The MLB Draft is over, the All-Star Game is behind us, and all that’s left is three glorious (and steaming hot) months as we fly toward the World Series and next year’s World Baseball Classic. While we have the future on the brain, let’s look at nine notable international players who were selected at the MLB Draft.
Usually, players born outside the United States, Puerto Rico, and Canada are signed as amateur players, often as young as 16 years old – hence the international signing deadline every January. However, with many federations and programs looking to high school and college as a way for their players to both develop on the field, pick up high-end baseball skills and knowledge, and get an education, there are plenty of ballplayers from all over the world to be found in the MLB Draft.
Now, we won’t be doing any detective work, trying to figure out which players may have backgrounds from outside the U.S. or might be eligible for World Baseball Classic teams. Instead, we’ll simply be looking at birthplace.
With that longwinded preamble out of the way, here’s our list:
1. Charles Davalan - Canada
Pick 41, Los Angeles Dodgers
Entering his senior year of high school, Davalan’s family made the best choice for the young ballplayer’s career: They packed up their things from Montreal, Canada, and moved down to Florida so Davalan could focus on baseball.
The decision paid off: The 5-foot-9 infielder-turned-outfielder’s senior high school season attracted scouts and earned him a spot at FGCU. He then transferred to Arkansas where he hit .346/.433/.561 as a do-it-all top-of-the-lineup threat. I spoke to Davalan before the Draft, where he compared his game to Corbin Carroll’s. He also noted that while he has never represented Canada internationally before, it’s something he’s interested in the future.
2. Brent Iredale - Australia
Pick 203, Pittsburgh Pirates
Hailing from New South Wales in Australia, Iredale could be the next big Aussie star after Travis Bazzana went first overall last year. Iredale first broke out at New Mexico Junior College before making a star turn at Arkansas alongside Davalan this past season. Blessed with some of the highest exit velos in the Draft, Iredale’s bat would look mighty nice in a big league lineup one day.
Iredale wasn’t the only Australian selected: Kailen Hamson, out of the University of the Cumberlands, was taken by the Orioles in the eighth round.
3. Gustavo Melendez - Puerto Rico
Pick 113, Pittsburgh Pirates
Puerto Rico is famed for its shortstops, with Francisco Lindor, Carlos Correa and -- until he moved to center field and picked up a 2025 All-Star selection -- Javier Báez all lining up at the six for big league clubs. The pipeline has dried up recently, but as reported by MLB Pipeline, Melendez might change that, with the “chance to be the best shortstop to come from the island since [Edwin] Arroyo was selected by the Mariners in Round 2 of the 2021 Draft.”
4. Tyriq Kemp - Netherlands
Pick 188, Kansas City Royals
After playing for two seasons at Western Oklahoma State College, Kemp transferred to Baylor for the past two years. He finished his senior season with a .358 average and seven home runs, earning All-Big 12 First Team and the 2025 ABCA/Rawlings All-Central Region First Team honors. He’s already appeared at the U-18 and U-23 level for the Netherlands, while his older brother, Dwayne, has been a mainstay on the Netherlands national team and in Holland’s Honkbal Hoofdklasse.
5. Wallace Clark - Great Britain
Pick 273, Arizona Diamondbacks
Born in London, Clark could be Team GB’s shortstop of the future. After a strong showing in the Cape Cod League in 2024, Clark took a step forward at Duke in his senior season. The infielder slashed .307/.478/.507 with nine home runs. Clark has already represented Great Britain in international play, too, hitting .280 with four RBIs and three doubles at the U-23 Baseball World Cup in ‘24.
6. Ryan Wideman - Spain
Pick 99, San Diego Padres
Only one player on Spain’s 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifier roster – pitcher Jorge Balboa – was born in Spain. Perhaps outfielder Ryan Wideman could double that number next time. The son of former Clemson basketball center Tom Wideman, Ryan was born in Spain while his father was playing basketball professionally overseas. The Conference USA player of the year, Wideman is considered “one of the toolsiest and more physical college players” taken in the Draft.
7. Micah Bucknam - New Zealand / Canada
Pick 112, Toronto Blue Jays
Bucknam now joins Phillies prospects Kyle Glogoski and Nikau Pouaka-Grego as the only New Zealand-born players in affiliated baseball. But Bucknam is an interesting case: While he was born in New Zealand, he grew up in British Columbia, Canada. Drafted by the Blue Jays as a 16th-round pick in 2022, the team snagged him again in the fourth round this time around. A hard-throwing power pitcher, Bucknam’s best pitch is a slider that sits 85-88 mph, but can reach 91.
8. Will Hynes - Canada
Pick 70, Cleveland Guardians
It was a strong Draft for Canadians as Will Hynes becomes the latest Ontario-native plucked out of high school. He performed well for the Junior National Team in April before a strong senior high school season elevated him in the Draft. He throws his fastball 94-95 mph and his “high-spin slider will register 2,700 rpm and elicits good swing-and-miss.”
9. Itsuki Takemoto
Pick 560, Athletics
Takemoto was listed as a pitcher when he was selected, but was a two-way player throughout his career at the University of Hawaii. Takemoto posted a 5.15 ERA across two seasons in Hawaii, striking out nearly a batter per inning along the way, while slashing .263/.311/.343 at the plate.
He’s already found a fair amount of success in Japan: Takemoto’s high school team won the famous Summer Koshien -- arguably the biggest sporting event in Japan -- in 2021.
