It takes money to do this, of course, but it also takes smarts. The Astros have built the best Venezuelan pipeline and open a new ballpark in 2000. The Red Sox have made great roads into Asia, although a new Fenway would help matters. Those three teams are best positioned to make a run at the Yankees in the next decade. International influence Besides the obvious Latin factor, we're already seeing a large influx of Japanese and Korean players reaching the major leagues.
Baseball is in a constant search for new talent bases.
Venezuela is the new Dominican Republic. The sport is gaining popularity in Australia. Yes, baseball is being played in China. Since baseball is popular in other Asian countries, there is a good chance it will grow in popularity in China as well. Besides, there are more than a billion people in China, so the odds of finding a number with the skills it takes to play baseball are good.