Major League Baseball to host showcase for Draft-eligible Puerto Rican players

Three-day event marks inaugural pre-Draft showcase in Puerto Rico

Major League Baseball will host a three-day showcase for Draft-eligible Puerto Rican players at Hiram Bithorn Stadium in San Juan from Friday, January 24th through Sunday, January 26th. The pre-Draft showcase marks the first of its kind in Puerto Rico.

The showcase in San Juan will consist of four teams made up of players from different regions across Puerto Rico. The event will begin late in the afternoon on Friday, January 24th with a pro-style workout, followed by doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.

“There is a lot of talent in Puerto Rico and we want to give exposure to the island again,” Joel Araujo, manager of Latin American Game Develop for MLB said. “For whatever reason, the signings have been down and there’s a misconception that baseball in Puerto Rico has dropped, but it’s alive. We just want to help the island in terms of baseball development and create avenues and exposure while also changing the mindset that baseball in Puerto Rico is out. Lot We want to bring the talent to the surface.”

Major League Baseball has previously hosted post-Draft showcases in Puerto Rico in 2012 and 2013 in which undrafted amateur players were given the chance to play for Major League scouts, resulting in the signings of several players. This year’s showcase is the first time that Major League Baseball will give scouts an opportunity to observe the area’s top amateur talent prior to Baseball’s annual First-Year Player Draft in June.

More information, including a roster of participating players, will be available in the coming days.