Major League Baseball is a professional baseball league in Canada and the United States, and is widely regarded as the best league for the sport in the world.[1][2] In addition, MLB is the best baseball league in the world in terms of revenue, and 85 countries are active in international competition per WBSC.[3][4] Unlike FIFA, players do not register with a country, so nationality is often disputed when international fixtures come around, such as Manny Machado representing the Dominican Republic instead of the United States in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[5] Similarly, Alex Rodriguez played for the United States in the 2006 World Baseball Classic, but before the 2009 World Baseball Classic he announced his intention to play for the Dominican Republic (though ultimately he didn't play in the 2009 tournament due to injury).[6][7] And in another example, Marcus Stroman played for the United States in the 2017 World Baseball Classic, but played for Puerto Rico in the 2023 World Baseball Classic.[8] As such, player representation by birth spans to 25 countries as of the 2022 MLB season, with the United States topping the list at 1,057 players called up to 26-man rosters.[9] The most represented overseas country is the Dominican Republic, with 171 players called up to 26-man rosters.[9] The ranking for countries for most MLB players by birth matches well with the WBSC World Rankings, although East Asia and Australia underperforms in MLB and European nations have little to no representation, likely due to acquisition fees, travel to home soil, and/or professional baseball leagues in their home country with good revenue.[10][11]
Rank | Country (or possession) | # | % |
---|---|---|---|
1 | United States | 1,057 | 70.7% |
2 | Dominican Republic | 171 | 11.4% |
3 | Venezuela | 106 | 7.1% |
4 | Cuba | 33 | 2.2% |
5 | Puerto Rico | 28 | 1.9% |
6 | Mexico | 24 | 1.6% |
7 | Canada | 15 | 1% |
8 | Colombia | 13 | 0.9% |
9 | Panama | 9 | 0.6% |
10 | Japan | 7 | 0.5% |
11 | South Korea | 6 | 0.4% |
12 | Curaçao[lower-alpha 1] | 5 | 0.3% |
13 | Australia Germany | 3 | 0.2% |
15 | Multiple[lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 4] | 2 | 0.1% |
18 | Multiple[lower-alpha 5][lower-alpha 6][lower-alpha 7] | 1 | 0.1% |
Africa
South Africa
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Tayler Scott | Los Angeles Dodgers | R | R | June 1, 1992 | 2 |
Americas
Aruba
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Xander Bogaerts | San Diego Padres | R | R | October 1, 1992 | 10 |
Chadwick Tromp | Atlanta Braves | R | R | March 21, 1995 | 3 |
Bahamas
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jazz Chisholm Jr. | Miami Marlins | L | R | February 1, 1998 | 3 |
Lucius Fox | Washington Nationals | S | R | July 2, 1997 | 1 |
Brazil
Name | Team(s) | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yan Gomes | Chicago Cubs | R | R | July 19, 1987 | 11 |
Canada
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matt Brash | Seattle Mariners | R | R | May 12, 1998 | 1 |
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. | Toronto Blue Jays | R | R | March 16, 1999 | 4 |
Charles Leblanc | Miami Marlins | R | R | June 3, 1996 | 1 |
Bo Naylor | Cleveland Guardians | L | R | February 21, 2000 | 1 |
Josh Naylor | Cleveland Guardians | L | L | June 22, 1997 | 4 |
Tyler O'Neill | St. Louis Cardinals | R | R | June 22, 1995 | 5 |
Nick Pivetta | Boston Red Sox | R | R | February 14, 1993 | 6 |
Zach Pop | Toronto Blue Jays | R | R | September 20, 1996 | 2 |
Cal Quantrill | Cleveland Guardians | L | R | February 10, 1995 | 4 |
Jordan Romano | Toronto Blue Jays | R | R | April 21, 1993 | 4 |
Abraham Toro | Seattle Mariners | S | R | December 10, 1996 | 4 |
Joey Votto | Cincinnati Reds | L | R | September 10, 1983 | 16 |
Rowan Wick | Chicago Cubs | L | R | November 9, 1992 | 5 |
Jared Young | Chicago Cubs | L | R | July 9, 1995 | 1 |
Rob Zastryzny | Los Angeles Angels | R | L | March 26, 1992 | 4 |
Colombia
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jorge Alfaro | San Diego Padres | R | R | June 11, 1993 | 7 |
Nabil Crismatt | San Diego Padres | R | R | December 25, 1994 | 3 |
Jordan Díaz | Oakland Athletics | R | R | August 13, 2000 | 1 |
Jeter Downs | Boston Red Sox | R | R | July 27, 1998 | 1 |
Oscar Mercado | St Louis Cardinals | R | R | December 26, 1994 | 4 |
Luis Patiño | Tampa Bay Rays | R | R | October 26, 1999 | 3 |
José Quintana | St. Louis Cardinals | R | L | January 24, 1989 | 11 |
Harold Ramírez | Tampa Bay Rays | R | R | September 6, 1994 | 4 |
Jhon Romero | Minnesota Twins | R | R | January 17, 1995 | 2 |
Reiver Sanmartín | Cincinnati Reds | L | L | April 15, 1996 | 2 |
Donovan Solano | Cincinnati Reds | R | R | December 17, 1987 | 9 |
Gio Urshela | Los Angeles Angels | R | R | October 11, 1991 | 7 |
Meibrys Viloria | Texas Rangers | L | R | February 15, 1997 | 4 |
Cuba
Curaçao
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ozzie Albies | Atlanta Braves | S | R | January 7, 1997 | 6 |
Kenley Jansen | Atlanta Braves | S | R | September 30, 1987 | 13 |
Jurickson Profar | San Diego Padres | S | R | February 20, 1993 | 9 |
Jonathan Schoop | Detroit Tigers | R | R | October 16, 1991 | 10 |
Andrelton Simmons | Chicago Cubs | R | R | September 4, 1989 | 11 |
Dominican Republic
Honduras
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mauricio Dubón | Houston Astros | R | R | July 19, 1994 | 4 |
Mexico
Nicaragua
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Erasmo Ramírez | Washington Nationals | R | R | May 2, 1990 | 11 |
Jonathan Loáisiga | New York Yankees | R | R | November 2, 1994 | 5 |
Panama
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jonathan Araúz | Baltimore Orioles | S | R | August 3, 1998 | 3 |
Jaime Barría | Los Angeles Angels | R | R | July 18, 1996 | 5 |
Christian Bethancourt | Tampa Bay Rays | R | R | September 2, 1991 | 3 |
Johan Camargo | Philadelphia Phillies | S | R | December 13, 1993 | 6 |
Paolo Espino | Washington Nationals | R | R | January 10, 1987 | 4 |
Javy Guerra | Tampa Bay Rays | L | R | September 25, 1995 | 4 |
Iván Herrera | St. Louis Cardinals | R | R | June 1, 2000 | 1 |
Justin Lawrence | Colorado Rockies | R | R | November 25, 1994 | 2 |
Edmundo Sosa | Philadelphia Phillies | R | R | March 6, 1996 | 4 |
Peru
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jesús Luzardo | Miami Marlins | L | L | September 30, 1997 | 4 |
Puerto Rico
United States
United States Virgin Islands
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jharel Cotton | San Francisco Giants | R | R | January 19, 1992 | 4 |
Venezuela
Asia
Hong Kong
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Austin Brice | Pittsburgh Pirates | R | R | June 19, 1992 | 7 |
Japan
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yu Darvish | San Diego Padres | R | R | August 16, 1986 | 11 |
Shintaro Fujinami | Baltimore Orioles | R | R | April 12, 1994 | 1 |
Yusei Kikuchi | Toronto Blue Jays | L | L | June 17, 1991 | 5 |
Shohei Ohtani | Los Angeles Angels | L | R | July 5, 1994 | 6 |
Kodai Senga | New York Mets | L | R | January 30, 1993 | 1 |
Seiya Suzuki | Chicago Cubs | R | R | August 18, 1994 | 2 |
Yoshi Tsutsugo | Texas Rangers | L | R | November 26, 1991 | 3 |
Masataka Yoshida | Boston Red Sox | L | R | July 15, 1993 | 1 |
South Korea
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ji-hwan Bae | Pittsburgh Pirates | L | R | July 26, 1999 | 1 |
Ji-man Choi | Tampa Bay Rays | L | R | May 19, 1991 | 7 |
Ha-seong Kim | San Diego Padres | R | R | October 17, 1995 | 2 |
Hoy Park | Pittsburgh Pirates | L | R | April 7, 1996 | 2 |
Rob Refsnyder | Boston Red Sox | R | R | March 26, 1991 | 7 |
Hyun-jin Ryu | Toronto Blue Jays | R | L | March 25, 1987 | 9 |
Taiwan
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yu Chang | Boston Red Sox | R | R | August 18, 1995 | 4 |
Europe
Germany
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brendan Donovan | St. Louis Cardinals | L | R | January 16, 1997 | 1 |
Max Kepler | Minnesota Twins | L | L | February 10, 1993 | 8 |
Phoenix Sanders | Tampa Bay Rays | R | R | June 5, 1995 | 1 |
Netherlands
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Didi Gregorius | Philadelphia Phillies | L | R | February 18, 1990 | 11 |
Oceania
Australia
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liam Hendriks | Chicago White Sox | R | R | February 10, 1989 | 12 |
Alexander Wells | Baltimore Orioles | L | L | February 27, 1997 | 2 |
Aaron Whitefield | Los Angeles Angels | R | R | September 2, 1996 | 2 |
Guam
Name | Team | Bats | Throws | Date of Birth | Seasons |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sean Reid-Foley | New York Mets | R | R | August 30, 1995 | 5 |
Footnotes
- ↑ Curaçao is represented by the Netherlands in certain international competitions.
- ↑ Aruba, Bahamas & Nicaragua all had two players compete in MLB games.
- ↑ Aruba is represented by the Netherlands in certain international competitions.
- ↑ Bahamas is represented by Great Britain in certain international competitions.
- ↑ Brazil, Guam, Honduras, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Peru, South Africa, Taiwan & United States Virgin Islands all had one player compete in MLB games.
- ↑ Guam is represented by the United States in certain international competitions.
- ↑ The US Virgin Islands is represented by the United States in certain international competitions.
See also
- List of countries with their first Major League Baseball player
- List of NBA players born outside the United States
- List of NHL statistical leaders by country of birth
- List of countries with their first National Hockey League player
- Foreign players in the National Football League
- List of foreign WNBA players
References
- ↑ "Teams of MLB". Major League Baseball. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "Professional Baseball Leagues Around the World". Betting Site. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "WBSC Rankings - Men's baseball". World Baseball Softball Confederation. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "11 Most Profitable Sports Leagues – Their Value Will Surprise You". Athletic Panda. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "Why I'm Playing for the Dominican Republic". The Players Tribune. 9 March 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "This Day in Yankees History: A-Rod picks a side in the 2006 World Baseball Classic". SB Nation. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ↑ "Alex Rodriguez switches to Dominican Republic for WBC". Mister Baseball. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
- ↑ "'It felt right': Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman joins Puerto Rico for the 2023 World Baseball Classic after representing the US in '17". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
- 1 2 3 "MLB Players by Birthplace During the 2022 Season". Baseball Alamanac. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ↑ "Differences between Nippon Professonal Baseball and Major League Baseball". University of Michigan. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "Why Haven't We Had More Japanese Players in the Majors?". Baseball Guru. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
- ↑ "2022 Major League Baseball Team Statistics (Compiled from Team Rosters)". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 9 December 2022.