On Oct. 24, 2025, Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk became the first Mexican-born player to homer in the World Series. Despite our Southern neighbor’s proximity and that country’s clear love of the game, Mexico is the birthplace of surprisingly few MLB stars.
Outfielder Mel Almada in September 1933 became the first Mexican-born player to reach the majors. To this day, he holds the record for most runs scored in a doubleheader (9), set with the Washington Senators on July 25, 1937. The Senators swept that twin bill against Browns in St. Louis, winning 16-10 and 15-5.
Almada was no all-star but he had a decent major league career. He played from 1933 to 1939 for the Red Sox, Senators, Browns and Dodgers. He led the league in singles one season and was a leading base stealer during a decade in which stolen bases were out of favor. His 20 steals in 1935 ranked third in the league.
In June 1937, the Red Sox traded Almada with brothers Rick and Wes Ferrell to the Senators for Ben Chapman and Bobo Newsom. The next season, also in June, he was traded to the Browns for Sam West.
Almada had a .282 lifetime average, topping out at .311 in 1938 between Washington and St. Louis. He also reached base in 52 consecutive games with the Browns in 1938. Coinciding with that streak, he had hits in 54 of 56 games.
My 1991 Colon card
As of this past season, 152 Mexican-born players have appeared in the majors. Not one has made the Hall of Fame. In contrast, more than 900 players from the Dominican Republic, 500 from Venezuela, 400 each from Puerto Rico and Cuba have been big leaguers. Among them are Hall of Famers Roberto Clemente (Puerto Rico), Pedro Martinez (Dominican Republic), Tony Oliva (Cuba) and Luis Aparicio (Venezuela), among several others. The number continues to grow.
Even Canada, with its much shorter season, has sent 271 players to the majors. Two are Hall of Famers: Ferguson Jenkins and Larry Walker.
To emphasize how disproportionately small the number of Mexican-born players is, consider: Mexico is home to 129 million people. The Dominican Republic has a population of fewer than 10 million. The size of the four other countries that are ahead of Mexico: Venezuela (28.5 million people), Cuba (11 million), the U.S. commonwealth of Puerto Rico (3.5 million) and Canada (41 million).
Of course, the racial barrier that existed before 1947 kept all Latin Americans who were not white out of the major leagues. In fact, many American-born Black men played professionally in the Mexican leagues. That these leagues existed also meant opportunities were there to keep Mexican players in Mexico.
Still, it seems surprising that it took as long as it did for the first Mexican-born player to reach the majors. Even then, it was a player raised in the U.S. Although born in Sonora to a prominent family of Spanish decent, Almada grew up in Los Angeles. His father, a Mexican government diplomat, had moved the family there before Mel was two years old.
Baldomero Almada Quiros, Mel’s birth name, was acquired by the Red Sox after getting a tryout while his brother Lou was playing with Seattle in the Pacific Coast League in 1932. Mel, also known as Melo, had been a pitcher, but his minor league manager suggested he move to the outfield. The left-hand batting Almada had little power but was a good contact hitter and base-stealer, an excellent bunter and a solid centerfielder.
As a September call-up at the end of the 1933 season, he went 3-for-3 with two walks off Babe Ruth, the day the Bambino made the last of his token pitching appearances with the Yankees.
Almada’s big league career likely was hurt by a beaning in 1937 when he was with the Red Sox. He suffered a concussion. Once word got around the league that Almada was susceptible to high-and-tight pitches, he became a frequent target. At the time, Almada thought it was related to the discriminatory slurs he often endured.
Almada served in U.S. Army in World War II. He was inducted into the Mexican baseball hall of fame in 1971. He died at age 75 in 1988.
The late Fernando Valenzuela, the former Cy Young winner and rookie-of-the-year in 1981, is the best known Mexican-born player, but Kirk eventually could contend for that accolade. Kirk, who grew up in Tijuana, caught Valenzuela’s ceremonial first pitch before the 2022 all-star game at Dodger Stadium.
Washington baseball history 