Honestly, if you woke up yesterday expecting to see a standard MLB box score with the Braves or Dodgers at the top of the ticker, you've probably been staring at a blank screen. It is mid-January. In the baseball world, that usually means the only "scoring" happening is in the front offices and during high-stakes international signing scrums.
But here’s the thing: baseball never actually stops. You just have to know where to look. While the 2026 regular season doesn't kick off until March 25—when the Giants and Yankees have that weird, standalone opening night in San Francisco—yesterday was actually one of the busiest days of the year for the future of the league.
The International Signing Frenzy (The Real "Scores" of Yesterday)
Yesterday, January 15, was the official opening of the 2026 International Free Agency period. This is basically Christmas for scouting directors.
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The New York Yankees, despite having the smallest bonus pool in the league (around $5.44 million) because they signed Max Fried last year, were arguably the biggest winners of the day. They didn't just sign one player; they basically rebuilt their pipeline's spine in 24 hours.
- Geormayhoni Beltre (SS): The Yankees snagged this Dominican shortstop for a $100,000 bonus.
- Kenneth Melendez (C): A Venezuelan catcher who scouts say has "sneaky pop." He’s only 5'11", but the leverage he gets on the ball is reportedly elite.
- Abrahan Pichardo (SS): Another high-upside infielder added to the Bronx system.
While these aren't "scores" in the 9th-inning sense, these signings are the reason teams win championships five years from now. If you're looking for major league baseball scores yesterday, you have to pivot your gaze toward the Caribbean and Mexico, where the winter leagues are currently in a total fever pitch.
Winter League Playoffs: The Drama You're Missing
While MLB stadiums in the States are mostly used for snow removal right now, the Liga ARCO Mexicana del Pacífico (LAMP) and the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) are deep in playoff mode.
Yesterday, the Gigantes del Cibao were clawing for their lives in the LIDOM round-robin. Deyvison De Los Santos—who many of you know from the Arizona Diamondbacks system—hit a absolute tank of a solo home run in the 9th inning. It brought the score to 5-4, but they couldn't finish the comeback.
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In Mexico, the Charros de Jalisco and Tomateros de Culiacán are currently dominating their respective semifinal series. It’s a bit of a grudge match because the managers, Benji Gil and Lorenzo Bundy, have this long-standing rivalry that basically dictates the tempo of Mexican baseball right now.
Why These Scores Matter
The winner of these leagues gets a ticket to the 2026 Caribbean Series. This year, the tournament was moved from Venezuela to Guadalajara, Mexico, due to some pretty heavy geopolitical tension. Because Venezuela isn't hosting, they actually decided to pull out of the Caribbean Series entirely and host their own "Serie de las Américas" in February.
Basically, the "scores" you see from yesterday's winter ball games are determining who gets to represent their country in what is essentially the Champions League of baseball.
The Hot Stove Just Exploded
If you didn't see the news yesterday, the Los Angeles Dodgers just reminded everyone why they are the "Evil Empire" of the West Coast.
The biggest score of the day wasn't on a turf field; it was on a contract. Kyle Tucker reportedly agreed to a four-year, $240 million deal to join the Dodgers. It’s a staggering amount of money, but it effectively ended the pursuit by the Blue Jays and Mets.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox are trying to keep pace. After losing out on Alex Bregman (who signed with the Cubs), Boston pivoted hard. They locked up Ranger Suárez on a five-year, $130 million deal. It’s a smart move. Suárez is a "glue guy" for a rotation, even if he doesn't have the flashy strikeout numbers of a Cy Young frontrunner.
What Most People Get Wrong About January Baseball
Most fans think the league is "dark" right now. It's not.
Between the international signing period opening yesterday and the winter league semifinals, the talent movement is at a yearly high. You also have the 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters being finalized. We found out yesterday that Byron Buxton is officially "In" for Team USA, but Freddie Freeman is unfortunately "Out" for Canada.
These bits of news are the "scores" that matter. They dictate the betting odds for the upcoming season and shift the power balance of the divisions before a single spring training pitch is thrown in Florida or Arizona.
Actionable Insights for the Hardcore Fan
If you're craving actual box scores today and for the rest of the week, stop checking the standard MLB app and start looking at these three places:
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- MLB.TV International Feed: You can usually catch the LIDOM (Dominican) or LAMP (Mexican) playoff games. The energy in those stadiums makes a standard Tuesday night in June look like a library.
- Baseball Prospectus/Prospectus Live: Since the international signing period just opened yesterday, these guys are dropping scouting reports on the 16-year-old kids who will be household names by 2030.
- Winter League Standings: Keep an eye on the Cangrejeros de Santurce in Puerto Rico. They are currently leading their championship series 1-0 after a 5-4 nail-biter against Ponce.
Baseball is a year-round sport. You just have to be willing to follow the sun south of the border to find the results.
To stay ahead of the curve, set alerts for "International Signing Period" updates over the next 48 hours. Most of the remaining pool money will be spent by the end of the weekend, and the next wave of superstars will have officially started their journey to the Big Leagues.