Orioles Boss Says Their New Dominican Academy Ensures Increased Future Success

With an increased footprint in the Latin American market, the Baltimore Orioles have ensured they'll continue to develop talent in their pipeline for years to come.

As the game of baseball became more global, teams who didn't have a footprint in international markets to sign top players around the world were at a major disadvantage.

Baltimore Orioles general manager, Mike Elias, made a push to ensure they wouldn't be one of those teams affected by not scouting international talent.

He hired Koby Perez as senior director of international scouting in 2019 with the aim of creating a larger footprint in Latin America.

On Jan. 17, 2024, the Orioles officially opened their training academy in the Dominican Republic. It's a state-of-the-art 22.5-acre complex that is a facility to develop Caribbean, Central, and South American players.

Elias knows how important this is to the franchise.

"This grand opening marks another major milestone in scouting and player development that will keep our minor league pipeline flowing and preserve winning baseball in Baltimore for years to come," he said in a statement.

During Elias' tenure, the franchise has been able to identify and develop elite talent that has put them in the position they are in right now.

The future is bright.

But the natural inclination is to wonder what things will look like once Baltimore continues to win and isn't selecting at the top of the draft for years to come.

This academy will help keep the pipeline strong.

Perez talked about how this new facility will not only develop their Latin American players, but will also attract some of the top international prospects as well.

And according to Roch Kubatko of MASN, this has other teams in the MLB nervous.

"Positive reviews from outside the organization already are pouring in, and I’ve heard that teams are disappointed to see the Orioles in their current form because they never factored into the Dominican bidding," he writes.

The Orioles are now a factor in the international market, something they have not historically been under the ownership of Peter Angelos.

This new facility now gives Baltimore an edge in a market that continues to produce elite Major League talent year after year.