Dubai, UAE (May 1, 2023) - Baseball United, the first-ever professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, announced today the formation of its inaugural Player Pool. The BU Player Pool will include roughly 200 professional baseball players from around the world selected by Baseball United’s baseball operations and executive teams for an opportunity to play in this November’s Dubai Showcase, as well as the league’s first full season in the fall of 2024. Players selected for the November Dubai Showcase will be chosen during Baseball United’s inaugural draft. The date of the draft will be announced next month.

Players in the pool will either have experience at the Major League Baseball level, Minor League Baseball level, or at one or more of the other top professional baseball leagues in the world, including the Nippon (Japan) Professional Baseball League (NPB), Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), The Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), The Mexican Baseball League (LMB), and other independent leagues worldwide. Several players in the pool also have international experience representing their nations in World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) tournaments, as well as at the Olympic games.

Baseball United will begin notifying players Monday, May 1st, and complete the Player Pool notifications by Thursday, May 4th.

“After more than a year of cross-continent work, and a lifetime of dreaming, our league now truly becomes real,” said Kash Shaikh, President, CEO, and Chairman of the Board, Baseball United, Inc. “Players are the foundation of any sports league, so the opportunity to begin signing them to Baseball United is an historic moment for us, and an exciting milestone for international baseball. The 200 players who are selected as part of our inaugural player pool have an elite mix of talent, experience, potential, and character, and we are honored to build with them. This important step in BU’s growth is a testament to our incredible Baseball Operations team, led by Executive Vice President, John Miedriech, and Vice President, Eddie Diaz.”

Baseball United begins play with its Dubai Showcase this November, which will feature the league’s first four franchises and several baseball, brand, and government partners. The Middle East and Indian Subcontinent is the epicenter of Bat and Ball sports, with more than one billion cricket fans, and tens of millions of avid baseball fans. Baseball United players will have the opportunity to become the next generation of sports heroes within the region.

Each of the four BU franchises will have a roster of 20 players for the Showcase, including eight pitchers and 13 position players. Sixty-four of those players will be selected from the Player Pool during the Baseball United Draft later this year, with the criteria for the remaining roster spots announced later this month.

Baseball United international scouting department evaluated thousands of players from more than 30 countries before finalizing the Player Pool.

“Every player that is a part of our inaugural Player Pool is a part of history,” said Miedreich. “These men have performed at the highest levels and on the biggest stages, and now they have an opportunity to showcase their talent in one of the most amazing cities on earth. We’re proud to be able to offer players a chance to play the game they love, while working together to grow our league so they can soon make a living doing it.”

Specific player pool selections will be announced on social media over the next four days. Interested players can contact BU Baseball Operations at baseballunited.com.

About Baseball United
Baseball United is the first-ever professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent, beginning play November 2023 in Dubai, UAE. Our mission is to inspire one billion new fans to fall in love with baseball. The ownership group includes award-winning business leaders and inspiring baseball legends, including Mariano Rivera, Barry Larkin, Adrián Beltré, and Felix Hernandez. In addition to our professional league, the Baseball United ecosystem spans youth development, federation partnerships, media and content production, merchandise, and non-profit outreach. With over 30 nationalities represented on our team rosters and a new suite of entertainment-based game changes, Baseball United is working to create a new future for baseball in one of the fastest growing and most culturally rich regions in the world.

Media Contacts:
Allison Baker, VP BSB Group International – allison@bsbgroupintl.com, 513.607.0911