MLB signs ten year contract to grow baseball in China

MLB teams are always looking for the next proving grounds for top players. In the coming years, that hotbed of talent may come from China.

These days, there are few areas left untouched by MLB scouts. Players are coming from virtually all corners of the globe, as teams seek to find those undiscovered gems. We have seen Gift Ngoepe become the first major leaguer born on the continent of Africa. Dovydas Neverauskas became the first MLB player to hail from Lithuania. Teams are truly finding talent on every corner of the globe.

However, there are vast areas of the planet that have not yet seen major league talent. China, the most populous country, has yet to develop a major league player. In fact, until Gui Yuan Xu had signed with the Orioles in 2016, there had yet to be any Chinese players in professional baseball. Harry Kingman, who played for four games in 1914, is the only major leaguers to be born on the mainland of China, as his parents were missionaries from New York.

Major League Baseball is gambling that there are other players in China that could make an impact in the coming years. Back in December, they signed a ten year real estate deal with the Beijing Enterprises Real-Estate Group Limited to help develop baseball and build diamonds in the country. This move is designed to improve coaching and facilities in China, and hopefully lead to a new breeding ground of talent.

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Prior to this initiative, there have been other prospects. Since Xu had signed with the Orioles, Hai-Cheng Gong and Tibetan catcher Justin Qiang have also agreed to contracts with major league teams. However, neither player has yet to appear in a professional game, making Xu still the only Chinese player to appear as part of a major league organization.

This may change in the coming years. As more resources are sent to China to develop players and improve the facilities, more players may come stateside. In time, we may see the first Chinese player make their major league debut, a milestone showing the potential talent that could be had.

Next: Milestones within reach in 2018

Major League Baseball is gambling that there is plenty of untapped talent in China. Their ten year agreement to grow the sport may prove them to be correct.