MAJOR League Baseball could be set to take a huge step outside the United States as calls grow for an international expansion franchise.
The Dominican Republic – one of baseball’s greatest talent factories – has been floated as a shock location for a future MLB team.
League commissioner Rob Manfred has already made clear he wants to add two expansion franchises before his term expires in 2029.
Cities such as Nashville, Salt Lake City, Austin, Charlotte, Montreal and Portland have all been mentioned as possible homes for new teams.
But one influential voice believes the sport should think far bigger by taking MLB to the Caribbean.
WFAN radio host Evan Roberts suggested the Dominican Republic could become the most electric destination in baseball.
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He said, “I understand that what I’m about to tell you faces some battles that will make it tough to occur, such as the economy, such as building a stadium, but how electric would it be for the Dominican Republic to be an expansion city?”
“I don’t think it’s a geography issue, it’s a financial issue.”
His co-host Tiki Barber raised concerns about safety and whether players would want to live in the country full-time.
But Roberts insisted many MLB stars already spend large portions of the year there and would relish the chance.
The Dominican Republic is the largest producer of foreign-born talent in MLB, with more than 10 per cent of the league’s players coming from the Spanish-speaking nation.
Stars such as Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. have helped cement the country’s reputation as a global baseball powerhouse.
The passion for the sport was on full display recently when more than 10,000 fans packed Santo Domingo’s iconic Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal for an exhibition featuring the Dominican national team.
The team crushed the Detroit Tigers 12-4 in a celebratory game ahead of the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Yet turning the island into a permanent MLB home would still come with huge obstacles.
Infrastructure remains the biggest hurdle.
The country’s largest stadium holds just over 18,000 fans, while Quisqueya itself seats around 13,000, meaning a brand-new ballpark would likely be required.
Financial factors could also prove tricky, including television revenue and ticket prices in a smaller national economy.
Despite those issues, the idea continues to gain traction among fans and analysts who believe MLB should become more global.
If the sport ever does make the leap, few places on earth could match the Dominican Republic’s raw passion for baseball.
Who’s playing in the 2026 World Baseball Classic?
The World Baseball classic features 20 from across the globe to battle for the title this March, with the biggest stars representing their respective homelands.
Despite losing the 2023 championship to Japan, Team USA is the sizable favorite to win this tournament, thanks to a stacked lineup led by three-time MVP Aaron Judge and Bobby Witt Jr.
The rotation also features arguably the two best pitchers in baseball in Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal, and the bullpen has a dominant 8th-9th inning duo in Mason Miller and David Bednar.
But don’t count out Japan, which has won this tourney three times since 2006.
They are led by Dodgers teammates Shohei Ohtani, who was the MVP of the 2023 tournament, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Dominican Republic can say they have the best lineup in this tournament, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto, and Julio Rodriguez leading the charge.
They’ll hope the team rebounds after a shock first-round exit in 2023.
It won’t be easy, however, as they’re in the same pool as Venezuela, which is led by Ronald Acuña Jr. and Salvador Perez.
No one should forget about Pool A favorite Puerto Rico, but they won’t be entering the WBC anywhere close to full strength.
Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa, and Javy Báez will all miss this year’s tournament, with the first two failing to secure insurance for the WBC.
Other stars to watch for who could have an impact on their respective squads are Mexico’s Randy Arozerena, Italy’s Vinnie Pasquantino, Jazz Chisholm Jr. of Great Britan and Canada’s Josh Naylor.
