Bat Digest MLB Data
MLB Players by Country
A data-backed look at MLB players by country, tracking regular-season lineup share from 1986 through the 2026 season to date. It includes 2025 complete-season country percentages, 2026 season-to-date percentages, and historical birth-country trends based on MLB birth country.
MLB Nationality Trends Since 1986
The chart focuses on the largest non-USA birth countries so the international movement is readable. USA-born players remain the majority share every season and stay included in the full tables below.
Short Answer
In 2025, USA-born players made up 68.68% of MLB starting lineup spots. Dominican Republic ranked second at 10.06%, followed by Venezuela at 8.22%.
Historical backfill is still in progress. This generated file currently starts in 1986; completed older seasons will appear here after they are added and the site is rebuilt.
MLB Players by Country in 2025
The table below ranks countries by regular-season starting lineup spots. A lineup spot is one starting batter or starting pitcher appearance, so this is a playing-time-weighted view instead of a simple roster headcount.
| Rank | Country | Lineup Spots | MLB Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 33,432 | 68.68% |
| 2 | Dominican Republic | 4,898 | 10.06% |
| 3 | Venezuela | 4,000 | 8.22% |
| 4 | Cuba | 1,469 | 3.02% |
| 5 | Puerto Rico | 1,127 | 2.32% |
| 6 | Canada | 818 | 1.68% |
| 7 | Mexico | 565 | 1.16% |
| 8 | Japan | 535 | 1.10% |
| 9 | Curacao | 388 | 0.80% |
| 10 | Panama | 296 | 0.61% |
| 11 | Republic of Korea | 292 | 0.60% |
| 12 | Germany | 228 | 0.47% |
| 13 | Colombia | 147 | 0.30% |
| 14 | Aruba | 141 | 0.29% |
| 15 | Bahamas | 125 | 0.26% |
| 16 | Honduras | 104 | 0.21% |
| 17 | Australia | 63 | 0.13% |
| 18 | Peru | 32 | 0.07% |
| 19 | Italy | 11 | 0.02% |
| 20 | Taiwan | 9 | 0.02% |
2026 MLB Players by Country, Season to Date
This partial-season table updates weekly when new regular-season games are added. Use the complete 2025 table above for full-season comparisons.
| Rank | Country | Lineup Spots | MLB Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA | 9,880 | 69.68% |
| 2 | Dominican Republic | 1,265 | 8.92% |
| 3 | Venezuela | 1,135 | 8.00% |
| 4 | Cuba | 342 | 2.41% |
| 5 | Canada | 269 | 1.90% |
| 6 | Puerto Rico | 246 | 1.73% |
| 7 | Japan | 225 | 1.59% |
| 8 | Mexico | 196 | 1.38% |
| 9 | Panama | 143 | 1.01% |
| 10 | Curacao | 94 | 0.66% |
| 11 | Republic of Korea | 77 | 0.54% |
| 12 | Australia | 72 | 0.51% |
Historical Country Share Table
This table keeps USA included and compares each country's total lineup share, first-season share, and latest complete-season share.
| Country | 1986-2025 Spots | Total Share | 1986 Share | 2025 Share | Point Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | 1,347,190 | 73.45% | 86.71% | 68.68% | -18.03 pts |
| Dominican Republic | 162,206 | 8.84% | 4.91% | 10.06% | +5.15 pts |
| Venezuela | 111,748 | 6.09% | 1.70% | 8.22% | +6.52 pts |
| Puerto Rico | 74,087 | 4.04% | 3.41% | 2.32% | -1.09 pts |
| Cuba | 33,431 | 1.82% | 0.53% | 3.02% | +2.49 pts |
| Canada | 20,103 | 1.10% | 0.17% | 1.68% | +1.51 pts |
| Mexico | 14,383 | 0.78% | 0.56% | 1.16% | +0.60 pts |
| Japan | 13,508 | 0.74% | 0.00% | 1.10% | +1.10 pts |
| Panama | 9,695 | 0.53% | 0.42% | 0.61% | +0.19 pts |
| Colombia | 8,170 | 0.45% | 0.11% | 0.30% | +0.19 pts |
| Curacao | 8,019 | 0.44% | 0.00% | 0.80% | +0.80 pts |
| Jamaica | 3,840 | 0.21% | 0.37% | 0.00% | -0.37 pts |
| Republic of Korea | 3,828 | 0.21% | 0.00% | 0.60% | +0.60 pts |
| DOM | 3,222 | 0.18% | 0.00% | 0.00% | +0.00 pts |
| Germany | 2,785 | 0.15% | 0.00% | 0.47% | +0.47 pts |
| Nicaragua | 2,400 | 0.13% | 0.07% | 0.00% | -0.07 pts |
| Aruba | 2,186 | 0.12% | 0.00% | 0.29% | +0.29 pts |
| VEN | 1,856 | 0.10% | 0.00% | 0.00% | +0.00 pts |
| Australia | 1,742 | 0.09% | 0.02% | 0.13% | +0.11 pts |
| Netherlands | 1,350 | 0.07% | 0.09% | 0.00% | -0.09 pts |
Methodology: Birth Country vs. Nationality
For consistency, this report uses MLB's public birthCountry field.
That makes the table a country-of-birth report. It should not be read as a
passport, visa, citizenship, or national-team eligibility list.
The report counts regular-season starting batters and starting pitchers from MLB boxscores. If a player starts five games in a week, he contributes five lineup spots. This makes the percentage closer to on-field lineup share than a simple headcount.
Postseason, All-Star, exhibition, and spring training games are excluded so seasons remain comparable.
FAQ
Which country has the most MLB players?
The United States has the most MLB players by lineup share. In 2025, USA-born players accounted for 68.68% of regular-season starting lineup spots in this dataset.
Which international country sends the most MLB players?
Dominican Republic is the top international country in the current Bat Digest dataset, with 10.06% of 2025 regular-season starting lineup spots.
Why count lineup spots instead of roster spots?
Lineup spots show who actually started games. A static roster count can overstate players who were on a roster briefly and understate players who started regularly.
Does this include pitchers?
Yes. The dataset counts starting pitchers and starting batters, so each team normally contributes 10 lineup spots per game.
How often is this page updated?
Bat Digest updates and publishes this page weekly during the MLB regular season, after new completed games are available. Historical backfill seasons are added separately as they finish.