Baseball United will hold its first-ever draft on Tuesday, September 19, at a private event in Union Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 11 a.m. EDT. The event will be streamed on all Baseball United social media pages and their website.
The four organizations will each draft 16 players and can add four international prospect signings prior to the start of the Baseball United showcase event in November.
The Mumbai Cobras will have the first overall pick in the draft. The Karachi Monarchs, the first professional baseball team in Pakistan, will receive the second overall pick. The Dubai Wolves will have the third overall pick, followed by the Abu Dhabi Falcons with the fourth overall pick.
The Baseball United draft will consist of eight rounds with eight players selected within each round. Each of the four franchises will make two selections per round. All the players selected will have professional baseball experience, including in Major League Baseball.
The league will stock the teams with players from international professional leagues, players with experience in the lower minor leagues in the U.S., and independent league players, as well as potentially developing players from the countries where the league places franchises.
“There are so many aspects of our league that we are excited about, but the expanded opportunities for players may be at the top of the list,” Kash Shaikh, Baseball United, Chairman, CEO, and Majority Owner stated on the league’s website. “Our draft represents the first step to providing a means for professional players to extend, expand, and evolve their careers.
Cincinnati is the birthplace of professional baseball in the United States, fielding the first team of professional players in 1869. The Baseball United draft marks the beginning of a new league that can possibly produce a lot of exposure to the sport on the other side of the world.
Baseball United is the first professional baseball league located in the Middle East and Indian subcontinent. Baseball United will have its first event, the Dubai Showcase, from November 10-12 at Dubai International Stadium, which is mainly used for cricket.
The 64 selected players in the Baseball United Draft will team with a group of 16 prospects from India, Pakistan, and the Middle East to compete in the Dubai Showcase. The 16 prospects will be announced at the end of September to participate in the first Baseball United event.
The Dubai Showcase with the four teams participating in the event will have to conclude with 13 position players and seven pitchers on their active rosters.