Thirteen Caribbean Winter League ballplayers you should be watching

Don't fret. Sure, the Major League season is over and there's no more reason to wake up at 4 a.m. to watch Japan Series games, but that doesn't mean there's no more baseball. Far from it. 

For there is Caribbean Winter Leagues. Twenty-seven teams across Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela will be playing throughout the winter and preventing serious baseball withdrawal. Not only does that mean there are games to tune in for, but it's a great way to brush up on your Spanish skills. 

With that said, here are 13 notable players to watch: 

13. Lew Ford - Navegantes del Magallanes

Venezuelan Winter League: 101 AB, .337/.414/.436, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 4 SB

Another player who split his time coaching and playing this season, though Ford did it in the Independent Atlantic Leagues. After having already made an improbable comeback to the Majors in 2012 following a four-year abscence, like an automaton programmed only to play baseball, Ford refuses to quit.

The outfielder clearly has something in the tank, hitting .347/.415/.511 with 15 HR and 95 RBI for the Long Island Ducks and batting .337 this winter. Like I said, an automaton. 

12. Miguel Batista - Gigantes del Cibao

Dominican Winter League: 0-0, 4 IP, 9.00 ERA, 3 SO, 2 BB

Perhaps needing a break from writing poetry or serial killer thrillers:

The 2003 #1 Good Guy of the Year in Major League Baseball is back at it in the Dominican Winter Leagues despite not playing at all in 2014. No word on if he'll be allowed to wear this outfit on the mound though. 

11. Radhames Liz - Estrellas de Oriente

Dominican Winter League: 4-0, 1.90 ERA, 23 2/3 IP, 29 SO, 5 BB

Once a top prospect for the Orioles, Liz struggled mightily in parts of three Major League seasons. From 2007-'09, Liz posted a 7.50 ERA in 110 1/3 MLB innings. After finding success with the LG Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization, Liz split time in Double and Triple-A with the Blue Jays this past season.

The move paid off. Liz parlayed his dominant Winter League showing into a two-year, $3 million deal with the Pirates, though the team has yet to confirm.  

10. Japhet Amador - Charros de Jalisco

Mexican Winter League: 136 AB, .272/.344/.537, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 0 SB

If you like big guys crushing big home runs, Amador is your guy. The 310-lb slugger spent some brief time in the Astros system, batting just .214/.258/.286 in Oklahama City before being loaned back to his Mexican League team. Once there, Amador did what he always does and crushed the ball to the tune of .309/.364/.517 with 14 HR in only 87 games.

Not surprising: Amador hasn't stolen a base since 2011. 

9. Sugar Ray Marimon - Aguilas Cibaenas

Dominican Winter League: 0-1, 2.35 ERA, 23 IP 21 SO, 6 BB 

Despite a rich history of nicknames, baseball has never had a ballplayer named Sugar Ray before Marimon. There was once a Raymond Sugarek who played in the Minors for one season in 1949, but his teammates missed the golden nickname opportunity.

This past season, the 26-year-old Marimon made it to the Royals' Triple-A affiliate, posting a respectable 3.19 ERA in 115 1/3 innings for the Omaha Storm Chasers. Hopefully we'll soon see him entering ball games to this number:

 8. Mike Hessman - Tigres de Aragua

Venezuelan Winter Leagues: 44 AB, .227/.443/.341, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 0 SB

In 2014, Hessman achieved two ignominious marks. He hit his 400th Minor League home run:

And he set the International League's home run mark with 259 dingers:

With 417 Minor League home runs now to his name, some may have been concerned that the real-life Crash Davis would hang them up. Fortunately, that's not the case as the Tigers re-signed the third baseman to a Minor League deal.

7. Manny Ramirez - Aguilas Cibaenas

Dominican Winter League: 83 AB, .289/.392/.494, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB

Yes, it's that Manny Ramirez. Still looking for a Major League job despite hitting .222 with 3 HRs for the Iowa Cubs while also helping coach the team, Ramirez is playing in the Dominican and hoping to make his way back.

Even at the age of 42, Ramirez still knows how to show off that sweet, sweet swing:

6. Oswaldo Arcia - Caribes de Anzoategui

Venezuelan Winter League: 54 AB, .333/.422/.648, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 0 SB

Only 23 years old, Arcia has already crushed 34 home runs for the Twins over the last two seasons despite playing in only 200 games. That included this 468-foot blast this past August:

But while Arcia has plenty of power, he has struggled to make contact. In his Major League career, Arcia's K % is the 10th highest among players with at least 700 PA over the last two years. With the Winter Leagues often featuring more breaking balls from veteran hurlers rather than hard cheese, it could be a very good learning opportunity for Arcia. 

5. Jason Lane - Tigres de Aragua

Venzuelan Winter League: 1-2, 4.82 ERA, 28 IP, 16 SO, 9 BB

After hitting 26 home runs with an .815 OPS in 2005, Lane hit only .192 with 23 HR over the next two seasons and found himself out of the Majors at the end of the year. After struggling in the Minors, Lane converted to pitching full-time in 2012 with the Independent Sugar Land Skeeters.

In 2014, Lane made it back to the Majors for the first time in seven years. Appearing in three games, Lane pitched 10 1/3 innings, surrendering only one run while striking out six and walking none. He even showed off that he can still hit the ball a little, collecting a base hit (even if he did look a little confused) in his lone start of the season.  

4. Johan Santana - Navegantes del Magallanes

Venezuelan Winter League: N/A

The two-time Cy Young hasn't pitched in the Majors since Aug. 17, 2012. And so far, he hasn't pitched this winter either, merely showing up on the Navegantes roster -- without even a number to his name. 

But if he does take the mound, teams will be watching. Trying to return from shoulder surgery, Santana tore his achilles tendon in early June, preventing him from making an official Minor League appearance. Even worse? At the time of the injury, the Orioles were considering calling up Santana in just a few weeks time. 

3. Edwin Escobar - Cardenales de Lara

Venezuelan Winter League: 0-1, 5.63 ERA, 8 IP, 8 SO, 5 BB

The only thing I ever think of when I hear the name Edwin is Edwin McCain. But that's just because of how important "I'll Be" was in my formative VH1 years. This Edwin is very different. 

Acquired by the Red Sox from the Giants for Jake Peavy, the 22-year-old was ranked as the 95th-best prospect by MLB.com before the season. Though he struggled in his first taste of Triple-A, posting a 4.94 ERA, Escobar did make two appearances for the Red Sox at the end of the year.

Armed with an 93-mph fastball, he is only one year removed from a 2.80 ERA and 10.2 K/9 between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. 

2. Willy Adames - Tigres del Licey

Dominican Winter League: 3 AB, .333/.333/.333, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 SB

Only 18 years old, Adames was the youngest player in the Midwest League this past season. Included in the package of prospects sent to the Rays in exchange for David Price, it's not hard to see why the team was interested in him. Adames hit eight home runs and 14 triples, showing off the batting potential that have led MLB.com to rank Adames second among Rays prospects. 

1. Joc Pederson - Leones del Escogido

Dominican Winter League: 83 AB, .265/.351/.361, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 SB

The Dodgers' top prospect may not have lit the baseball world on fire in his first taste of the big leagues, hitting only .143 in 28 at-bats, but it's not time to panic. After all, Pederson's only 22. In his brief time in the Majors, he did show a solid eye for the strike zone, drawing nine walks while only striking out 11 times.

With Pederson in the Dominican hoping to impress his new boss, Andrew Friedman, that's not the biggest news about the outfielder this offseason. No, that would have to belong to Pederson's 1994 Buick Century, which sold for $1,200.