On August 27-29, Brazil hosted the Brazilian Baseball Showcase, the first event of its kind in the country. With around 40 youngsters, the event brought together talents from 5 Latin countries in Ibiúna, São Paulo, for skill demonstrations and exhibition games. Scouts from at least 15 MLB franchises accompanied the activities.
#This is the first time a baseball showcase is held in Brazil (Photo: Instagram/brazilianbaseballshowcase)
The three-day program was concentrated at the Yakult Training Center, in the interior of São Paulo, one of the reference centers for athlete development. Top10, a Dominican agency with a solid track record in professionalizing athletes, organized the Brazilian Baseball Showcase.
This event aims to offer young players an opportunity to be discovered and noticed by major baseball franchises, as Giovanny Cordero, general manager of the Brazilian national baseball team and director of Top10 Brazil, explains. “It’s a showcase for the best players in Latin America to be observed by organizations, not only in the MLB but also in Japan and college. The main focus is to show the competence of the players and the talent of each one.”
Diversity of backgrounds marks event
Among the 40 athletes selected to participate in the event, there is a mix of backgrounds and profiles. They are all between 13 and 18 years old, and at least five countries are represented – Brazil, Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Venezuela. The vast majority are Brazilian – many of the players are part of the athlete training program at the Ibiúna Academy, which is based at the CT Yakult.
#Athletes from diverse backgrounds joined the event in Brazil (Photo: Vinicius Farias/CBBS)
“The players were chosen on a technical basis, taking into account their prospects, their level of play, and the talent we have already seen,” commented Cordero. A team of CT Yakult and Top10 coaches participated in the selection. “The expectation is that there will be a good level of competition as well as a good display of talent and skills,” concluded the director.
#After workouts and other drills, exhibition games were played during the Showcase (Photo: Vinicius Farias/CBBS)
The structure of the event was divided into two parts: attack and defense exercises, as well as exhibition matches. The athletes go through a series of batting practice and other skill demonstrations, monitored by coaches and scouts. Finally, there are exhibition games.
The complete roster list and details can be found here.
A good number of scouts and youth highlights
At least 10 MLB franchises were present for the first day of the event. There were scouts from the Tampa Bay Rays, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies, among other teams. The class of athletes has eligible names from 2024 to 2029.
#Prospects were analyzed by a group of scouts and coaches (Photo: Vinicius Farias/CBBS)
On the first day, the main highlights were youngsters Victor Suero, Jefferson Ortiz and Jhon Franganten, from the Dominican Republic. The group of pitchers included Jasiel Reyes (RD), Arturo Sevilla (MEX), and Martín González (VEN), as well as Brazilians Pedro Franco and Juan Carlos Muniz Filho.
Muniz, son of Cuban player J.C. Muniz (who played for the NPB‘s Chiba Lotte Marines and in the Florida Marlins farm system), plays for the Marília team and is part of the current class of academics in Ibiúna. He recently went to the USA as one of nine youngsters to represent Brazil in the MLB Breakthrough Series, which took place in June in Vero Beach, FL. For him, the interaction with athletes from other backgrounds is a highlight of the event.
“Taking part in this event was a great opportunity for me and the other athletes from Brazil to show that we have many Brazilian athletes with the qualities to sign a contract,” he said.
Possibility of professional contracts
The athletes participating in the Brazilian Baseball Showcase are part of an eligibility window ranging from 2024 to 2029. The most prominent names can leave the Showcase with pre-contracts with MLB teams. The expectation for Brazilian athletes is positive, according to Vinicius Sewaybricker, part of the organization of the event and a member of the technical committees of Brazilian U-18 teams.
“To see Brazilian players being stars of the event and competing on equal terms with highly-rated foreigners in the big teams is gratifying,” explained Sewaybricker. “Of course, we still have a long way to go, especially in terms of the number of players at higher levels, but it’s a sign that even with the difficulties we have in making baseball in Brazil, the work being done in the CT, the youth teams and the clubs, in general, is being done well,” he added.
#Brazilian youth athletes, like Juan Carlos Muniz Filho, are ready to step up as the country’s next generation of baseballers (Photo: Vinicius Farias/CBBS)
The country has already had a few windows with youngsters signing professional contracts – in 2024, Mathias Yuzo Sato dos Santos, from Atibaia (São Paulo), signed with Seattle Mariners; and Vinicius dos Santos, from Indaiatuba (São Paulo), signed with the San Francisco Giant. In 2023, the talents signed were Emmanoel Madeira with the Chicago Cubs, and Sann Omosako with the Toronto Blue Jays.
These names join a wave of Brazilian athletes currently in the MLB pipeline, an important part of a great renewal among Brazil’s representatives in international baseball.
