MLB Players From LatAm: 370

During last year’s season, there were 370 players from Latin America on the MLB roster, constituting about 40% of the league. There are 21 different countries represented in the MLB, and Venezuela and the Dominican Republic being the most significant ones after the US. The average number of Latin Americans per team is 12.33. Many players from the region are superstar performers. Here are a few highlights:

Venezuelan Salvador Perez scored 48 home runs for the Kansas City Royals in the 2021 Season, the most out of anyone in the league.

The Puerto Rican shortstop for the New York Mets, Francisco Lindor is currently the highest-paid Latin American player, banking $34M per season. He’s the 6th best-paid player in the league.

From the Dominican Republic, Albert Pujols is currently the active player with the most seasons played.

Ronald Acuña Jr. from Venezuela became the youngest player in baseball history to sign a contract worth at least $100M at age 21.

So, why are LatAm nations so good at it? The Dominican Republic has a rich baseball tradition, with a national league founded in 1890 and plenty of fields and instructors, given that baseball is their national game. The MLB also invests extensively in the country’s baseball infrastructure, with all 30 teams maintaining training academies there.

Venezuela also has an extensive baseball culture, being the country’s most popular sport. Playing baseball at school is a part of pretty much every Venezuelan kid’s childhood; it’s often seen as a way to get out of the country and succeed economically. Sadly, MLB teams recently shut down their academies in the country and no longer send scouts due to crime and the ongoing economic crisis.