When looking at the Yankees Dominican Summer League team, what makes them tick? Well, they have a few things in common, which make them different from most other major league teams. Here are some of them.
Cuba
Hundreds of baseball players have emigrated from Cuba in the past three years. This makes the Cuban baseball diaspora a lost tribe of prospects. The Cuban market has become a worry for Major League Baseball franchises.
The Cincinnati Reds, for instance, has made several trips to the Dominican Republic in the last few years. They have invested heavily in Cuba and have reestablished contacts in Panama, Colombia, and Venezuela. These relationships are important to the Reds’ rebuild.
Three Dominican Republic players are on the Reds’ roster, including Darlin Guzman, Junior Melo, and Alfredo Rodriguez. Suarez led in stolen bases during his two years in the National Series for his hometown team.
Venezuela
You are not alone if you have ever wondered about the New York Yankees Dominican Summer League team. It is an intriguing level of minor league baseball that packs 64 games into eleven weeks.
The Dominican Summer League has been a gateway to the majors for many players. The league typically starts in late June and runs until late August. Each club has at least one team in the company.
The Yankees have been an active recruiter of international talent. The team has five hot prospects. But what exactly is going on down in the Dominican Republic?
The Yankees’ Academy has locations in the Dominican Republic, Tampa, Fla., and Aguirre, Venezuela. These locations offer life skills, cooking, and English as a Second Language courses for players who may need help.
Mexico
The Dominican Summer League is an intriguing level of minor-league baseball. For several players, this is their gateway to major league baseball.
In the Dominican Republic, most players are between 17 and 22 years of age. They attend English classes and take life skills courses. They also have to take part in a mental skills program. This helps them deal with the pressures of professional sports.
A few MLB clubs have more than one team in the DSL. These include the Yankees, Rangers, and Cubs. Some of these teams play their own playoffs, while other teams’ playoff runs are based on the finishing positions in their division.
Puerto Rico
While it may not be on the radar in the grand scheme, the Dominican Republic has a thriving minor league system. The country produces a whopping five times more MLB talent than the US. As a result, the DR has a robust starting lineup. It has one of the league’s most potent pitching rotations in the game and has a strong contingent in the batting order.
There’s no denying that the country has more than a few high-profile All-Stars, and the five starters, as mentioned earlier, are a notch above the competition. The DR also has a solid track record in the short-season circuits, including the Caribbean Series and the Pan American Games.
Dominican players in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic have become dominant in the game. They have played a significant role in shaping the game for 60 years. The number of players from the Dominican Republic has been declining over the past few decades, but they are still widely represented in the league.
The majority of these players have been position players, although there are a few notable pitchers. The most prominent Dominican MLB players include Juan Marichal, Albert Pujols, and Rafael Furcal.
One of the significant developments in Major League Baseball in recent years was the development of baseball academies in the Dominican Republic. Thousands of young athletes have been trained in these facilities. These facilities have been accused of abuse, but in recent years, conditions have improved.
Diet of Dominican players
The New York Yankees have five hot prospects. They’re all Dominican. That means they’re not subject to the MLB draft. Instead, they’re eligible to sign on their 16th birthday. In fact, at this point, the best Dominican-born ballplayers can command multi-million dollar bonuses.
In the last 50 years, Major League Baseball has landed hundreds of Dominicans in the majors. Some of them have even been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
But how are Dominicans faring in the big leagues? And how is their journey to the MLB playing field different from that of their counterparts in the Dominican Summer League?
In the Dominican Republic, professional baseball is ingrained in the culture. It is a country full of risk-takers and a place where the baseball machine moves from ball field to ball field.
