Major League Baseball has extended its player agreement with Baseball Australia in a move local officials hope will pave the way for a growing number of big league prospects to feature in the ABL in coming seasons.
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The agreement, which has been extended for a further three years, has already seen 42 players go on to make their MLB debuts after playing in Australia over the last decade.
The 2020 Minor League Baseball season in North America has been cancelled, denying prospects development opportunities.
BA chief executive Cam Vale believes that situation has made Australia an even more attractive proposition after half of the 30 MLB organisations sent a total of 38 prospects Down Under last season.
"The reality is we could see a real bumper crop of affiliated talent in the ABL this summer," Vale said.
"This would really set a high bar for the league and presents plenty of competition for our local talent, including members of Team Australia preparing for the last-chance Olympic Qualifier."
The ABL is still working with MLB on COVID-19 protocols for players for the upcoming season.
It will also likely have to work within ongoing state government travel and quarantine regulations, as has been the case this year for other professional sports, including the AFL and NRL.
Australian pitcher and 2019 All-Star Liam Hendriks (Oakland Athletics) is among the big names to have played in the ABL before appearing in MLB.
The list also includes 2018 National League Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves) and three-time Gold Glove winner Kevin Kiermaier (Tampa Bay Rays).
Australian Associated Press