With the 2026 World Baseball Classic in full swing, here’s a look at which countries have sent the most players to The Show.
The 2026 MLB season is right around the corner, with baseball fans soaking in the final month of the offseason in the most ideal way possible – with spring training and the World Baseball Classic.
Now viewed as the premier international competition for baseball, many of the world’s brightest stars are representing their countries (or ancestral countries for many) as the world tries to dethrone Japan, who won their third WBC title in 2023.
Yet for many fans who are simply awaiting the start of the MLB season towards the end of the month, the high level of international competition may make some wonder how many players on their favorite team were born outside the United States.
While baseball is viewed as a distinctly American sport, it also has plenty of global roots and modern popularity across the world. Born as a bat-and-ball sport in the United Kingdom inspired by older similar games played in the area, baseball as a modern sport is seen by many to have first been played stateside in the early-to-mid 1800’s.
In the generations since, baseball has not only become America’s pastime, but a game that sports fans around the world have gravitated towards. The game has been particuarly successful in parts of East Asia and Latin America, where other countries that hold baseball as the national sport can be found.
The World Baseball Classic in many ways is an exhibition of global talent, featuring the brightest stars from Japan, Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic among others as the sport continues to gain more prominence globally – only aided by the Toronto Blue Jays run to Game 7 of the World Series in 2025.
Although the vast majority of players in MLB history have been born in the U.S., many of the sport’s biggest stars of all-time have come from outside of the country – especially when looking at the past 50 years of MLB history.
For the purposes of this list, Puerto Rico will be viewed as a separate country, despite its status as an American territory. With Puerto Rico having a distinct baseball culture on the island coupled with its athletes specifically representing the territory in international competition, it feels like pure erasure to consider every Puerto Rican the same as a player from one of the 50 states when it comes to the world of baseball.
Including Puerto Rico, six countries outside of the U.S. have sent at least 100 players to MLB over the league’s history spanning more than a century-and-a-half.
After taking a look at the U.S. states that have produced the most MLB players along with seeing which countries have been the most productive for the NBA, here’s a deeper dive into MLB’s long-standing global presence.
This list also only considers a player’s birthplace – many players attended high school and/or college in a state or country other than the one they were born in. The players listed for each country are the top 10 in WAR from each location, according to Baseball Reference.
Last updated: May 13, 2026
1. Dominican Republic – 943 players
Notable players: Albert Pujols, Adrian Beltré, Pedro Martínez, Manny Ramirez, Robinson Canó, Juan Marichal, Vladimir Guerrero, Sammy Sosa, José Ramírez, David Ortiz
2. Venezuela – 507 players
Notable players: Miguel Cabrera, Bobby Abreu, Luis Aparicio, Jose Altuve, Johan Santana, Félix Hernández, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Zambrano, Dave Concepción, Magglio Ordóñez
3. Cuba – 403 players
Notable players: Rafael Palmeiro, Luis Tiant, Tony Pérez, Minnie Miñoso, Bert Campaneris, Dolf Lugue, Tony Oliva, Jose Canseco, Camilo Pascual, Liván Hernández
4. Puerto Rico – 311 players
Notable players: Roberto Clemente, Carlos Beltrán, Iván Rodríguez, Roberto Alomar, Francisco Lindor, José Cruz, Orlando Cepeda, Bernie Williams, Carlos Correa, Javier Vázquez
5. Canada – 271 players
Notable players: Fergie Jenkins, Larry Walker, Joey Votto, Russell Martin, Jeff Heath, Russ Ford, John Hiller, Terry Puhl, Justin Morneau, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
6. Mexico – 153 players
Notable players: Fernando Valenzuela, Teddy Higuera, Bobby Ávila, Ismael Valdez, Esteban Loaiza, Yovani Gallardo, Vinny Castilla, Joakim Soria, Aurelio Rodríguez, Jorge Orta
7. Japan – 87 players
Notable players: Ichiro Suzuki, Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Hideki Matsui, Hideo Nomo, Hiroki Kuroda, Masahiro Tanaka, Hisashi Iwakuma, Koji Uehara, Shigetoshi Hasegawa
8. Panama – 81 players
Notable players: Rod Carew, Mariano Rivera, Carlos Lee, Manny Sanguillén, Ben Oglivie, Carlos Ruiz, Roberto Kelly, Rennie Stennett, Adolfo Phillips, Héctor López
9. United Kingdom – 52 players
Notable players: Jim McCormick, Bobby Thomson, Jimmy Austin, Ted Lewis, Hobe Ferris, Tom Brown, Dave Brain, George Hall, Danny Cox, Dick Higham
10. Ireland – 48 players
Notable players: Tony Mullane, Tommy Bond, Jack Doyle, Patsy Donovan, Jimmy Archer, Hugh Daily, Andy Leonard, Mike O’Neill, Reddy Mack, Jimmy Walsh
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