Some of the best Major League Baseball (MLB) players come from Puerto Rico. These players have won multiple titles and are contenders for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Currently, there are over 30 Puerto Rican players in the league, carrying on the country’s legacy in the sport.
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From former player Roberto Clemente to Francisco Lindor and José Berríos, we look at the best Puerto Rican baseball players to have played in the league.
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Edwin Diaz
Edwin Diaz joins the list of the Puerto Rican baseball players in the MLB. He began playing the game when he was seven as a center field but his father persuaded him to take up the pitching role.
The Seattle Mariners drafted him in 2012, and debuted in their junior side in Minor League Baseball. He joined the senior side in 2016 and later played for the New York Mets. Diaz made it into the All-Star team twice and was voted the Reliever of the Year twice.
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Francisco Lindor
Francisco Lindor plays for the Cleveland Indians and the New York Mets. When he started playing the game, his father coached him. He enjoyed a good high school career and the Indians drafted him in the 2011 MLB draft.
The baseballer started his pro career with the Short-Season A New York-Penn League Mahoning Valley Scrappers. He featured in several other sides before the Indians bought out his contract in 2015. Lindor played for them until 2020, after which he joined the New York Mets. So far, he’s received this recognition:
- an All-Star player four times.
- Won the Gold Glove Award.
- Three Silver Slugger Awards
- Platinum Gold Award
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Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente was one of the best Puerto Rican baseball players of his time. He began playing in his neighborhood but was signed to play softball. He also participated in the javelin and high jump in high school.
Clemente’s professional baseball career started with the Cangrejeros de Santurce. He later joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in Minor League Baseball before he stepped up to the MLB.
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In the MLB, he spent his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates between 1955 and 1972. Clemente was a two-time World Series winner.
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Roberto Alomar
Roberto Alomar played baseball with his father and brother. His dad was a former player, so by the time he joined the professional ranks, Roberto understood the pressures of the game.
Just like his father, considered one of the best baseball players in his country, Alomar established himself and is one of Puerto Rico’s standout players. He played for several teams:
- San Diego Padres
- Toronto Blue Jays
- Baltimore Orioles
- Cleveland Indians
- New York Mets
- Chicago White Socks
- Arizona Diamondbacks
In 1992 and 1993, Alomar won the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. Other awards he won include the Gold Glove Award and the Silver Slugger Award.
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Yadier Molina
Molina was a one-man team. He played for the St. Louis Cardinals throughout his career between 2004 and 2022. He won the World Series twice and received other accolades including:
- Gold Glove Awards nine times.
- Silver Slugger Award.
- Roberto Clemente Award.
- All-Star player 10 times.
These are some of the best Puerto Rican baseball players who’ve graced the MLB. The Caribbean island and its love affair with the game continues and the successes of these players show why they are one of the best countries in the game.
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