin America's most complex baseball history. Cuba and the U.S. separately introduced the sport to different parts of the country during the 19th century, obscuring the game's origins there. Moreover, despite baseball's head start, soccer rules much of Mexico, to the delight of the country's fútbol fans.

If its history is complicated, Mexico's passion for baseball has never wavered. In the 1920s, it fueled the creation of the Mexican League, a historic circuit that has lasted longer than any other in the Caribbean. Today, that enthusiasm also supports the wintertime Mexican Pacific League, giving fans access to top-flight baseball year-round.

Early major league star:
Roberto "Bobby" Ávila
(debuted 1949)

Hall of Fame: None to date

Leading Rivalries:
Monterrey vs. Saltillo (summer) Culiacan vs. Mazatlan (winter)

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