Breakthrough Series continues to empower next generation of stars

The 2025 Baseball Breakthrough Series, hosted at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla., begins this weekend -- marking the first of many MLB Develops programs scheduled throughout the summer season.

Approximately 80 diverse, elite-level, high school-aged players from across 20 states all received an invitation to the exclusive event, which first started in 2008 and is lauded as one of MLB Develops’ signature events.

The Breakthrough Series is a joint effort between Major League Baseball and USA Baseball. During the series, participants receive hands-on instruction and mentorship from former Major League players, managers and coaches.

Del Matthews, MLB’s senior vice president of baseball development, heads up coordination of the entire event. Approaching nearly a decade with MLB, he has seen the growth of the Breakthrough Series and its participants first-hand.

"When you look at the development arc of the players that have come through the system, the on-field coaching staff and all of the former MLB players that come back to contribute to this program, it means a great deal, and we're starting to see the fruits of our labor,” Matthews said.

The Breakthrough players are selected from the 2026 and '27 graduating classes and represent a variety of baseball programs affiliated with Major League Baseball, including MLB Youth Academies and the NIKE-sponsored Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.

The program primarily focuses on developing invited players, on and off the field, through pro-style coaching, mentorship seminars, live gameplay, scouting evaluations and video analysis, all at the highest levels of youth baseball development.

“We are mentoring these kids on the field, and we're mentoring them off the field,” Matthews said. “We are telling them how important it is to continue their education, how important it is to be leaders in their community.”

Through this program, players become part of the MLB and USA Baseball diversity and development pipeline, which includes the Breakthrough Series program, as well as the DREAM Series and Elite Development Invitational, among others.

These are additional MLB development and instructional opportunities that eligible players can take advantage of throughout the year, all in the pursuit of making it to the next level of competition.

These opportunities represent what Matthews and others around MLB hope will grow the game from within and change it for the better.

“We're looking to double down and hopefully influence more kids that are going to be the next generation of players that are charged with leading our game,” Matthews said.

Notable Breakthrough Series alumni who are part of Major League rosters this year include Taj Bradley (Rays), Lawrence Butler (A's), Josiah Gray (Nationals), Michael Harris II (Braves), Ke’Bryan Hayes (Pirates) and Kumar Rocker (Rangers).

“They are truly student-athletes, and whether they decide to go to college or they have the opportunity to turn pro, it's good to see how comfortable they are … because of what they've been able to do here at the Breakthrough Series,” Matthews said.