Got a Connection to Dominican Baseball? Text Us on WhatsApp.

The Dominican Republic is the primary source of new players for Major League Baseball teams, with MLB signing more players from the Dominican than any other nation besides the United States. Baseball is deeply ingrained in Dominican culture, with children as young as four attending baseball fields for instruction. Many individuals in the Dominican have familial ties to the sport, whether through family members who aspire to become professional players or those who have previously played.

However, the industry practices can negatively impact young players and their families. Multiple trainers and players have reported that adolescents are subjected to intense performance pressures and are coerced into agreements with teams at earlier ages than their counterparts from other countries. ProPublica, an investigative journalism organization, plans to launch a WhatsApp line specifically for Dominican baseball-related inquiries.

By texting "baseball" to the number 1-917-207-6447, individuals can share their experiences and insights related to baseball in the Dominican. The organization is particularly interested in stories concerning financial, health, and educational aspects of the sport. ProPublica assures that they will handle all shared information with the utmost confidentiality and will only contact sources if they have further questions or wish to incorporate the information into their investigations.