Could Mexico City be a viable location for an expansion team? And why were the Giants chosen?
When Major League Baseball officials reached out to the 30 clubs about playing in the first-ever regular season games in Mexico City, the Giants rushed to the front of the line.
“There were a lot of teams who expressed interest, more so than we anticipated,” said MLB executive Chris Marniak, “but the Giants held their hand up from the beginning.”
They didn’t stop there. The Giants built a compelling argument to be one of the chosen teams.
“The Mexican fanbase is really important to our future,” Giants president Larry Baer said. “We want to show this isn’t just a one-time relationship. We want Giants fans in our region to know there’s a real connection.”
“We could have been doing a better job connecting with the Latin American and Hispanic community, here and abroad,” said Giants vice president Matt Valdez. “This is our opportunity to do so.”
To that end, the Giants sent Hunter Pence to Mexico City last month to engage with youth programs and help launch their bid to sponsor two youth teams in Liga Maya, a non-profit youth league in Mexico City. The Giants will pay two-year’s worth of expenses for two teams that feature 9-12 year-olds from low-income areas.
The Mexico City games Saturday and Sunday could be an early testing ground for expansion. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a desire to expand to 32 teams, frequently mentioning Mexico as a premier destination for “the long haul.”
Montreal, Las Vegas, Portland, Charlotte and Nashville have also been on Manfred’s list, but playing meaningful games in Mexico City could send a message about where the league’s priorities are focused.
With a population of almost 9 million, Mexico City has been an attractive option. MLB officials were floored by the interest in the World Baseball Classic after Mexico’s semifinal game with Japan in March was the most-watched WBC game in Mexican history. Social media engagement for the tournament was up 20%, said Marinak, who serves as chief operations and strategy officer for MLB.
Still, questions remain over the economic potential for a full season of games. Mexico City Reds owner Alfredo Harp, whose name adorns the ballpark in which the Giants and Padres are playing this weekend, has said that 81 home games is a “long challenge for the economy of Mexico.”
MLB agent Oscar Suarez, who has represented Armando Reynoso, Joakim Soria, Andrés Muñoz and other Mexican-born players who’ve made it to the big leagues, has similar concerns.
“There’s a lot of talent in Mexico,” Suarez said. “But can you expand into Mexico? You can expand an American football team because there are only eight home games. You can maybe get away with 40 NBA games. But 81 games in Mexico, will the population be able to support going to the ballpark on a daily basis?
“Secondly, you have the Mexican League down there, so what are you going to do, blow them off the map?”
The talent coming out of Mexico has unquestionably gotten better, with the 15 Mexican-born players on Opening Day rosters of MLB teams this year marking the highest total since 2005. Since Mel Almada became the first Mexican-born player to debut in the big leagues in 1933, Mexico has sent 146 players to the majors, including former Dodgers ace Fernando Venezuela and their current ace, Julio Urias.
It’s a country known for developing pitchers, though it’s had a harder time developing hitters. Vinny Castilla, who hit 330 homers over a 16-year career, is the only Mexican-born player with more than 130 home runs in the majors.
Suarez said it’s unfortunate that the Giants and Padres don’t have a single Mexican-born player on their active rosters. He sees it as a scouting problem.
MLB teams are “not scouting the country,” he said. “In my opinion, they’ve gotten lazy. They’re signing Mexican-American players… but American clubs really need to dig in and go scout the hell out of Mexico.”
