High Diversity, Low Inclusion: Baseball’s DEI Blind Spot

by Jon Scaccia April 22, 2025

Baseball fans love stats. Home runs. WAR, fWAR, bWAR. OBP, WHIP

But there’s one stat that’s been getting a lot of attention lately: diversity. Major League Baseball (MLB) scored an impressive A+ in coach diversity and an A in player diversity, according to annual report cards by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sports (TIDES). Sounds like a win for equity, right?

Not so fast.

New research throws a curveball into that feel-good narrative. While the numbers say baseball is diverse—especially thanks to its large pool of international Latino players and coaches—the reality on the ground tells a different story: not everyone gets an equal shot at success. This blog unpacks a three-part study that challenges how we measure progress in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and urges sports organizations (and everyone else) to look beyond the surface.

The Inclusion Gap: Where the Numbers Fall Short

Let’s start with a quick breakdown of the research:

• Study 1: Compared career outcomes for U.S.-born and international Latino baseball players across MLB and Minor League Baseball (MiLB).
• Study 2: Looked at coaching career levels for U.S.-born vs. international Latino coaches.
• Study 3: Surveyed players in the independent Frontier League to gauge how included they felt on their teams.

The results? U.S.-born players and coaches consistently rose higher, lasted longer, and reported feeling more included.

In other words, even though the game looks diverse, some groups—especially international Latino players—are stuck in the dugout when it comes to climbing the ranks.

A System Built on Uneven Ground

Let’s take a closer look at the playing field (pun intended).

In Study 1, the data showed that U.S.-born players advanced about a full level higher in the baseball hierarchy than international Latino players. They also played for nearly two years longer on average. Most strikingly, only 7.5% of international Latino players made it to the Majors, compared to 13.9% of U.S.-born players. That’s a big difference for a sport that celebrates opportunity.

Study 2 mirrored this disparity for coaches. U.S.-born coaches averaged a coaching level of 4.79 (on a 1–7 scale), while international Latino coaches averaged just 2.95. That’s not a rounding error—that’s a chasm. And it matters, because coaching positions often lead to executive and leadership roles down the line.

Then there’s Study 3, where inclusion took center stage. Players were asked how much they felt like they “belonged” on their team. White players scored higher than non-White players, and—get this—inclusion was strongly tied to how well players thought they performed. Feeling like you belong could actually make you play better.

So no, this isn’t just a “feeling” problem. It’s a performance and opportunity problem, too.

So Why Is This Happening?

The researchers didn’t pinpoint one smoking gun, but they suspect several culprits:

• Language barriers: Most U.S.-born players speak English; many international Latino players do not. That affects everything from locker room dynamics to coaching instructions.
• Cultural disconnects: Even small differences in customs or communication styles can create big misunderstandings.
• Structural disadvantages: Playing college baseball in the U.S., having connections in MLB networks, or just knowing how to navigate the system all offer unspoken advantages to U.S.-born athletes.

And while MLB has made strides—like hiring bilingual education coordinators—these fixes don’t fully address the root issue: advancement isn’t equal, even if representation looks good.

Rethinking What We Measure

Here’s where things get deep.

Right now, DEI success is often measured by representation: How many women? How many people of color? And while that’s important, it doesn’t tell you how those individuals are doing once they’re in the system.

The researchers behind this study argue for a more holistic approach:

1. Representation – Are underrepresented groups present?
2. Advancement – Are they progressing at the same rate as others?
3. Inclusion – Do they feel like they belong?

It’s not enough to have diversity on the roster. True equity means that everyone has the same shot at hitting a home run—on and off the field.

So What Should MLB—and Other Organizations—Do?

Here are a few starting points:

• Stop using representation as the only metric. Combine it with promotion stats and survey data about inclusion.
• Collect better data. Instead of pigeonholing players into rigid categories (White, Black, Hispanic), allow them to self-identify in more nuanced ways.
• Tailor DEI programs to the needs of different groups. The challenges faced by international Latino players aren’t the same as those faced by U.S.-born Black players or women in coaching.
• Make DEI training optional, not mandatory. Research shows people engage more authentically when they’re invited rather than forced.

And perhaps most importantly—don’t declare victory just because the top of the roster looks colorful. Pay attention to who’s being left behind.

The Takeaway: More Than Just a Numbers Game

MLB’s diversity stats might earn an A on paper, but this study reveals an F in inclusion for too many players and coaches. It’s a cautionary tale not just for sports leagues, but for any organization trying to build a more equitable future.

When DEI becomes a checkbox instead of a compass, we lose sight of the real goal: a system where everyone—no matter their background—has a fair shot at success.

Let’s Explore Together!

If you made it this far, you’re probably as fired up as we are about making sports (and all workplaces) truly inclusive. So tell us:

• What would a fairer baseball pipeline look like to you?
• Have you ever felt “included” in a place where you were in the minority?
• What’s the most surprising DEI stat you’ve come across lately?

Drop your thoughts in the comments, share this post with your fellow fans, or tag us with your take on how we can level the playing field—on and off the diamond.

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