Major League Baseball continues to expand its international footprint, with Opening Day 2025 offering a vivid snapshot of the sport’s global reach. The number of internationally born players on MLB rosters remains a powerful indicator of that growth, and this season’s numbers once again prove the game’s broadening borders. Much of the data in this story comes from the official Opening Day announcement by Major League Baseball, released on March 28.
During spring training, 283 Dominican-born players appeared across Major League and Minor League camps. Of those, 134 made 40-man rosters—the most from any country heading into the season. Venezuela ranked second with 95, followed by Cuba with 30. Puerto Rico had 19, Mexico 13, Panama seven, Colombia four, and Curaçao three. Aruba and Nicaragua had two players, while the Bahamas and Germany had one each.
Pitchers from the Dominican Republic accounted for 73 of the 40-man roster spots, while Venezuela contributed 39. Catching duties across 40-man rosters were led by players from the United States with 48, followed by 18 from Venezuela and four from the Dominican Republic.
Opening Day rosters featured players born across 18 countries and territories. As MLB.com’s Manny Randhawa reported, “the 265 internationally born players on Opening Day rosters represented 27.8 percent of all players,” making it the fourth-most in MLB history.
The Dominican Republic led all countries with 100 players, continuing a streak from 1995. Venezuela followed with 63 players. Cuba ranks third with a record 26 players, breaking its previous high of 23 in 2016, 2017, and 2022. Puerto Rico had 16, while Canada and Japan followed with 13 and 12, respectively. Mexico had 11 players to open the season.
Players from countries with smaller baseball footprints also made Opening Day rosters. Curaçao and Panama each sent four players, South Korea sent three, Aruba, Colombia, and Australia each sent two, and the Bahamas, Germany, Honduras, Nicaragua, and South Africa each had one representative.
Two players on Opening Day rosters represented dual nationalities. Jung Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants, born in Nagoya, Japan, is of South Korean descent. Jesus Luzardo of the Philadelphia Phillies, born in Lima, Peru, is of Venezuelan descent.
Chadwick Tromp of the Braves joined Xander Bogaerts of the Padres on Opening Day rosters, marking the first time two players born in Aruba started the season in the Major Leagues.
The other lone players that are the only players from their country that are on Opening Day rosters to start the 2025 season are Jazz Chisholm from the Bahamas and Jonathan Loaisiga from Nicaragua on the New York Yankees, Mauricio Dubon from Honduras and Tayler Scott from South Africa on the Houston Astros, and Max Kepler from Germany on the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Houston Astros and San Diego Padres each opened the season with 16 international-born players, tied for the most in the league. Randhawa noted, “Houston had at least a share of the lead in that category for the fifth consecutive year.” The Braves followed with 14, the Mets had 13, and the Orioles and Marlins each carried 12. The Phillies and Mariners had 11, while the Guardians, Dodgers, Yankees, and Rays had 10 each.
The Padres also led all teams in diversity, with players from eight countries and territories. “San Diego is followed in that category by the Astros and Red Sox with seven,” Randhawa wrote, while the Blue Jays, Braves, Orioles, Mariners, and Rays each had six.
In a breakdown published by Olivia Parker of Marca.com on March 28, this year’s figure ranks behind three prior seasons. The 2020 total was 291, when rosters expanded to 30 players due to pandemic protocols. The 2022 season had 275 players, and 2023 saw 270 players born outside the United States. Each of those years had larger roster sizes than the current 26-man format used in 2024 and 2025.
Last season, 20 players from the Dominican Republic made their Major League debuts, followed by 15 from Venezuela, six from Cuba, five from Puerto Rico, four from Japan, three from Canada, two from Colombia, and one from Mexico and Panama.
MLB continues to prioritize global expansion, not only through regular-season games at neutral sites both domestically and abroad, but also through its expanding international scouting infrastructure. The league maintains offices in Seoul, Mexico City, Tokyo, London, New Delhi, and Beijing to help identify and develop emerging talent around the world.
According to the official MLB press release, all games during the 2025 season will be available in more than 203 countries and territories and broadcast by 162 media outlets in 16 different languages.
Complete List of Internationally Born Players on 2025 Opening Day Rosters
The following names were published in the official MLB press release on March 28, 2025, and are included here exactly as listed by Major League Baseball:
ARUBA (2)
Bogaerts, Xander, SD
Tromp, Chadwick, ATL
AUSTRALIA (2)
Hendriks, Liam, BOS
Mead, Curtis, TB
BAHAMAS (1)
Chisholm Jr., Jazz, NYY
CANADA (13)
Brash, Matt, SEA
Guerrero Jr., Vladimir, TOR
Hicks, Liam, MIA
Julien, Edouard, MIN
Naylor, Bo, CLE
Naylor, Josh, CLE
O’Neill, Tyler, BAL
Pivetta, Nick, SD
Quantrill, Cal, MIA
Romano, Jordan, PHI
Sabrowski, Erik, CLE
Smith, Cade, CLE
Soroka, Mike, WSH
COLOMBIA (2)
Solano, Donovan, SEA
Urshela, Gio, DET
CUBA (26)
Alvarez, Yordan, HOU
Arozarena, Randy, SEA
Blanco, Dairon, KC
Cano, Yennier, BAL
Chapman, Aroldis, BOS
Cortes, Nestor, MIL
Díaz, Yandy, TB
García, Adolis, TEX
Gurriel Jr., Lourdes, AZ
Gurriel, Yuli, SD
Hernández, Daysbel, ATL
Ibáñez, Andy, DET
Iglesias, Jose, SD
Iglesias, Raisel, ATL
León, Pedro, HOU
Moncada, Yoán, LAA
Morejon, Adrian, SD
Oviedo, Johan, PIT
Pages, Andy, LAD
Pérez, Cionel, BAL
Ramos, Bryan, CWS
Ribalta, Orlando, WSH
Robert Jr., Luis, CWS
Rodríguez, Yariel, TOR
Soler, Jorge, LAA
Vargas, Miguel, CWS
CURAÇAO (4)
Albies, Ozzie, ATL
Jansen, Kenley, LAA
Profar, Jurickson, ATL
Rafaela, Ceddanne, BOS
DOMINICAN
REPUBLIC (100)
Abreu, Bryan, HOU
Adames, Willy, SF
Alcala, Jorge, MIN
Alcantara, Sandy, MIA
Andujar, Miguel, ATH
Bautista, Félix, BAL
Bello, Brayan, BOS
Berroa, Prelander, CWS
Bido, Osvaldo, ATH
Blanco, Ronel, HOU
Brazoban, Huascar, NYM
Brito, Jhony, SD
Bruján, Vidal, CHC
Cabrera, Edward, MIA
Caminero, Junior, TB
Castillo, Luis, SEA
Chivilli, Angel, COL
Clase, Emmanuel, CLE
Cruz, Oneil, PIT
De La Cruz, Bryan, ATL
De La Cruz, Elly, CIN
De Los Santos, Enyel, ATL
Devers, Rafael, BOS
Diaz, Yainer, HOU
Domínguez, Jasson, NYY
Domínguez, Seranthony, BAL
Doval, Camilo, SF
Duran, Ezequiel, TEX
Duran, Jhoan, MIN
Encarnacion, Jerar, SF
Espinal, Santiago, CIN
Estévez, Carlos, KC
Ferrer, Jose A., WSH
Franco, Wander, TB
Garabito, Gerson, TEX
García, Luis, LAD
García, Yimi, TOR
Gil, Luis, NYY
Henriquez, Ronny, MIA
Hernández, Teoscar, LAD
Javier, Cristian, HOU
Laureano, Ramón, BAL
Leclerc, José, ATH
Lopez, Otto, MIA
López, Reynaldo, ATL
Margot, Manuel, DET
Marte, Ketel, AZ
Marte, Starling, NYM
Martinez, Justin, AZ
Mateo, Jorge, BAL
Mauricio, Ronny, NYM
Medina, Luis, ATH
Montas, Frankie, NYM
Montero, Rafael, HOU
Morel, Christopher, TB
Moreta, Dauri, PIT
Neris, Héctor, ATL
Noel, Jhonkensy, CLE
Ortiz, Luis, CLE
Otañez, Michel, ATH
Ozuna, Marcell, ATL
Payamps, Joel, MIL
Peguero, Elvis, MIL
Peña, Jeremy, HOU
Peralta, Freddy, MIL
Peralta, Luis, COL
Peralta, Wandy, SD
Perdomo, Geraldo, AZ
Pérez, Eury, MIA
Pérez, Wenceel, DET
Polanco, Jorge, SEA
Ramírez, José, CLE
Reyes, Pablo, NYY
Robles, Victor, SEA
Rodríguez, Elvin, MIL
Rodríguez, Endy, PIT
Rodríguez, Julio, SEA
Rodríguez, Randy, SF
Rojas, Johan, PHI
Rosario, Amed, WSH
Sánchez, Cristopher, PHI
Sánchez, Gary, BAL
Sánchez, Jesús, MIA
Santana, Carlos, CLE
Santana, Dennis, PIT
Santos, Gregory, SEA
Severino, Luis, ATH
Siri, Jose, NYM
Soriano, George, MIA
Soriano, José, LAA
Soto, Gregory, BAL
Soto, Juan, NYM
Tatis Jr., Fernando, SD
Taveras, Leody, TEX
Tena, José, WSH
Uceta, Edwin, TB
Uribe, Abner, MIL
Valdez, Framber, HOU
Vargas, Carlos, SEA
Vásquez, Randy, SD
GERMANY (1)
Kepler, Max, PHI
HONDURAS (1)
Dubón, Mauricio, HOU
JAPAN (12)
Darvish, Yu, SD
Imanaga, Shota, CHC
Kikuchi, Yusei, LAA
Maeda, Kenta, DET
Matsui, Yuki, SD
Ohtani, Shohei, LAD
Sasaki, Roki, LAD
Senga, Kodai, NYM
Sugano, Tomoyuki, BAL
Suzuki, Seiya, CHC
Yamamoto, Yoshinobu, LAD
Yoshida, Masataka, BOS
MEXICO (11)
Aranda, Jonathan, TB
Assad, Javier, CHC
Bellozo, Valente, MIA
Cruz, Omar, SD
Kirk, Alejandro, TOR
Muñoz, Andrés, SEA
Paredes, Isaac, HOU
Rodríguez, Manuel, TB
Urías, Luis, ATH
Urías, Ramón, BAL
Urquidy, José, DET
NICARAGUA (1)
Loáisiga, Jonathan, NYY
PANAMA (4)
Amaya, Miguel, CHI
Caballero, José, TB
Herrera, Iván, STL
Sosa, Edmundo, PHI
PUERTO RICO (16)
Báez, Javier, DET
Berríos, José, TOR
Caratini, Victor, HOU
Castro, Willi, MIN
Correa, Carlos, MIN
Cruz, Fernando, NYY
Díaz, Alexis, CIN
Díaz, Edwin, NYM
Hernández, Kiké, LAD
Jiménez, Joe, ATL
Lindor, Francisco, NYM
López, Jorge, WSH
Maldonado, Martín, SD
Miranda, Jose, MIN
Ramos, Heliot, SF
Vázquez, Christian, MIN
SOUTH AFRICA (1)
Scott, Tayler, HOU
SOUTH KOREA (3)
Bae, Ji Hwan, PIT
Kim, Ha-Seong, TB
Refsnyder, Rob, BOS
VENEZUELA (63)
Abreu, Wilyer, BOS
Acuña Jr., Ronald, ATL
Acuña, Luisangel, NYM
Altuve, Jose, HOU
Alvarado, José, PHI
Alvarez, Francisco, NYM
Arcia, Orlando, ATL
Arias, Gabriel, CLE
Arraez, Luis, SD
Bastardo, Angel, TOR
Bazardo, Eduard, SEA
Buttó, José, NYM
Cabrera, Oswaldo, NYY
Carrasco, Carlos, NYY
Chaparro, Andrés, WSH
Chourio, Jackson, MIL
Contreras, Luis, HOU
Contreras, William, MIL
Contreras, Willson, STL
Díaz, Elias, SD
Estrada, Thairo, COL
Fermin, Freddy, KC
Flores, Wilmer, SF
Garcia, Luis, HOU
Garcia, Maikel, KC
Giménez, Andrés, TOR
Gómez, Yoendrys, NYY
Graterol, Brusdar, LAD
Henriquez, Edgardo, LAD
Hernández, Carlos, PHI
Herrera, Jose, AZ
López, Pablo, MIN
Marchán, Rafael, PHI
Márquez, Germán, COL
Matos, Luis, SF
Moreno, Gabriel, AZ
Narváez, Carlos, BOS
Pagés, Pedro, STL
Peraza, Oswald, NYY
Pereda, Jhonny, ATH
Pérez, Martín, CWS
Perez, Salvador, KC
Rengifo, Luis, LAA
Rocchio, Brayan, CLE
Rodriguez, Eduardo, AZ
Rojas, Miguel, LAD
Ruiz, José, PHI
Ruiz, Keibert, WSH
Salazar, Eduardo, WSH
Sanoja, Javier, MIA
Santander, Anthony, TOR
Senzatela, Antonio, COL
Sosa, Lenyn, CWS
Suárez, Albert, BAL
Suárez, Eugenio, AZ
Suarez, José, ATL
Suárez, Ranger, PHI
Suarez, Robert, SD
Tinoco, Jesús, MIA
Torrens, Luis, NYM
Torres, Gleyber, DET
Tovar, Ezequiel, COL
Zerpa, Angel, KC
MISCELLANEOUS (2)
Lee, Jung Hoo, SF^
Luzardo, Jesús, PHI*
^ South Korean descent (born in Nagoya, Japan)
* Venezuelan descent (born in Lima, Peru)
