Rookie Academy

For many years, teams from Major League Baseball have operated baseball academies in Latin American countries to develop talent outside of the MLB Amateur Draft. In 1985, a league was formed for players from those academies, the Dominican Summer League and 12 years later, the Venezuelan Summer League joined. All 30 MLB teams, as well as the Hiroshima Carp, presently have academies in South America. Additionally, after the end of the Mexican Center League, the Mexican League established an academy in Mexico to develop prospects.