Best MLB Players by Country

Baseball is a global community.

Best MLB Players by Country

Shohei Ohtani is considered the Japanese Babe Ruth.

Baseball long has enjoyed international appeal. It started in 1871 when Cuban émigré Esteban Bellán took the field for the Troy Haymakers of the National Association, then the top professional league in the United States.

The game's appeal only has grown. Now, Major League Baseball depends on talent from around the world. Entering the 2019 season, 251 players from 20 nations and territories outside the U.S. were on Opening Day rosters.

These are the best baseball players from each country in the game today.

Note: Statistics are through Aug. 7, 2019.

Aruba: Xander Bogaerts

Age: 26 (born Oct. 1, 1992, in Oranjestad, Aruba)

Position: Shortstop, third base

Experience: 7 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Boston Red Sox

Career stats: 871 G, .287 BA, 969 H, 99 HR, 473 RBI, .349 OBP, .447 SLG

Bottom line: Despite his youth, Xander Bogaerts already boasts an accomplished baseball career.

Now a mainstay for the Red Sox, he has been part of two World Series championship campaigns. Bogaerts scored a career-high 103 runs for the 2018 champion Red Sox and led the league with 29 doubles at the All-Star break in 2019.

Like Kenley Jansen of nearby Curaçao, Bogaerts represents the Netherlands at the international level. He was inducted into the Knights Order of Orange-Nassau by the governor of Aruba when the Dutch won the now-defunct Baseball World Cup in 2011.

Australia: Liam Hendriks

Age: 30 (born Feb. 10, 1989, in Perth, Western Australia)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 9 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics

Career stats: 297 G, 466.1 IP, 16-23 W-L, 446 K, 130 BB, 4.32 ERA

Bottom line: A starting pitcher in the early years of his career, Liam Hendriks shifted to the bullpen in his second stint with the Blue Jays in 2015. He continued as a reliever after joining the A's in 2016.

Changing philosophies about pitching led the A's to use Hendriks as an "opener" in the 2018 American League wild-card game, thus making him the first Australian player to start a major league postseason game. He pitched the first inning and was tagged with the loss in a 7-2 defeat against the Yankees.

Brazil: Yan Gomes

Age: 31 (born July 19, 1987, in São Paulo, Brazil)

Position: Catcher

Experience: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Washington Nationals

Career stats: 719 G, .244 BA, 597 H, 93 HR, 334 RBI, .296 OBP, .415 SLG

Bottom line: Yan Gomes did not take a traditional path to the big leagues. A Cuban coach his father knew introduced the youngster to baseball in São Paulo, and his connection to the game grew stronger as his family moved to Miami when he was 12.

Traded to Washington in the 2018 offseason, Gomes so far enjoyed his best seasons in Cleveland (2013-18), where he won a Silver Slugger (2014), appeared in a World Series (2016) and became the first Brazilian-born All-Star (2018).

Gomes opted out of the 2013 World Baseball Classic after helping Brazil qualify. And a fun fact: Former major league pitcher Atlee Hammaker is his father-in-law.

Canada: Joey Votto

Age: 35 (born Sept. 10, 1983, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Position: First base

Experience: 13 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds

Career stats: 1,681 G, .307 BA, 1,832 H, 280 HR, 933 RBI, .422 OBP, .521 SLG

Bottom line: When talk turns to future Hall of Fame possibilities, Joey Votto receives just scattered mention. But on June 28, he became the ninth Reds player in team history to reach 1,800 career hits. Adding those to all his walks and times hit by pitch gives him more than 3,000 times on base.

The 2010 National League Most Valuable Player also finished second in the voting for 2017 and was third in 2015.

Moreover, he has led the league in on-base percentage seven times, walks five times and on-base-plus-slugging twice.

Chinese Taipei: Wei-Yin Chen

Age: 33 (born July 21, 1985, in Kaohsiung County, Taiwan)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins

Career stats: 207 G, 1,042.1 IP, 59-51 W-L, 827 K, 265 BB, 4.14 ERA

Bottom line: A noteworthy athlete on both sides of the Pacific, Wei-Yin Chen began his professional career in 2004 with the Chunichi Dragons of Japan. While there, Chen led the Central League with a 1.54 earned run average in 2009.

At the international level, the lefty represented Chinese Taipei at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Having pitched on five day's rest in Japan, Chen had to acclimate himself to four day's rest when he came to the majors. In 2019, he transitioned from a starter to the bullpen with the Marlins.

Colombia: José Quintana

Age: 30 (born Jan. 24, 1989, in Arjona, Bolivar, Colombia)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs

Career stats: 241 G, 1,443.2 IP, 80-75 W-L, 1,256 K, 408 BB, 3.65 ERA

Bottom line: The fact that José Quintana and fellow Colombian pitcher Julio Teherán of the Braves so far have enjoyed strikingly similar careers made for a tough choice.

Both pitchers represented their homeland in the 2017 World Baseball Classic. But for what it's worth, Quintana has a higher wins-above-replacement rating, so he gets the nod.

An All-Star for the White Sox in 2016, Quintana posted a career-best 207 strikeouts in 2017, a season that saw him move across town in a midseason trade to the Cubs.

Cuba: Aroldis Chapman

Age: 31 (born Feb. 28, 1988, in Holguín, Cuba)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 10 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees

Career stats: 537 G, 523.1 IP, 33-26 W-L, 863 K, 244 BB, 2.27 ERA, 266 SV

Bottom line: Nicknamed the "Cuban Missile," Aroldis Chapman established himself as a flame-throwing lefty before defecting from Cuba.

Just weeks after his major league debut with Cincinnati in 2010, he unleashed a pitch against the Padres timed at 105.1 miles per hour, the fastest ever recorded in Major League Baseball history. He later matched that speed in a 2016 game for the Yankees against Baltimore.

Though a relief pitcher, he has recorded more than 100 strikeouts in four seasons. He boasts six seasons of more than 30 saves.

Curacao: Kenley Jansen

Age: 31 (born Sept. 30, 1987, in Willemstad, Curaçao)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 10 seasons (2010-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers

Career stats: 586 G, 592.1 IP, 28-21 W-L, 881 K, 154 BB, 2.29 ERA, 294 SV

Bottom line: Originally signed by the Dodgers as a catcher, Kenley Jansen even started at catcher for the Netherlands in the 2009 World Baseball Classic, where he threw out a would-be base stealer in an upset win over the Dominican Republic. But poor offensive numbers led to a move to pitcher.

The results have been astounding.

Despite struggles in the past two World Series, Jansen remains one of baseball’s most reliable closers. He led the NL with 41 saves in 2017 and also has enjoyed seasons of 47 and 44.

Dominican Republic: Albert Pujols

Age: 39 (born Jan. 16, 1980, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)

Position: First base, third base, left field, designated hitter

Experience: 19 seasons (2001-present)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels

Career stats: 2,782 G, .300 BA, 3,164 H, 650 HR, 2,045 RBI, .380 OBP, .551 SLG

Bottom line: Having exceeded career milestones of 3,000 hits, 2,000 RBI, 600 home runs and 600 doubles alone makes "Prince Albert" a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame.

Admittedly, the 2001 National League Rookie of the Year enjoyed the bulk of his success as a member of the Cardinals, with whom he won all three of his MVP awards, all six of his Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and two World Series titles.

Still, Pujols has been no slouch with the Angels, for whom he has exceeded the 100-RBI mark four times.

Germany: Max Kepler

Age: 26 (born Feb. 10, 1993, in Berlin, Germany)

Position: Right field

Experience: 5 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Minnesota Twins

Career stats: 524 G, .240 BA, 448 H, 87 HR, 267 RBI, .319 OBP, .447 SLG

Bottom line: Max Kepler's parents were professional ballet dancers — his mother from San Antonio, Texas, and his father from Poland — who met in Berlin as members of the same ballet company. Kepler, though, took to baseball at age 6, and his affinity for the game only grew.

At age 16 in 2009, he received an $800,000 signing bonus from the Twins, the largest ever given to a European-born player by an MLB team.

Since his rookie year in 2016, he has increased his home run total every season, including 30-plus in 2019, and has the look of a future All-Star for years to come.

Japan: Shohei Ohtani

Age: 25 (born July 5, 1994, in Oshu, Iwate, Japan)

Position: Pitcher and designated hitter

Experience: 2 seasons (2018-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Angels

Career stats: Hitting — 180 G, .286 BA, 170 H, 37 HR, 104 RBI, .357 OBP, .539 SLG

Pitching — 10 G, 51.2 IP, 4-2 W-L, 63 K, 22 BB, 3.31 ERA

Bottom line: As a two-way player, Shohei Ohtani generated much fanfare when he joined the Angels and was American League Rookie of the Year in 2018.

Currently recovering from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani will not pitch at least until 2020. A major highlight in 2019 occurred on June 13 when Ohtani become the first Japanese-born major leaguer to hit for the cycle.

Prior to joining the Angels, Ohtani played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and won a Japan Series, league MVP, and was a five-time All-Star.

Lithuania: Dovydas Neverauskas

Age: 26 (born Jan. 14, 1993, in Vilnius, Lithuania)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 3 seasons (2017-present)

Teams: Pittsburgh Pirates

Career stats: 59 G, 61.2 IP, 1-1 W-L, 54 K, 25 BB, 6.71 ERA

Bottom line: Some Pirates fans might see Dovydas Neverauskas — the first major league player born and raised in Lithuania — as one of the team's pet projects given that the Bucs signed him as a 16-year-old free agent in 2009.

So far, the project continues. Originally projected as a starter, the Pirates moved Neverauskas to the bullpen when he struggled. Currently, he struggles as a reliever, too.

Some have called for the Pirates to cut ties with Neverauskas. On July 6, the Pirates optioned him to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Mexico: Roberto Osuna

Age: 24 (born Feb. 7, 1995, in Juan José Ríos, Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 5 seasons (2015-present)

Teams: Toronto Blue Jays, Houston Astros

Career stats: 290 G, 291.1 IP, 13-17 W-L, 320 K, 51 BB, 2.75 ERA

Bottom line: Signed by the Blue Jays as at age 16, Roberto Osuna comes from a baseball family. His father, also Roberto, pitched 22 seasons in the Mexican League. An uncle, Antonio Osuna, pitched for 11 seasons in the major leagues, primarily with the Dodgers.

Though still young and having pitched a relatively short time in the majors, Osuna has emerged as one of the game's best relievers. At 21 in 2016 and 23 in 2018, he became the youngest pitcher in major league history to reach 50 and 100 saves, respectively.

Netherlands: Didi Gregorius

Age: 29 (born Feb. 18, 1990, in Amsterdam, Netherlands)

Position: Shortstop

Experience: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, New York Yankees

Career stats: 812 G, .267 BA, 786 H, 102 HR, 387 RBI, .316 OBP, .430 SLG

Bottom line: Raised in Curaçao, where he moved with his family at age 5, Didi Gregorius has a noteworthy lineage on the diamond. His paternal grandfather and father both pitched, and his older brother pitched in the Italian Baseball League and later played infield in Curaçao. Additionally, his mother was a Dutch national softball player.

As a major leaguer, Gregorius has reached the 20-home run mark in three straight seasons from 2016 to 2018. Representing the Netherlands, Gregorius — like Xander Bogaerts — received the Order of Orange-Nassau when the team won the 2011 Baseball World Cup.

Nicaragua: JC Ramírez

Age: 30 (born Aug. 16, 1988, in Managua, Nicaragua)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 5 seasons (2013, 2015-2018)

Teams: Philadelphia Phillies, Arizona Diamondbacks, Seattle Mariners, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels

Career stats: 139 G, 284.1 IP, 15-19 W-L, 204 K, 104 BB, 4.68 ERA

Bottom line: JC Ramirez recovered from Tommy John surgery and returned to the mound in August 2019 for the first time since 2018.

Used as a reliever in the early years of his career, the Angels converted him into a starter in 2017. He finished that season at 11-10. As a reliever, he appeared in a career-high 70 games in 2016, 43 of them for the Angels, who acquired him in midseason off waivers from Cincinnati.

He made just two starts in 2018 before tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. If he can stay healthy, he could have a lot of innings still left in his arm.

Panama: Johan Camargo

Age: 25 (born Dec. 13, 1993, in Panamá City, Panamá)

Position: Third base, shortstop, second base

Experience: 3 seasons (2017-present)

Teams: Atlanta Braves

Career stats: 300 G, .266 BA, 243 H, 27 HR, 129 RBI, .326 OBP, .428 SLG

Bottom line: Signed by the Braves as a 16-year-old in 2010, Johan Camargo made his professional debut two years later and worked his way up to the parent club at 23. Though he did not make the Opening Day roster, the Braves brought him up to the majors for the first time a short time later on April 11, 2017.

By May 2018, Camargo had become the Braves' starting third baseman. He saw his playing time reduced in the 2019 season, though, with the acquisition of Josh Donaldson.

Puerto Rico: Yadier Molina

Age: 37 (born July 13, 1982, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico)

Position: Catcher

Experience: 16 seasons (2004-present)

Teams: St. Louis Cardinals

Career stats: 1,941 G, .282 BA, 1,918 H, 150 HR, 895 RBI, .333 OBP, .404 SLG

Bottom line: One of the finest defensive catchers in baseball history, Yadier Molina already boasts nine Gold Glove awards, nine All-Star selections and a major league record for games caught for one team. Offensively, he collected a Silver Slugger in 2013.

A key part of two World Series championship teams (2006, 2011), Molina also has represented Puerto Rico in four World Baseball Classics with silver medals in 2013 and 2017.

As he approaches 2,000 career hits, Molina's Hall of Fame case keeps improving.

South Korea: Hyun-Jin Ryu

Age: 32 (born March 25, 1987, in Incheon, South Korea)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 6 seasons (2013-14, 2016-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers

Career stats: 118 G, 693.1 IP, 51-30 W-L, 619 K, 156 BB, 2.87 ERA

Bottom line: With a combination of a cutter and changeup that some have called nearly unhittable, Hyun-Jin Ryu seems to have hit his full stride as a major league pitcher. He was named to the National League starter for the 2019 All-Star Game in Cleveland and leads the league with a sub-2.00 ERA.

Originally launching his professional career in his native country in 2006, Ryu has combined for more than 1,800 strikeouts between his time in with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO and the Dodgers. The shoulder problems that sidelined him for all of 2015 are a distant memory.

United States: Mike Trout

Age: 28 (born Aug. 7, 1991, in Vineland, New Jersey)

Position: Center field

Experience: 9 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels

Career stats: 1,173 G, .306 BA, 1,301 H, 278 HR, 737 RBI, .419 OBP, .582 SLG

Bottom line: Hall of Fame eligibility rules require a player to complete 10 major league seasons to merit consideration for induction. Though Trout has yet to play the required number of seasons, it’s safe to say his career trajectory points to Cooperstown.

Through seven full seasons, he already has won AL Rookie of the Year (2012), two AL MVP awards, finished second in the MVP voting four other times and fourth once. He has led the league in runs four times and in walks, on-base percentage and OPS three times each.

U.S. Virgin Islands: Jharel Cotton

Age: 27 (born Jan. 19, 1992, in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands)

Position: Pitcher

Experience: 2 seasons (2016-17)

Teams: Oakland Athletics

Career stats: 29 G, 158.1 IP, 11-10 W-L, 128 K, 57 BB, 4.95 ERA

Bottom line: Originally in the Dodgers' organization, Jharel Cotton came to the A's as a prospect in the 2016 trade that sent Rich Hill and Josh Reddick to Los Angeles. Cotton made his major league debut later that year, going 2-0 in five starts as a September call-up.

Afterward, he ran into misfortune. He missed the entire 2018 season after Tommy John surgery and began the 2019 season on the 60-day disabled list.

His return to big league action was delayed further after undergoing surgery on his right hamstring in June.

Venezuela: Miguel Cabrera

Age: 36 (born April 18, 1983, in Maracay, Venezuela)

Position: First base, third base, left field, designated hitter

Experience: 17 seasons (2003-present)

Teams: Florida Marlins, Detroit Tigers

Career stats: 2,364 G, .315 BA, 2,780 H, 472 HR, 1,678 RBI, .393 OBP, .544 SLG

Bottom line: Since debuting as a 20-year-old for the 2003 World Series champion Marlins, "Miggy" has enjoyed an astounding career that includes more than 1,000 extra-base hits, seven Silver Slugger awards, 11 All-Star selections, four batting titles, consecutive MVP awards in 2012 and 2013, and a Triple Crown.

Internationally, he has represented Venezuela in four World Baseball Classic tournaments.

After a frustrating, injury-filled 2018 season, Miguel Cabrera has bounced back in 2019 despite reduced power numbers.