In its push for more Black US players, MLB hopes results are on the horizon from grassroots efforts

By DAVID BRANDT
AP Baseball Writer

PHOENIX (AP) — The percentage of Black players in Major League Baseball has been on the decline for decades, but prospects at MLB’s Draft Combine this week think that may soon change. Several highly touted Black players are hoping to become the next Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts or Andrew McCutchen. A recent study from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida found Black players represented just 6.2% of players on MLB opening day rosters, down from last year’s previous record low of 7.2%. But four of the first five players picked in last summer’s amateur draft were Black for the first time. Black catching prospect Zion Rose says “we’re starting to come through.”