Baseball is more international than ever, judging by Major League Baseball postseason rosters. The number of players not born in the US on postseason rosters is 125 or 28% of the 448 players.
Dominican Republic has 41 players on postseason rosters, followed by Venezuela (25), Cuba (15), Puerto Rico (10) Mexico (7), Canada and Japan (6), Colombia (4), Curaçao and Korea (3), and Australia, Germany, Nicaragua, Panama and Peru (1).
A number of these players have starred in WBSC Baseball World Cups and the WBSC Premier12. Right-handed pitcher Shun Yamaguchi (Toronto Blue Jays) started three games for Japan at the Premier12 2019, including the final against Korea.
Lefthander Kwang Hyun Kim (St Louis Cardinals) started two games for Korea during the second edition of the WBSC flagship event.
Chicago White Sox rookie Luis Robert (Cuba, 2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup) went viral last night for blasting a 487 foot (148 m) monster home run.
Slugger Yoshitomo Tsutsugo (Tampa Bay Rays) and outfielder Shogo Akiyama were on the Samurai Japan roster at the inaugural Premier12 in 2015.
Yu Darvish (Chicago Cubs) represented Japan at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. During the same edition of the Games, left-handed pitcher Hyun Jin Ryu (Toronto Blue Jays) starred for the gold medal winners Korea in the final against Cuba. Yuli Gurriel (Houston Astros) grounded into a double play to end the gold medal game.
All-Star outfielder Max Kepler (Minnesota Twins) represented his native Germany as a teenager during the IBAF World Cup 2011. Chicago White Sox slugging first baseman José Abreu was playing for Cuba during that tournament. San Diego Padres infielder Jurickson Profar helped the Netherlands win that tournament.
There are six players on MLB postseason rosters who were born in and played for Canada (Dominican *Vladimir Guerrero was technically born in Canada also). Pitchers Josh Naylor and Cal Quantrill (Cleveland Indians) both represented Canada in the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup.
Naylor, who played in a record three WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cups (2012, 2013 and 2015), made history a few days ago as the first MLB player ever to get a base hit in his first five playoff at-bats.
Outfielder Tyler O'Neill (St Louis Cardinals) is also a U-18 Baseball World Cup alumnus and played in the 2015 WBSC Premier12.
Ten players on the rosters are born in Puerto Rico. Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor represented the island at the World Baseball Classic 2017, after having played for the United States at the 2010 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. Yadier Molina (St Louis Cardinals) played in the last two WBCs and managed Team Puerto Rico at the WBSC U-23 Baseball World Cup 2018.
And 80 players who have played for the USA Baseball National Team are on MLB postseason rosters.
Related article: 80 USA Baseball alumni on MLB postseason rosters
