SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- “If you're good, there is a scout somewhere that is watching and they're looking to find that next great talent.”

A similar sentiment has often been espoused at all levels of the game for players waiting to break through with an opportunity to showcase their talent. David Eckstein, the 2006 World Series MVP and longtime Major League infielder, offered the above words of advice during Monday’s pro day of the MLB International College Showcase Tour.

Eckstein served as one of many on-hand instructors as 30 college-aged players from eight different countries descended upon Salt River Fields at Talking Stick trying to prove their mettle to both college and pro scouts. The group got to show off its skill set in a variety of ways over a two-week span, including in scrimmages against local junior college clubs and a big league organization’s instructional league squad and the pro day featuring 60-yard dash times and rounds of batting practice.

“I've been around some of the other coaches that have been here for quite a couple of years now, and by far, the talent level has gotten so much better,” Eckstein said. “What they're doing in these MLB programs across the world, they're getting better. The talent level from last year to this year, it's so exciting and I think that's the biggest thing -- they're taking the next step too.”

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Getting 1-on-1 advice in the cages and on the field from the likes of Eckstein, Jeff Conine and other former Major Leaguers is a step up the developmental ladder, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for players with burgeoning talent.

In 2018, a 16-year-old Australian arrived for the event and took in the sights, sounds and lessons. In 2024, that player, Travis Bazzana, was selected with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft.

“Baseball has its own language,” Bazzana said during his time on the tour. This year’s group consisted of players from Australia, Brazil, Curaçao, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Netherlands and Spain, all of whom got to bond under the camaraderie of cleats on dirt and the crack of the bat.

Ten players selected for this year’s showcase event hail from Australia, far and away the highest number of participants. The country saw something of a baseball boom in early 2023 when the national team advanced out of Pool B in the World Baseball Classic, while Bazzana emerged as one of the premier collegiate talents at Oregon State. Under 18 months later, Bazzana made history by becoming the first player from his home country selected in the first round.

“Seeing as Travis Bazzana went No. 1 [in the Draft out of] Australia, it's just huge for our country and hopefully it can grow the sport,” said Luke Donaghey, an 18-year-old outfielder from Australia.

Baseball has long been a global game, but the recent influx of fans and players from countries not known for pumping out big league talent has reinforced the point. In 2017, Gift Ngoepe became the first player from South Africa -- and the entire African continent -- to debut in the big leagues. He has stayed in the dugout since his playing days ended, currently serving as the manager of the D-backs’ Rookie-level Arizona Complex League club.

“My advice for the kids would be patience and enjoy baseball,” said Ngoepe, who signed with the Pirates as an 18-year-old in 2008. “There's gonna be some sacrifices along the way. But the most important thing is you’ve got to be mentally strong. … You go through so much on and off the field with baseball.”

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A member of MLB’s international camps, Ngoepe has walked the same path many of this year’s Showcase class hope to follow. While most have seen fellow countrymen go on to make history, Farid Cijntje hasn’t had to journey outside of his own family tree -- his cousin, Jurrangelo, was a first-round pick of Seattle in July, drawing global acclaim for his scintillating ability to pitch with both arms.

“He started from the bottom,” Farid said of the Dutch-born Jurrangelo. “So I learned a lot of things from him, like never give up, always do my best and remember where I came from.”

The 16-year-old Cijntje, one of two players in attendance at this year's event from Curaçao, was wowed by the facilities that the MLB-led tour provided. While there are gifted anomalies like Bazzana, the majority of players are ebullient about representing their countries on a grander stage in any capacity.

“It's very exciting,” Ngoepe said. “I mean, knowing that there's guys traveling all around baseball and certain players from different countries have put those countries on the map. So now they're like, ‘OK, what more talent is out there?’”