Percentage of Black MLB Players at Record Low: Diversity Survey

An annual survey of hiring diversity for Major League Baseball reported a record low of black players on opening day rosters for the second straight year.

Thursday’s report from the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport in Central Florida gave an overall grade of C-plus, with a B for racial hiring and a C for gender-based hiring. The report examined a range of positions at MLB headquarters and within franchises using data collected by the league starting in March, shortly before the start of the 2023 season.

Those numbers were similar to last year, when the league had a B-minus overall, a B for race, and a C-plus for gender.

But the study found that black players represented just 6.2 percent of players on opening day rosters, compared to last year’s previous record low of 7.2 percent. Both numbers are the lowest recorded in the survey since it began in 1991, when 18 percent of MLB players were black.

TIDES director and lead study author Richard Lapchick noted that the decline comes despite MLB’s implementation of numerous programs to increase black youth participation in the US, which could ultimately push the numbers up.

“I think the trend could continue for another year or two until all the programs they put in place have that kind of impact,” Lapchick said in an interview with The Associated Press.

“It’s hard to say. I think eventually it will flip in the direction baseball wants it to go. Will it ever return to where it was? I’d be surprised if it does.”

MLB did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report Thursday afternoon.

The study’s findings come after last year’s World Series marked the first time there had been no US-born black players since 1950, shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the MLB color barrier.

“I think if it’s possible for the player number to be flipped, it will happen because of the effort (MLB) put into it,” Lapchick said. “But there are other factors that come into play. If you’re a 13-year-old black boy growing up and you watch black role models in other sports and in baseball, you have to believe that your best shot isn’t in baseball.” .”

Nevertheless, there are indications for possible improvement.

Four of the first five players picked in last summer’s amateur draft were black for the first time ever. Those four, and more than 300 MLB players, had participated in diversity initiatives such as the MLB Youth Academy, DREAM Series, and the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program.

MLB also pledged $150 million in a 10-year partnership with the Players Alliance. That non-profit organization of current and former players works to increase black involvement at all levels.

The study awarded MLB an A-plus for diversity initiatives, and not all of them are focused exclusively on players. It referred to the newly created MLB University program, a 10-month career development course to prepare diverse candidates for front-office or on-field positions. The study also highlighted the Diversity Pipeline Program to grow the pool of qualified women and others for operations and on-field roles.

Another example: The league has conducted in-person and virtual recruiting efforts with students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) as outreach for summer internships, the study reported.

It’s all part of what Lapchick described as baseball “making a maximum effort” in diversity efforts.

TIDES issues annual report cards on racial and gender hiring practices in professional leagues and for college sports. Thursday’s MLB release is the first of the 2023 season reports.