By Gabriel Fidler. The New York Mets have dipped into the European baseball market for the first time in a decade, signing Italian Matteo Marelli to a minor league contract. The right-handed…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: Mid-July 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed 5 July 2025. It seems like an opportune time to check in on the Africans in the minors, as the major and minor league all-star breaks provide an overt…
Europeans in the Majors & Minors: July 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed July 19, 2025 French baseball headlines Europe in this edition, as first baseman Jordan Ouanyou signs and debuts in the Cincinnati Reds system, while Mathias LaCombe earns a promotion…
Dutch, British Players Picked in MLB Draft
Three players with European connections heard their names during Monday’s MLB Draft, with the Netherlands’ Tyriq Kemp and Great Britain’s Jamie Quinn-Irons and Wallace Clark all chosen by big league teams in…
Hunter Pence Hosts Because Baseball, MLB PLAY BALL Weekend in Cairo
For eight years, baseball has been quietly taking off in Egypt, with an increasingly well-known cast of characters involved. Kemp Gouldin founded Because Baseball in the autumn of 2017 to use baseball…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: July 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed 5 July 2025. Allen Ajoti hit a home run in his first game of 2025, while Armstrong Muhoozi made his pro debut. Meanwhile, in full-season ball, David Matoma is…
France’s Ouanyou Signs with Cincinnati
One of MLB’s most active teams in Europe has struck again. The Cincinnati Reds have announced the signing of Jordan Ouanyou, a fast-rising French teenager. Ouanyou, a first baseman, will join the…
KBBSF-FRBBS and KNBSB Partners for 20th EBCA Convention
By Gabriel Fidler. The European Baseball Coaches Association (EBCA) has announced a pair of partnerships for the 20th EBCA Convention, scheduled for 7–9 November 2025 in Antwerp, Belgium. The Royal Belgian Baseball and Softball…
Happy Fourth of July!
To those of our readers in the United States, or Americans reading from Europe, we hope you have a very happy fourth of July, and one that includes the Grand Old Game!
EBCA Announces ABCA Member Partnership
Press release from the European Baseball Coaches Association. The European Baseball Coaches Association and the American Baseball Coaches Association have teamed up to offer something special — an EBCA–ABCA Joint Membership for just $75!…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: June 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed 5 June 2025. It was a busy month for Africans in the U.S. professional ranks. Allen Ajoti hit a home run in his first game of 2025, while Armstrong…
Europeans in the Majors & Minors: June 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed June 5, 2025. The two headlines from this monthly update both come out of Italy –- one at the top of the list and one at the bottom. Samuel…
Dutch Catcher Pieternella Signs with Jays
By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor. The Blue Jays have dipped into the European market again, this time landing Keegan Pieternella, a rising star from the Netherlands and the catcher for its Under-18…
Blue Jays Ink Italy’s Taschin
By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor. The Toronto Blue Jays have signed one of Italy’s top young pitchers, Giacomo Taschin, with the left-handed pitcher becoming the latest of a series of Italians to…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: May 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed 11 May 2025. The number of Africans playing for MLB organizations has remained fairly steady of the last two decades, but this year marks a continued shift in the…
Europeans in the Majors & Minors: May 2025 Update
By DZ. Filed May 9, 2024. After finishing 2024 with a slate of promotions, the state of Europeans in MLB organizations continues to look bright as the 2025 minor league season commences,…
Phillies Sign Two Italian Pitchers
By Gabriel Fidler, Managing Editor. It was quite a summer to remember for Italian baseball, with Samuel Aldegheri making his major league debut and its national squad winning the Under-18 European Championship….
A Dutch State of Play, Part V: A Hank in Holland
By Jason Daniels. The Dutch have a way with athletics – and their culture at large: they get a deep squeeze out of their talents, cherish consensus, and maximize precious resources. Such…
A Dutch State of Play, Part IV: Island Strength
By Jason Daniels. The Dutch have a way with athletics – and their culture at large: they get a deep squeeze out of their talents, cherish consensus, and maximize precious resources. Such…
A Dutch State of Play, Part III: Dutch Engine
By Jason Daniels. The Dutch have a way with athletics – and their culture at large: they get a deep squeeze out of their talents, cherish consensus, and maximize precious resources. Such…
A Dutch State of Play, Part II: Polder Work
By Jason Daniels. The Dutch have a way with athletics – and their culture at large: they get a deep squeeze out of their talents, cherish consensus, and maximize precious resources. Such…
A Dutch State of Play, Part I: Making Sense of Europe’s Top Baseball Power
By Jason Daniels. The Dutch have a way with athletics – and their culture at large: they get a deep squeeze out of their talents, cherish consensus, and maximize precious resources. Such…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: Final 2024 Update
By DZ, with additional reporting by Gabriel Fidler. Filed Sept. 23, 2024. The season ended with only three Africans in major league organisations, but two of those have made particular marks over…
Europeans in the Majors & Minors: Final 2024 Update
By DZ. Filed Sept. 23, 2024. The final month of the minor league season can be summed up in one word for Europeans playing in affiliated baseball in the U.S.: PROMOTIONS! In…
Africans in the Majors & Minors: August Update
By DZ, with additional reporting by Gabriel Fidler. Filed Aug. 25, 2024. The surging Astros look to be playoff-bound, and South Africa’s Tayler Scott will play a crucial role in the push…