'Liga Paralela de Béisbol en Venezuela is a competition that runs parallel to the big competition in the winter period. This competition is the AA and AAA of the Liga Venezolana de Béisbol Profesional; here is where you can see playing some big leaguers after the MLB competition is done. It is giving some of the younger Venezuelan players in Carabobo (state) an opportunity to play in their home country during the winter.
The most interesting players in the league are the players who signed during the international signing period. Those players don’t play in the Dominican Summer League or the Venezuelan Summer League, so the Liga Paralela can provide a first glimpse at some of the year’s top Venezuelan signings.
International scouts say the quality of the league has improved over the last few years to become an indicator of whether players are ready to make the leap to a rookie league in the United States the following year.
According to one source, "You get a lot of A-ball and a couple of Double-A players who are not able to play with their winter counterparts, so they go down and pitch in these leagues. So when guys perform well in the Parallel league, we use that as a barometer to see if they are able to handle the next step."[1]
This winter league is organized by the same organization that runs the Venezuelan Summer League.
| Team | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Anzoategui | Caribes de Anzoátegui (VPBL) |
| Aragua | Tigres de Aragua (VPBL) |
| Bravos | Bravos de Margarita (VPBL) |
| Caracas | Leones del Caracas (VPBL) |
| Detroit | Detroit Tigers (MLB) |
| La Guaira | Tiburones de la Guaira (VPBL) |
| Lara | Cardenales de Lara (VPBL) |
| Magallanes | Navegantes del Magallanes (VPBL) |
| Navegantes | Navegantes del Magallanes (VPBL) |
| Phillies | Philadelphia Phillies (MLB) |
| Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB) |
| Seattle | Seattle Mariners (MLB) |
| Tampa Bay | Tampa Bay Rays (MLB) |
| Tiburones | Tiburones de la Guaira (VPBL) |
| Zulia | Águilas del Zulia (VPBL) |