MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation

The Foundation funds various programs aimed at training and recognizing coaches, grants for youth baseball academies, programs for players and former players who desire to work closely with youth baseball in their home communities; programs to provide elite player development opportunities to baseball prospects from minority and underserved backgrounds; and provides broader access to programs that are part of Major League Baseball's "Play Ball" initiative, which aims to encourage participation in both traditional and casual styles of play, highlighting baseball in all forms to people of all ages, especially youth, by showing the many ways to engage in and enjoy baseball and/or softball with an emphasis on fun and casual play. The Breakthrough Series (BTS) provides a cost-free showcase for participants and is an instructional setting where some of the top prospects showcase their skills for scouts and college recruiters, all while receiving several industry insight seminars from current, former players and executives. The event serves many inner-city youth, but also focuses on showcasing the top African-American players in the country, dispelling the recent sentiment the game is dwindling within the demographic. Going forward, BTS has been expanded to include softball and girls baseball. The Softball Elite Development Invitational (EDI) is provided to approximately 90 high school softball players (18 and under) with diverse backgrounds, and is a one-week program geared toward providing elite training and instruction opportunities from former Olympians and members of the USA Softball National Team. Players are selected by a combination of the following groups: MLB Youth Academy network, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, Major League Baseball, and individual active and former players.