The globalization of Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...

 has been occurring since its inception. The early years saw an influx of players from western Europe. Major League Baseball eventually saw fewer European players, but more players from Latin America. Today Major League Baseball has players from five continents. The following is a list of countries and the first person born there that played Major League Baseball.

These players are not necessarily the first citizen of each respective country to play in Major League Baseball as nationality is determined under a nation's nationality law

Nationality law

Nationality law is the branch of law concerned with the questions of nationality and citizenship, and how these statuses are acquired, transmitted, or lost. By custom, a state has the right to determine who its nationals and citizens are. Such determinations are usually made by custom, statutory...

 and may differ. Also, these players are classified strictly by the countries of their birth; this does not reflect the following issues:

• Political change: A number of the countries listed here no longer exist, such as Austria–Hungary. By contrast, the convention of the Hockey Hall of Fame
  Hockey Hall of Fame
  The Hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dedicated to the history of ice hockey, it is both a museum and a hall of fame. It holds exhibits about players, teams, National Hockey League records, memorabilia and NHL trophies, including the Stanley Cup...
  
  , which is generally followed for purposes of nationality classification in ice hockey, is to classify players by the currently existing country in which their birthplace is located.
• Where players were trained in baseball:
  • Some players on this list, despite their birth location, are or were Americans or Canadians who returned to their parents' home country as children and were developed there.
  • Most of the European-born players on this list moved to North America as children. For example, the first Netherlands
    Netherlands
    The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
    
    -born player in MLB was John Houseman, who made his debut in 1894 (more than a decade before the formation of what would become MLB), but it was not until 1979 that Win Remmerswaal
    Win Remmerswaal
    Wilhelmus Abraham Remmerswaal is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He batted and threw right-handed. Remmerswaal was born in The Hague, Netherlands. He was the second Dutch-born Major League Baseball player of the modern , following the great Bert Blyleven...
    
     became the first player born and raised in the European portion of the Netherlands to make his MLB debut. The case with Italy is similar, as Alex Liddi
    Alex Liddi
    Alessandro "Alex" Liddi is an infielder for the Seattle Mariners. He is the first player born and raised in Italy to play in the major leagues...
    
     was the first person born and raised in that country to play Major League Baseball, despite the first Italian-born Major Leaguer coming decades earlier.

Country	Name	Debut Year
Afghanistan	Jeff Bronkey Jeff Bronkey Jacob Jeffery Bronkey was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1993 to 1995 with the Texas Rangers and Milwaukee Brewers. He attended Klamath Union High School in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He is the only Major League player born in Afghanistan.-External links:...	1993
Australia	Joe Quinn	1884
Austria	Kurt Krieger Kurt Krieger Kurt Ferdinand Krieger , was a Major League Baseball player who played pitcher from to . Kurt is the first person born in Austria to play Major League Baseball. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals.-External links:...	1949
Austria–Hungary	Amos Cross Amos Cross Amos C. Cross was an American Major League baseball player from –. His main position was catcher. He played three seasons in the MLB, all for the Louisville Colonels. His brothers, Lave and Frank, also played in the Major Leagues.-External links:...	1885
Bahamas	Andre Rodgers Andre Rodgers Kenneth Andre Ian Rodgers was a Major League Baseball shortstop who played for the New York and San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Pittsburgh Pirates . He also played one season in Japan for the Taiyo Whales...	1957
Belgium	Brian Lesher Brian Lesher Brian Herbert Lesher is a former backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between and...	1996
Canada	Bill Phillips Bill Phillips (first baseman) William B. "Bill" Phillips , also known as Silver Bill, was a Canadian professional baseball first baseman from the mid-1870s until the late 1880s...	1879
China	Harry Kingman Harry Kingman Henry Lees "Harry" Kingman was a first baseman in Major League Baseball. He played for the New York Yankees in 1914 and is the only major league player to have been born in China. Kingman stood at 6' 1" and weighed 165 lbs....	1914
Colombia	Luis Castro Luis Castro Luis Manuel Castro was born in Medellín, Colombia.) He was the first latin american born player to play in Major League Baseball in the United States, and the first Latin American since Cuban player Esteban Bellán in 1873 as a professional baseball player...	1902
Cuba	Armando Marsans Armando Marsans Armando Marsans was a Major League Baseball outfielder from 1911 to 1918. He played in three different major leagues in his career: with the Cincinnati Reds in the National League , with the St. Louis Terriers in the Federal League , and with the St...   Rafael Almeida Rafael Almeida Rafael D. Almeida was a Major League Baseball third baseman from 1911 to 1913 with the Cincinnati Reds.Almeida and Armando Marsans debuted together with the Reds on July 4, 1911...	1911
Denmark	Olaf Henriksen Olaf Henriksen Olaf Henriksen was a Major League Baseball outfielder who remains to date the only Danish-born person ever to play in the major leagues...	1911
Dominican Republic	Ozzie Virgil, Sr. Ozzie Virgil, Sr. Osvaldo José Virgil broke the color barrier for Detroit in 1958. He served in the U.S. Marines from 1950 to 1952...	1956
England	Al Nichols Al Nichols Alfred Henry Nichols was an English Major League Baseball player for three seasons. Born in Worcester, England, he played for three different teams, and mainly played as a third baseman...	1876
Finland	John Michaelson John Michaelson John August Michaelson was a professional baseball pitcher. He appeared in two games in Major League Baseball in 1921 for the Chicago White Sox. As of 2011, he is the only major league player to have been born in Finland....	1921
France	Joe Woerlin Joe Woerlin Joseph Woerlin , is a former professional baseball player who was a infielder in the Major Leagues in 1895. He would play for the Washington Senators.-External links:...	1895
Germany	George Heubel George Heubel George A. Heubel , was a German American professional baseball player.-Career:Heubel started his amateur career in 1867 with the Quaker City team. He then played for Geary in 1868 and the Philadelphia Athletics in 1869...	1876
Greece	Al Campanis Al Campanis Alexander Sebastian Campanis was an American executive in Major League Baseball. He had a brief Major League career as a second baseman, playing for both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers' minor-league team...	1943
Hawaii Kingdom of Hawaii The Kingdom of Hawaii was established during the years 1795 to 1810 with the subjugation of the smaller independent chiefdoms of Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lānai, Kauai and Niihau by the chiefdom of Hawaii into one unified government...	Johnnie Williams Johnnie Williams (baseball) John Brodie Williams was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched in four games for the Detroit Tigers in , including three starts. He pitched 11 1/3 innings, giving up 17 hits and 12 runs. Williams, known as "Honolulu Johnny", was the first player of Hawaiian ancestry to play in the major...	1914
Honduras	Gerald Young Gerald Young Gerald Anthony Young was a Major League Baseball outfielder. He was noted for his long strides and blazing speed, and although considered somewhat of a "hot dog" because of what appeared to be a lackadaisical style , he was considered one of the best defensive center fielders of his time...	1987
Indonesia	Tom Mastny Tom Mastny Thomas Raymond Mastny is a Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher who plays in the Florida Marlins organization. He is pitching with Class AAA New Orleans Zephyrs. He stands 6 feet, 6 inches in height and weighs 220 pounds...	2006
Ireland	Andy Leonard Andy Leonard Andrew Jackson Leonard played left field for the original Cincinnati Red Stockings, the first fully professional baseball team. He was one of five men to play regularly for both the Cincinnati and the Boston Red Stockings, the latter winning six championships during his seven seasons...	1876
Italy	Lou Polli Lou Polli Louis Americo Polli was a professional baseball relief pitcher. Polli first played in the majors with the St. Louis Browns in , pitching 6.2 innings with a 5.40 earned run average. Polli would not play again in the major leagues until 1944, when he pitched 35.2 innings for the New York Giants,...	1932
Jamaica	Chili Davis Chili Davis Charles Theodore "Chili" Davis is the hitting coach for the Oakland Athletics. Davis is a former outfielder/designated hitter who played in Major League Baseball with the San Francisco Giants , California Angels , Minnesota Twins , Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees...	1981
Japan	Masanori Murakami Masanori Murakami Masanori "Mashi" Murakami is a former pitcher for the San Francisco Giants....	1964
Mexico	Mel Almada Mel Almada Baldomero "Mel" Almada was a center fielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Boston Red Sox , Washington Senators , St. Louis Browns and Brooklyn Dodgers...	1933
Netherlands	John Houseman John Houseman (baseball) John Franklin Houseman was a Major League Baseball player. He played in for the Chicago Colts, and in for the St. Louis Browns, primarily as a second baseman....	1894
Nicaragua	Dennis Martínez Dennis Martínez José Dennis Martínez Emilia , nicknamed "El Presidente" , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...	1976
Norway	John Anderson	1894
Panama	Humberto Robinson Humberto Robinson Humberto Valentino Robinson was a middle relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Milwaukee Braves , Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies . Listed at 6' 1", 155 lb., Robinson batted and threw right-handed...	1955
Philippines	Bobby Chouinard Bobby Chouinard Robert William Chouinard is a retired Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He is the only person born in The Philippines to play Major League Baseball....	1996
Poland	Henry Peploski Henry Peploski Henry Stephen Peploski , is a former professional baseball player who was a infielder in the Major Leagues in 1929. He played for the Boston Braves, and is recognized as one of four Major Leaguers born in Poland, along with Moe Drabowsky, Nap Kloza and Johnny Reder.-External links:*...	1929
Russia	Jake Gettman Jake Gettman Jake Gettman was a Major League Baseball outfielder with the Washington Senators from 1897 to 1899. He was the first Russian-born player in Major League history.- References :...	1897
Saudi Arabia	Craig Stansberry Craig Stansberry Craig Leo Stansberry is a Major League Baseball third baseman who is currently in the San Diego Padres organization. As of the end of the 2009 season, he is the only player in Major League Baseball history to have been born in Saudi Arabia.Although he was born in Saudi Arabia, Stansberry only...	2007
Scotland	Jim McCormick	1878
Singapore	Robin Jennings Robin Jennings Robin Christopher Jennings is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He is the only person born in Singapore to play Major League Baseball....	1996
South Korea	Chan Ho Park	1994
South Vietnam South Vietnam South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...	Danny Graves Danny Graves Daniel Peter Graves is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Born to an American serviceman father and a Vietnamese mother, he is the only Vietnam-born player in the history of the major leagues, and one of the few Vietnamese-American players...	1996
Soviet Union Soviet Union The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....	Victor Cole Victor Cole Victor Cole is a former professional baseball pitcher, the first player born in the USSR to play in Major League Baseball...	1992
Spain	Bryan Oelkers Bryan Oelkers Bryan Alois Oelkers is a former a Major League Baseball pitcher. He attended college at Wichita State. He batted and threw left-handed. Oelkers played two years in the majors — 1983 with the Minnesota Twins and 1986 with the Cleveland Indians. In 45 career games, he had a 3-8 record...	1983
Sweden	Charlie Hallstrom Charlie Hallstrom Charles E. Hallstrom , nicknamed the "Swedish Wonder", was a Swedish Major League Baseball player who pitched one game for the Providence Grays of the National League. The Grays were in need of a pitcher for that days' game versus the Chicago White Stockings, and used Hallstrom, a local Chicago...	1885
Switzerland	Otto Hess Otto Hess (baseball) Otto C. Hess born in Bern, Switzerland was a pitcher for the Cleveland Bronchos/Cleveland Naps and Boston Braves ....	1902
Republic of China (Taiwan)	Chin-Feng Chen Chin-Feng Chen Chin-Feng Chen is a baseball outfielder who was the first player born in Taiwan to play in Major League Baseball.He played for the Los Angeles Dodgers during - season, but only sparingly. In 2005, Chen was reluctant to accept the designate for assignment back to Dodgers' Las Vegas 51s AAA team,...	2002
United States	(See footnote)	1871
Venezuela	Alex Carrasquel Alex Carrasquel Alejandro Eloy Carrasquel Aparicio [car-ras-KAEL] , was a Venezuelan professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a pitcher for the Washington Senators and the Chicago White Sox...	1939
Wales	Peter Morris Peter Morris (baseball) Peter R. Morris was a Welsh Major League Baseball shortstop in for the Washington Nationals of the Union Association. He played one game for them, going 0-for-3. He also played for the Milwaukee team in the Northwestern League in and 1884. He was killed in a railroad accident in December, 1884...	1884
West Germany	Rob Belloir Rob Belloir Robert Edward Belloir , is a former professional baseball player. Born in Heidelberg, West Germany, he was the 25th German born player in Major League Baseball....	1975