Major League baseball recently reported that MLB Opening Day rosters included a total of 251 players (active and inactive) born outside the United States – that represented 28.5 percent of the Opening Day MLB player pool. Twenty countries and territories were represented in the international roll call, with the Dominican Republic leading the way, with 102 Dominican-born players on Opening Day rosters. That give the Dominican 40.6 percent of all foreign-born players and far ahead of runner up Venezuela, with 68 players. Coming in a distant third was Cuba, with 19 players.
The Minnesota Twins and Pittsburgh Pirates tied for the lead in foreign players, with each squad having 14 on their Opening Day roster; while the Dodgers, Yankees and A’s are tops in the number of countries represented on their rosters with seven. Let’s take a look at a Dominican-born 2019 All Star team, and then at the foreign-born continents on the Twins and Pirates rosters.
CURRENT BBRT ALL-DOMINICAN SQUAD (Drawn from players on 2019 MLB Rosters)
C Gary Sánchez, Yankees
The 26-year-old was an All Star just two seasons ago, when he put up a .278-33-90 line, after poking 20 homers in just 53 games as a rookie in 2016. Still, he almost lost this spot with a disappointing 2018 season, marked by a groin injury, some criticism of his on-field hustle, a .186 batting average and a league-topping 18 passed balls in 89 games. But he has come back sharply, with six homers in his first eight 2019 appearances. Sánchez’ top competition comes from the White Sox’ Welington (one “l” short) Castillo – now in his tenth MLB season. Castillo’s best season was 2017, when he went .282-20-53 in 96 games for the Orioles. The veteran backstop put a .259-86-298 career line over his first nine campaigns (658 games). Castillo was .259-6-15 in 49 games last season.
1B Albert Pujols, Angels
Photo by bk1bennett 
The 39-year-old Pujols is showing signs of age, but you can’t leave off arguably the best hitter ever to come out of the Dominican Republic. As I write this, Pujols is in his 19th MLB season, with a .302 career average, 3,090 hits, 634 home runs, 1,984 RBI and 111 stolen bases – and he is still active. He is a Rookie of the Year (NL- 2001); three-time MVP (NL-2005, 2008. 2009); 10-time All Star; and two-time Gold Glover. He has a batting title on his resume, as well as two home run crowns, seven seasons of at least 40 round trippers, 14 campaigns of 100+ RBI and ten seasons with a batting average over .300. Hall of Fame, get that plaque ready.
In 2018, Pujols hit .246, with 19 home runs and 64 RBI in 117 games.
Pujols main competition was Edwin Encarnación, now in his 15th MLB season and, as of this writing, posting a .264-382-1,161 line – and still going strong, having topped 30 home runs in each of the last seven seasons and notching 100+ RBI in each of the last four. In 2018, he was .246-32-107.
HONORABLE MENTION
Okay, he’s not eligible for this team because, of course, he is not an active player. However, you can’t talk Dominican players without at least a nod to Juan Marichal. The right-hander won 243 games (142 losses) over 16 seasons (1960-75), with a 2.89 ERA and 244 complete games. The Hall of Famer was a 10-time All Star and six times won 20 or more games in a season.
2B Robinson Canó, Mets
Canó is in his 15th MLB season – and he makes this lineup despite last season’s 80-game suspension. (He hit .303-10-50 in 80 games for the Mariners.) Over his first 14 season, Canó put up a .304 average, with 311 home runs and 1,233 RBI. He has been an All Star eight times and a Gold Glover twice. His resume includes eight seasons of 20 or more home runs (a high of 39 in 2016) and four season of 100+ RBI.
3B José Ramírez, Indians
Ramírez, 26-years-old and now entering his seventh MLB season, really came into his own in 2016. To that point, he had a .239 batting average, with eight home runs and 20 stolen bases in 180 games. In 2016, he hit .312, with 11 homers, 76 RBI and 22 steals. He followed it up with .318-29-83, with 17 steals in 2017; and, in 2018, joined the 30-30 club, with a .270 average, 39 home runs, 195 RBI and 34 steals. The two-time All Star has earned this spot.
SS Jean Segura, Phillies
Segura is entering his eighth MLB season. He started the year with a .287 career average, 64 home runs, 316 RBI, 171 steals and 484 runs scored. Over the past three seasons (2016-18), however, he has a .308 average, with 41 homers, 172 RBI, 273 runs scored and 75 steals. The two-time All Star’s best season is 2016, when his 203 hits led the NL and he put up a .319 average, with 20 homers, 64 RBI, 102 runs scored and 33 steals.
OF Juan Soto, Nationals
In 2018, his first major league season, Soto (just 19-years-old) hit .292, with 22 home runs and 70 RBI in just 116 games – finishing second in the Rookie of the Year balloting. His call up came after hitting .362-14-52 in 39 2018 games at three minor league levels. He’s a keeper.
OF Starling Marté, Pirates
Marté is a two-time Gold Glover with speed and a steady bat. In his first eight MLB seasons (2012-18), he hit for a .286 average, with 85 home runs (a high of 20 in 2018) and 216 stolen bases (a high of 47 in 2016).
OF Nomar Mazara, Rangers
Just 24-years-old and already in his fourth MLB season, Mazara can already look back on three straight 20-homer campaigns. Over his first three seasons, he hit .258-60-242.
DH Nelson Cruz, Twins
It doesn’t get much better at DH than Cruz. In his 15th season (at age 38) Cruz is a six-time All Star and, over the last five seasons, he has averaged just over 40 home runs and 104 RBI per campaign. Going into 2019, his career average was .274 – with 360 round trippers and 1,011 RBI.
SP Luis Severino, Yankees
Although he started the 2019 season on the IL (rotator cuff inflammation), Luis Severino has earned this roster spot. He is 41-25, 3.15 over four MLB seasons. More important, he was an All Star in 2017 (14-6, 2.98) and 2018 (19-8, 3.39). He will be at the top of the Yankee rotation as soon as he is ready to get back on the mound.
RP Jeurys Familia, Mets – Fernando Rodney, A’s – José Leclerc, Rangers
Couldn’t really decide between these three, each at a different stage of their career. You can have your choice. Their stats going into 2019:
Familia … Seven seasons, 17-19, 2.73, 124 saves; 343 games; 352 2/3 IP; 369 strikeouts.
Rodney … 16 seasons; 48-67; 3.37, 325 saves; 902 games; 890 2/3 IP; 898 strikeouts.
Leclerc … Three seasons; 4-6, 2.51, 14 saves; 118 games; 118 1/3 IP; 160 strikeouts,
Countries/Territories of Origin of Foreign-Born Players
on MLB 2019 Opening Day Rosters
Dominican Republic – 102
Venezuela – 68
Cuba – 19
Puerto Rico – 18
Mexico – 8
Japan and Canada – 6 each
Curacao and South Korea – 5 Each
Columbia – 4
Aruba, Australia, Brazil, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Panama, Taiwan and U.S. Virgin Islands – 1 each.
Now the two teams with the most foriegn-born players.
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Minnesota Twins … 14 foreign-born players on open day roster.
Catcher-Utility
Willians Astudillo – Barcelona, Venezuela
Infielders
2B – Jonathon Schoop – Willemstad, Curacao
Utility – Marwin González – Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela
SS – Jorge Polanco – San Pedro de Marcoris, Dominican Republic
Utility – Ehire Adrianza, Guarenas, Venezuela
Outfielders
Eddie Rosario – Guayama, Puerto Rico
Max Kepler – Berlin, Germany
DH
Nelson Cruz – Las Matas de Santa Cruz, Dominican Republic
Pitchers
José Berríos – Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Michael Pineda – Yugaute, Dominican Republic
Martín Pérez – Guanare, Venezuela
Adalberto Majía – Bonao, Dominican Republic
Injured List
P – Gabriel Moya – Cabimas, Venezuela
3B – Miguel Sanó – San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic
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Pittsburgh Pirates – 14 foreign-born players on Opening Day Roster.
Catcher
Francisco Cervelli – Valencia, Venezuela
Infielders
2B – Erik González – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
SS – Jung Ho Kang – Gwangui, South Korea
Outfielders
Melky Cabrera – Santo Domingo Dominican Republic
Starling Marté – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Pablo Reyes – Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Pitchers
Francisco Liriano – San Cristobal, Dominican Republic
Richard Rodríguez – Santiago, Dominican Republic
Felipe Vázquez – San Felipe, Venezuela
Injured list
OF – Gregory Polanco- Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
C – Elias Díaz – Maracaibo, Venezuela
P – Dovydas Neverauskas – Vilnius, Lithuania
OF/1B – José Osuna – Trujillo, Venezuela
P- Edgar Santana – Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic
Primary Resources: MLB.com; Baseball-Reference.com; ESPN.com
COMING SOON – THE 2019 BBRT JOHN PACIOREK AWARD
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