The Dominican Summer League is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. The 2016 72-game season starts June 4 and ends August 27 with the playoffs starting on August 29. With closure of the Venezuelan Summer League, the league expanded to a record high of 42 teams in six divisions. Each team is affiliated with a different major league franchise with twelve organizations fielding two teams: the Astros, Cubs, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Mets, Orioles, Phillies, Rangers, Rays, Reds, Red Sox and Yankees.