The MLB is my favorite sport. However, I've become engulfed by the World Cup recently. Let's combine the two.

 

🇲🇽 Mexico: Fernando Valenzuela 🇲🇽

Valenzuela immediately broke on to the scene in his rookie campaign, winning not only the Rookie of the Year, but the Cy Young and a World Series ring as well.

Career Stats: 173-153, 3.54 ERA, 2074 K

 

🇰🇷 South Korea: Shin-Soo Choo 🇰🇷

Choo was a consistently solid hitter throughout a 16 year career, hitting 20+ homers 7 times and seeing a batting average under .259 only 3 times. After 14 years, he finally made his first All-Star Game in 2018.

Career Stats: .275 AVG, 218 HR, 782 RBI, .824 OPS

 

🇿🇦 South Africa: Tayler Scott 🇿🇦

While certainly not a very good player, Scott has played for 8 teams in only 4 years in the majors. Immaculate Grid legend.

Career Stats: 8-6, 5.51 ERA, 139 K

 

🇨🇦 Canada: Joey Votto 🇨🇦

Very tough choice here. Ferguson Jenkins was an incredible pitcher, winning a Cy Young award. Hall of Famer. Larry Walker is a Hall of Famer. And I'm sure Votto will be too when he's eligible. Freddie Freeman could take this crown by the time he retires. Votto though was a 6 time All-Star and won an MVP in 2010.

Career Stats: .294 AVG, 356 HR, 1144 RBI, .920 OPS

 

🇨🇭 Switzerland: Otto Hess 🇨🇭

The easiest choice so far. (He's the only Swiss-born player in MLB history). Don't get me wrong though, he had a solid career. He played a big part in the 1914 Boston Braves miracle run and won 20 games with a 1.84 ERA in 1906.

Career Stats: 70-90, 2.98 ERA, 580 K

 

🇧🇷 Brazil: Yan Gomes 🇧🇷

A 1x All-Star and 1x Silver Slugger, and 2019 World Series champion, Gomes was a solid catcher in MLB for 13 years.

Career Stats: .246 AVG, 137 HR, 517 RBI, .706 OPS

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland: Bobby Thomson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Thomson is known for one moment: The Shot Heard 'Round the World. In 1951, Thomson hit a walk-off 3 run homer that won the pennant for the Giants

Career Stats: .270 AVG, 264 HR, 1026 RBI, .794 OPS

 

🇭🇹 Haiti: Juan Pierre 🇭🇹

While Pierre was born in the USA, both of his parents are of Haitian descent. Pierre had absolutely zero power in his bat but was a great contact hitter and stole a ton of bases, including an impressive 65 during the Marlins 2003 championship season.

Career Stats: .295 AVG, 18 HR, 517 RBI, .704 OPS, 614 SB

 

🇺🇸 USA: Barry Bonds 🇺🇸

This one really is just tough. So many great options for the USA. I usually discount guys a ton for steroid use, but Bonds was already the best player in the MLB before he used them. Purely the most intimidating hitter in baseball history, no one matched his power.

Career Stats: .298 AVG, 762 HR, 1996 RBI, 1.051 OPS

 

🇦🇺 Australia: Liam Hendriks 🇦🇺

Hendriks, before suffering from cancer, was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball. He was an All-Star every year of 2019-22 (no 2020 ASG) and won AL Reliever of the Year in '21 and '22.

Career Stats: 116 SV, 3.82 ERA, 749 K

 

🇩🇪 Germany: Max Kepler 🇩🇪

While Max Kepler holds it now, Brendan Donovan is sure to surpass him if he continues to play as well as he has recently.

Career Stats: .235 AVG, 179 HR, 560 RBI, .741 OPS

 

🇨🇼 Curacao: Andruw Jones 🇨🇼

Easiest choice for a country with multiple players. A Hall of Famer, 5x All-Star, and 10x Gold Glover. Kenley Jansen is also one of the best relief pitchers of all time, you could make a serious argument for him. But if Ceddanne Rafaela even becomes half the player Jones was, I'll be thrilled.

Career Stats: .254 AVG, 434 HR, 1289 RBI, 823 OPS

 

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Bert Blyleven 🇳🇱

As a Hall of Fame pitcher, 2x All-Star, and 2x World Series champ, you wonder how no other Dutch player ever made it to the MLB. Their Caribbean colonies have carried the Dutch baseball skill.

Career Stats: 287-250, 3.31 ERA, 3701 K

 

🇸🇪 Sweden: Eric Erickson 🇸🇪

Absolutely legendary name. Unfortunately not as legendary of a career. Still a solid pitcher in the 1910s.

Career Stats: 34-57, 3.85 ERA, 367 K

 

🇯🇵 Japan: Shohei Ohtani 🇯🇵

Not only is Ohtani easily the best Japanese player ever, when he retires, he will be the best MLB player ever. A two-way player, 4x MVP, Rookie of the Year, 2x World Series champ, and he's only 31.

Career Stats: .282 AVG, 295 HR, 711 RBI, .957 OPS, 46-22, 2.81 ERA, 748 K

 

🇮🇷 Iran: Yu Darvish 🇮🇷

Very much stretching things here, only Darvish's father was Iranian. But did feel like Darvish deserves a good shout here. 5x All-Star who's been balling out since 2012, don't think the guy gets enough respect for the longevity and great pitching he's had in his career.

Career Stats: 115-93, 3.65 ERA, 2075 K

 

🇧🇪 Belgium: Brian Lesher 🇩🇪

Lesher certainly wasn't anything special in his MLB career, but if you need help with the A's, Mariners, and Blue Jays on Immaculate Grid he can help you out.

Career Stats: .224 AVG, 9 HR, 38 RBI, .655 OPS

 

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia: Alex Wilson 🇸🇦

Wilson had a very up and down MLB career, with no real accolades, but still good seasons in 2014 and 2015.

Career Stats: 14-14, 3.44 ERA, 226 K

 

🇪🇸 Spain: Al Pardo 🇪🇸

I'll let Google AI Overview take this one: (Born in Oviedo, 1985-1989) - A catcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies. He holds the record for the most home runs by a Spanish-born player, hitting 1 in his career.

Career Stats: .132 AVG, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .322 OPS

 

🇨🇻 Cape Verde: Davey Lopes 🇨🇻

Lopes' father was of Cape Verdean descent, Lopes was the first player of Cape Verdean descent to play in the MLB. And he had a very solid career, with 4 All-Star selections, a World Series, and a Gold Glove. He was also a manager for a few years late after his career.

Career Stats: .263 AVG, 155 HR, 614 RBI, .737 OPS

 

🇳🇴 Norway: John Anderson 🇳🇴

"Honest John" built a very solid 15 year career, leading the National League in triples and slugging percentage in 1898 and stolen bases in 1906.

Career Stats: .290 AVG, 50 HR, 978 RBI, .734 OPS, 338 SB

 

🇫🇷 France: Bruce Bochy 🇫🇷

While Bochy's playing career wasn't all that special, he had one of the greatest managerial careers of all time, winning 1 Manager of the Year and 4 World Series.

Career Stats: .239 AVG, 26 HR, 93 RBI, .685 OPS

 

🇦🇹 Austria: Dutch Ulrich 🇦🇹

Ulrich pitched only 3 years in the MLB, but was 23rd in MVP voting in 1927.

Career Stats: 19-27, 3.48 ERA, 123 K

🇨🇴 Colombia: Edgar Renteria 🇨🇴

Now we're talking. Some very solid MLB players out of Colombia, including Renteria, Jose Quintana, and Orlando Cabrera. Renteria was a 5x All-Star, 2x World Series champ, 1x World Series MVP, 2x Gold Glover, and 3x Silver Slugger.

Career Stats: .286 AVG, 140 HR, 923 RBI, .741 OPS

 

🇵🇹 Portugal: Dustin Pedroia 🇵🇹

While born in the USA, Pedey is of Swiss-Italian and Portuguese descent. MVP. Rookie of the Year. 4x All-Star, 3x World Series champ, 4x Gold Glover, 2x Silver Slugger. Should be a Hall of Famer. Hate to let my personal bias get in here, but genuinely, fuck you Manny Machado. There will never be an MLB player I hate more than Manny Machado.

Career Stats: .299 AVG, 140 HR, 725 RBI, .805 OPS

 

Side Note: There's a player named Mark Portugal who's of Portuguese descent. Shoutout Mark Portugal.

 

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Jim McCormick 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

If you went really deep through the family trees, you could put Ted Williams, Mike Trout, or Nolan Ryan here. But let's focus on the true Englishmen. While born in Scotland, he was of English descent and grew up in England.

Career Stats: 265-214, 2.43 ERA, 1704 K

 

🇬🇭 Ghana: Akil Baddoo 🇬🇭

Baddoo's father is Ghanian, so we'll count him here. Baddoo absolutely broke on to the scene in his rookie year, but slowed down fast and ended up being a bust. Reminds me exactly of Red Sox legend Michael Chavis, and Aristedes Aquino. Man rookie year Aristedes Aquino was special.

Career Stats: .224 AVG, 28 HR, 104 RBI, .674 OPS

 

🇵🇦 Panama: Mariano Rivera 🇵🇦

Quick shoutout to Rod Carew, but this one is so obviously Mariano Rivera. By far the greatest relief pitcher in baseball history. The save record, has the American League Reliever of the Year named after him. 13x All-Star, 5x World Series champion, 1x World Series MVP, 5x Reliever of the Year, and 1x 2004 ALCS choker.

Career Stats: 652 SV, 2.21 ERA, 1173 K

 

🇭🇷 Croatia: Roger Maris 🇭🇷

Both of Maris' parents were from Croatia. Maris hit a legendary 61 home runs in 1961, an American League record that stood until Aaron Judge broke it in 2022. 7x All Star, 3x World Series champ, 1x Gold Glover, and 2x MVP.

Career Stats: .260 AVG, 275 HR, 850 RBI, .822 OPS

 

The Following Countries have no MLB Players:

Czechia 🇨🇿

Qatar 🇶🇦

Bosnia 🇧🇦

Morocco 🇲🇦

Paraguay 🇵🇾

Turkey 🇹🇷

Ivory Coast 🇨🇮

Ecuador 🇪🇨

New Zealand 🇳🇿

Tunisia 🇹🇳

Egypt 🇪🇬

Uruguay 🇺🇾

Iraq 🇮🇶

Argentina 🇦🇷

Senegal 🇸🇳

Jordan 🇯🇴

Algeria 🇩🇿

DR Congo 🇨🇩

Uzbekistan 🇺🇿

 

If there's any I missed, let me know. And for these countries that haven't seen a player yet, do we see one soon?