List of first players to sign with a MLB team from different countries
From BR Bullpen
The following is an incomplete list of the first players from various countries to sign with a franchise in Major League Baseball. This only includes players raised in that country - for instance, several players born to US military personnel in France signed before Joris Bert did, but none of them were raised in France.
For the first major leaguer from each country, see List of First Major League Baseball Players by Country.
- Australia - Bob Nilsson, Cincinnati Reds, 1978 (source: Flintoff & Dunn Australian Baseball Almanac)
- Belarus - Alex Lukashevich, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2010 (source: Mister Baseball
- Belgium - Thomas De Wolf, New York Mets, 2008 (source: Mister Baseball
- Brazil - Jose Pett, Toronto Blue Jays, 1992 (source: 1993 Baseball Almanac)
- Canada - Tom Smith, 1875
- China - Chao Wang, Seattle Mariners, 2001
- Czech Republic - Pavel Budský, Kansas City Royals, 1997 (source: Baseball in Europe by Josh Chetwynd)
- Denmark - Frederik Terkelsen, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, 2007 (source: Baseball in Europe by Josh Chetwynd)
- France - Joris Bert, Los Angeles Dodgers, 2007 (source: Fédération Francaise de Base-ball Softball et Cricket)
- Germany - Claus Helmig, Baltimore Orioles, 1956 (source: Baseball in Europe by Josh Chetwynd)
- India - Dinesh Patel and Rinku Singh, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2008 (source: Associated Press reports)
- Italy - Alberto Rinaldi, Cincinnati Reds or Baltimore Orioles, 1965 (source: Federazione Italiana Baseball & Softball)
- Japan - Masanori Murakami, San Francisco Giants, 1964
- Lithuania - Dovydas Neverauskas, Pittsburgh Pirates, 2009
- New Zealand - Travis Wilson, Atlanta Braves, 1997 (source: Baseball New Zealand)
- Nigeria - Gbenga Olayemi and Augustine Ozorede, Milwaukee Brewers, 2002
- Russia - Yevgeny Puchkov, Ilya Bogatyrev and Rudolf Razhigaev, California Angels, 1992 (source: Baseball in Europe by Josh Chetwynd)
- South Africa - Nick Dempsey, Los Angeles Dodgers, 1997 (unconfirmed; some South Africans went to spring training previously but it is unclear if they signed)
- South Korea - Wong-kuk Lee, San Francisco Giants, 1968
- Spain - Xavier Civit, Montréal Expos, 1993 (unconfirmed)
- Taiwan - Shin-Ming Tan, San Francisco Giants, 1974 (source: Wiki Baseball)
