The Significant Rise in the Number of Latino players in Major League Baseball

By Guest
Updated: October 20, 2020

In the 2020 season, 108 Major League Baseball players originated from countries situated out of the United States. The overseas players had a participatory position on an opening day. Comparing the current figures from those in 1960, there is a 28% increase. With this kind of trajectory, it is evident that the growth is picking up momentum. There are multiple factors that could explain the boom experienced in Latin America. The exponential increase of Latin American talent in Major League Baseball could be explained in several ways.

However, it is a narrative that is best depicted by people. In baseball, there are a handful of people who have changed the dynamics of the game, such as Jackie Robinson. In 1947, Jackie Robinson moved past the barrier of color. He became the first black baseball player to compete in the top leagues. Jackie Robinson started a revolution for players of African American origin and also other sportspeople of color. Latin American players with light skin had in the past gained access as players in Major League Baseball. However, segregation rules implied the numbers were far from significant. The players that made it only lasted for a short while.

Jackie Robinson set the bar and made it possible for Latino players to be a part of the major baseball leagues. Even though at first the uptick was slow-moving, things started to pick up the pace during the mid-1950s. During this time, these Latin American players were on their way to making their mark in the game. Chico Carrasquel was the first player of Latin American descent to begin an All-Star Game. He made his mark in 1951, and five years down the line, Luis Aparicio became the first Latino player to gain recognition as Rookie of the Year.

Players that hail from Latin America continued to achieve tremendous success even in the 1960s. Mike Cuellar scooped the Cy Young accolade, and Zoilo Versalles became the AL MVP. All this was before 1973 when the first Latino, Roberto Clemente, made his way into the Hall of Fame. Such baseball pioneers from Latin America played a critical role in setting the basis for the foreign boom that is evident today. The general population in the United States was encouraged by the success of these overseas baseball players. Americans began to welcome foreign stars and even compelled leaders to start searching overseas for emerging talent.

Major League Baseball academies started to spring up all across Latin America. All thirty teams have currently developed talent firms throughout the area. The prospects of the Major League Baseball appear to hold a lot of promise. There is a continuous rise in the number of major leagues in the future that seem to be increasing their presence in the global scenes. All signs point to considerable talent coming from Latino countries driven by the existence of the academies in the Major League Baseball. There are many young Latin American prospects playing in the minor leagues each year.

They await their chance to shine in the baseball game. For instance, every Major League Baseball organization presently hires an average of over sixty Dominican Republic players. Some prospects move on and turn into major players in the league. A few of them have made a move in the past years and are now enjoying the fame that comes with star names in the sport. Some who have become big players include Fernando Tatis Jr., Juan Soto, Marcell Ozuna, and Ronald Acuna Jr. The success of these players has encouraged the interest of Major League Baseball among the public in Latin America.

Now, there are profitable TV deals in places throughout the Caribbean, Central, and South America. There is a surge in baseball popularity in such nations, including the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and Venezuela. This is despite the faltered popularity of the sport in the United States, with nine percent of the population rating it as one of their favorite game. Altogether these factors create an ideal uproar for players in the international scene, particularly people from Latin America in their continued struggle in Major League Baseball. Perhaps, in a couple of years, the World Series can act in line with its reputation.