Venezuelan Summer League

The VSL was created in 1997 as an alternative to the Dominican Summer League (DSL) to improve the development of young prospects from Venezuela in their early years in organized baseball. Besides Carabobo, the states of Aragua, Lara and Yaracuy were represented in the league. Each team had a roster limit of 35 active players, at least 10 of which had to be pitchers. No player on the active list could have more than four years of minor league service. There were no age limits. The league was closed to all MLB draft eligible players; that is, players from the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Exceptions were made for two players from Puerto Rico. In addition to Venezuela, players in the league came from Argentina, Colombia, Curaçao, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, and Sint Maarten. The regular season champion and runner-up played a best-of-three-games playoff series for the league championship. The league had six squads in its first season, 1997, via three teams fielding split-squads. After the suspension of the VSL, the semi-pro Bolivarian League remained as the only summer league in Venezuela (though that would cease operations in 2019). Venezuela would go without a fully-professional summer baseball league until 2021, when the Venezuelan Major League was established. ==Teams==

1997–2004 Teams during this period were named for the city they operated in. Single-squad teams Source: ==League champions==

• 1997 – VSL Maracay 2 • 1998 – VSL Guacara 1 • 1999 – VSL Chino Canónico • 2000 – VSL San Felipe • 2001 – VSL Venoco • 2002 – VSL Aguirre • 2003 – VSL San Felipe • 2004 – VSL Tronconero 2 • 2005 – VSL Astros • 2006 – VSL Phillies • 2007 – VSL Astros • 2008 – VSL Pirates • 2009 – VSL Rays • 2010 – VSL Pirates • 2011 – VSL Rays • 2012 – VSL Phillies • 2013 – VSL Mariners • 2014 – VSL Tigers • 2015 – VSL Tigers Source: ==MLB alumni==

VSL players who have gone on to make MLB appearances include: • Jose Altuve (HOU) • José Alvarado (TBR) • Wladimir Balentien (SEA) • Asdrúbal Cabrera (SEA) • Ramón Cabrera (PIT) • Ezequiel Carrera (TOR) • Yonny Chirinos (TBR) • Argenis Díaz (BOS) • Elías Díaz (PIT) • Félix Doubront (BOS) • Luis Durango (SDP) • Sergio Escalona (PHI) • Eduardo Escobar (CWS) • Víctor Gárate (HOU) • Avisail García (DET) • Severino González (PHI) • Mayckol Guaipe (SEA) • Jesús Guzmán (SEA) • César Hernández (PHI) • Oscar Hernández (TBR) • Dilson Herrera (PIT) • Edgar Ibarra (MIN) • Gregory Infante (CWS) • Dixon Machado (DET) • Jean Machi (PHI) • Germán Márquez (TBR) • David Martínez (HOU) • Yoervis Medina (SEA) • Diego Moreno (PIT) • Omar Narváez (TBR) • Ángel Nesbitt (DET) • Lester Oliveros (DET) • José Ortega (DET) • Hernán Pérez (DET) • Erasmo Ramírez (SEA) • Wilking Rodríguez (TBR) • Bruce Rondón (DET) • Josmil Pinto (MIN) • José Quintana (NYM) • J. C. Ramírez (SEA) • Felipe Rivero (TBR) • Miguel Rojas (CIN) • Jorge Rondón (STL) • Rómulo Sánchez (PIT) • Eduardo Sánchez (STL) • Eugenio Suárez (DET) • Rubén Tejada (NYM) • Ronald Torreyes (CIN) • Wilfredo Tovar (NYM) • Luis Valbuena (SEA) • Felipe Vázquez (TBR) • Brayan Villarreal (DET) Note: team affiliations reflect a player's organization while in the VSL; the player may have reached MLB with a different franchise. ==See also==