Starling Marte reacts after lining out. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
On Monday, Baseball United, the first professional baseball league in the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, announced that New York Mets outfielder Starling Marte had joined the league’s investment and ownership group.
Marte joins a long list of current and former players to join BU’s ownership group. Active players include free agents Elvis Andrus and Matt Barnes, New York Mets starting pitcher Luis Severino, and Atlanta Braves superstar outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
“We are truly honored to welcome Starling into the Baseball United family,” Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Baseball United Kash Shaikh said in a BU statement on the league’s website.
“Starling is not only an outstanding athlete; he’s been a model of consistency on and off the field throughout his 13-year big league career. He believes in the global potential of baseball and plays with the type of approach and passion that will help inspire even more young people to fall in love with the game,” Shaikh said. “Starling is a great addition to the team, and we look forward to seeing him on the field the rest of the season in New York.”
According to the Baseball United website, Marte is the seventh Dominican-born MLB player to join the ownership group. The six others are Robinson Cano, Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltre, Bartolo Colon, Luis Severino, and Hanley Ramirez.
“I can’t wait to help elevate the game of baseball across the world, particularly in the Middle East, India, and Pakistan, where Baseball United has already built a strong foundation,” Marte said in a statement on the BU website. “I look forward to seeing how this region can shine in the world of baseball.”
Marte, 35, is in his 13th season in MLB and is a two-time All-Star and Gold Glove Glove Award winner. 2024 is Marte’s third season with the New York Mets, and he previously spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2012-19), Arizona Diamondbacks (2020), Miami Marlins (2020-21), and Oakland Athletics (2021).
Baseball United is scheduled to announce expansion franchises in the coming months and play its first season in the winter of 2025.
