Jackie Robinson Day is an occasion to celebrate the bridging of divides that occurred when Robinson debuted for the Dodgers on April 15, 1947. But the work on that bridge continues to this day, as the league and entire baseball ecosystem continue to strive for better representation for Black players.

While we continued to see strength in the overall diversity of the sport and there are many encouraging signs in the Black player pipeline, the percentage of Black players on MLB Opening Day rosters was essentially static this year – 6.0% in 2024, versus 6.2% in 2023.

That’s why MLB continues to create and promote programs intended to improve that number.

“You can’t stop trying to make progress in other areas,” said Tony Reagins, MLB’s Chief Baseball Development Officer, “because that progress will then impact those numbers eventually.”

Progress has definitely been made. Through MLB Develops programs such as the DREAM Series, the MLB Tour, the Breakthrough Series and the Hank Aaron Invitational, the league has been intentional and successful at identifying, empowering and showcasing young Black athletes who might have otherwise gone unseen or given up on the game prematurely.

• Unfiltered: A Discussion on Black voices in baseball

These programs have helped influence the amateur Draft, in which we’ve seen an increasing percentage of Black players selected – 12 of the top 100 in 2021, 13 of the top 100 in 2022 and 10 of the top 50 in 2023. And 13 of MLB Pipeline’s 2024 Top 100 MLB Draft prospects are Black.

“Our hope and our plan is to get those players that are in those programs in front of the right people,” Reagins said. “Get them in front of our scouts and college coaches and well-attended events like some of the high-profile showcases and tournaments. Because from what I’ve seen, some of these players that we are engaged with are as talented as a lot of the players in the country. It’s just that they don’t have the opportunities to be seen and to be scouted in certain situations. We’ve made an effort to make sure that happens.”

The Draft, in turn, has helped create an environment in which Black players made up 9.5% of players on the rosters for Spring Breakout, the prospect showcase that took place in Spring Training.

Of the 74 Black players on Spring Breakout rosters, 30 were alumni of MLB Develops.

“We hope the Spring Breakout rosters are a reflection of some of the work we’ve been doing in my area and in our baseball operations area and alongside other organizations,” Reagins said. “Some of that work is starting to bubble to the top.”

In addition to the 57 Black players on Opening Day rosters in MLB, another 27 Black players on 40-man rosters are currently in the Minor Leagues or have been called up since their clubs’ openers. And more than 26% of the Black players on Opening Day rosters are alumni of MLB programs, including academies, Develops events and RBI.

But there is still plenty of room for growth, and nowhere is that bigger than at the collegiate level. According to the NCAA’s demographics database, just 5% of players in college baseball are Black. And when you remove HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), the number is just 3%.

Considering roughly 75-80% of players taken in the MLB Draft in a given year come from the collegiate ranks, these numbers matter.

“Our participation rate [for Black players] in college is lower than the Major Leagues,” Reagins said. “So we need to broaden that pipeline and encourage more high school players to go to college. They may get drafted and not yet be ready for pro ball. Getting into the college space and developing their skills may be a path that can help us increase those numbers at the Major League level.”

MLB Develops has had more than 635 alumni go on to play college baseball, and approximately 90% of this group (570 players) is Black. But the schools themselves must do their part in terms of scouting and recruiting.

“When you start talking about the economics of college baseball versus the other sports, if players have opportunities to go to college and play baseball, they’re probably going to have to pay something out of pocket,” Reagins said. “If they play basketball or football, it’s gratis, full scholarships.”

That is an issue the baseball ecosystem – from youth leagues to travel leagues to high school leagues – must grapple with in attracting and enticing athletes. But with baseball participation nationwide at its highest level since 2008, thanks in part to the Play Ball program, there is reason to be encouraged.

“As we get further and further away from the pandemic timeframe, the more we’re going to see participation hopefully spike,” Reagins said. “We’re going to continue to focus on the entire country but, specifically, African-American communities and getting those young people opportunities to engage in our sport. That really starts with our Play Ball initiative, going into communities with the MLB Tour and continuing our relationships with the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association. All of those things are important.”

All told, 39.5% of players on Opening Day rosters came from diverse backgrounds – Latino/Hispanic (29.6%), Black (6.0%), Asian (3.4%), Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (0.3%) and Native American (0.2%).