FIFTEEN MEXICAN PLAYERS MAKE MLB OPENING DAY ROSTERS

As Major League Baseball begins its regular season this week, 15 players of Mexican descent will be on Opening Day rosters. Ten of them are pitchers.

The list of 15 players includes five who were born in the United States to Mexican parents, including infielders Adrian Gonzalez of San Diego (pictured) and Florida's Jorge Cantu, along with pitchers Sergio Mitre (NY Yankees), Octavio Ojeda (Arizona) and Sergio Romo (San Francisco).

Eight MLB pitchers were born in Mexico: Joakim Soria (Kansas City), Alfredo Aceves (NY Yankees), Yovani Gallardo (Milwaukee), Jorge de la Rosa (Colorado), Oliver Perez (NY Mets), Rodrigo Lopez (Arizona), Jaime Garcia and Dennys Reyes (both St. Louis). Lopez has won a berth in the Diamondbacks starting rotation after attending training camp as a non-roster invitee.

Just two position players hail from Mexico: Ramiro Pena (NY Yankees) and Juan Castro (Philadelphia). Both are slated to be backup infielders for their respective league champion teams. The Yankees have the most Mexicans in the Majors with three players (Aceves, Mitre and Pena).

Pitcher Elmer Dessens from Sonora narrowly missed making the Mets’ roster, and was assigned to Class AAA Buffalo of the International League over the weekend.