Former MLB players dominate inaugural draft for Dubai-based Baseball United

The Dubai-based Baseball United announced a star-studded lineup of the league’s first-ever Player Draft.

They named 80 players, with twenty picks for each of the league’s four founding franchises – Mumbai Cobras, Karachi Monarchs, and the league’s two UAE-based franchises, the Wolves and Falcons.

The inaugural draft was dominated by former Major League Baseball (MLB) players, with 91 per cent of the first four rounds, and 45 per cent of the overall draft selections, having played at the MLB level.

The draft included former New York Yankees stars Robinson Cano and Didi Gregorius – both drafted by the Wolves – and three-time World Series champion Pablo Sandoval, drafted by the Falcons.

Four-time MLB All-Star Bartolo Colon and four-time Gold Glove winner Andrelton Simmons were also among the top picks.

Of the 80 players drafted, 56 were originally drafted by MLB teams, with others playing in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball League (NPB), the Mexican League (LMB), the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League (LIDOM), and other high-level international leagues.

Texas native Karan Patel was drafted first overall, by the Mumbai Cobras. Patel was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2019 MLB Draft, making him the first player of Indian descent drafted to MLB. His father is from Mumbai.

“Each milestone is important when you’re building something from nothing,” said Kash Shaikh, chairman, CEO, and majority owner of Baseball United.

“The draft is our biggest thus far. Putting players on teams makes everything much more real for everyone involved. We now have 80 high-calibre, professional baseball players to help build the foundation of this league. “There’s a lot of diversity in this