Dominican Republic: Baseball Capital

Jared Hopkins:

“I want to play in the major leagues, of course,” he said, his face curving into a smile to show braces. “I am passionate about the game. I am focused.”

Can Paulino reach his goal? He’s certainly in the right country to get there.

The Dominican Republic delivers more talent to the major leagues than any other country besides the United States. Kids here are four times more likely than their American counterparts to reach the major leagues. Dominicans make up between 25 and 40 percent of minor leaguers.

“It’s the second-most-prolific country of baseball talent in the world,” said Kim Ng, Major League Baseball‘s senior vice president in charge of international operations. “The Dominican’s tremendously important and that’s why we just opened a brand-new office down there.”

The sport thrives here because of the talent — kids regularly drop out of school to play — and the environment that hastens its development. Money pumps in from the United States, thanks to major league teams and private investors who open academies. And success is still tied to the reluctant, rocky relationship between MLB and a network of independent Dominican scouts who train players, known locally as buscones.