Inside the Dominican Baseball Machine
In an impoverished country with a population of less than 11 million, limited upward financial mobility, and a poor education system, baseball is the golden ticket for many Dominicans.
Dominicans are the most significant minority nationality of Major League Baseball players. Of the 265 foreign-born players on 2025 MLB Opening Day rosters, 100 were from the Dominican Republic. That means that 13% of MLB players are Dominican!
And many of these Dominican peloteros are stars. In the 2024 MLB All-Star game in Texas, 11 Dominicans were on the roster. Dominican superstars in today’s game include Juan Soto of the New York Mets, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres, Julio Rodriguez of the Seattle Mariners, Elly de la Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds, Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase of the Cleveland Guardians, Rafael Devers of the Boston Red Sox, Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.
These players will eventually join the all-time Dominican greats in Cooperstown: Adrian Beltre, Vladimir Guerrero, Juan Marichal, Pedro Martinez, David Ortiz, and Albert Pujols (slated for induction in 2028).
400-500 Dominican prospects sign entry-level contracts with MLB teams every year. That means that nearly a quarter of all professional, MLB-affiliated baseball players are Dominican!
The “Dominican Baseball Machine” is well-oiled with sweat and money, and countless parties benefit from it. There has been extensive coverage on this controversial topic. A Google search will give you endless results. I curated a selection of them for you below.
The Dominican Baseball Culture and Style
- The Lure of Baseball in the Dominican Republic
- Playing the Right Way?
- Welcome to the Dominican Republic: baseball mecca
- “Se Habla Lidom” – How Peligro Sports fuels Dominican baseball passion in New York City
- ‘It’s everything for us’: Inside the wild roller coaster of Dominican winter ball
- Baseball Republic: Inside the Dominican Machine
- “Sugar,” a film written and directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is a fantastic and accurate portrayal of the typical Dominican prospect. Stream it on Amazon via HBO (or buy the DVD!) and read this film review.
Player Spotlights
- The Greatest Dominican Ballplayers: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
- How Mariners rookie Julio Rodríguez became the new “King of Seattle”
- Former teammates remember late Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernandez
- How Astros’ Framber Valdez grew from unwanted prospect to dependable starter
- 60 years ago, the Alous formed the first all-brother outfield
Academies and Facilities
- Ballpark Bucket List: The Best of Latin America
- Texas Rangers Dominican Republic Academy
- Baltimore Orioles Dominican Republic Academy
- Los Angeles Dodgers Campo Las Palmas Dominican Republic Academy
San Pedro de Macorís
- How Baseball Changed Life In A Dominican Town
- The Eastern Stars: Q&A With Mark Kurlansky
- Shortstops Grow in San Pedro
The Dark Side of Dominican Baseball
- The Dominican Republic Loves Baseball, but Steroid Problems Run Deep
- “Ballplayer: Pelotero” is a documentary about former MLB player Miguel Sano’s prospect journey in the Dominican Republic. It offers a rare insight into a flawed system that is ripe with fraud. Stream it on Amazon (or buy the DVD!).
- Inside Major League Baseball’s Dominican Sweatshop System
- Baseball Dreams: Striking Out in the Dominican Republic
- A corrupt process exploits Dominican baseball prospects. Is an international draft really the answer?