MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Reaches $31 Million in Grant Funding Following Successful 2023

In 2023, YDF issued 36 grants, along with hosting the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic presented by T-Mobile, to improve the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States

NEW YORK, Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) announced its full roster of 2023 grant recipients, benefitting 36 communities, in 24 states with over $3.6 million in funding. Recipients ranged from the NYC Police Foundation to the Parkwood Community Club in Nashville and Snug Harbor Little League, all who received the funding and support of impact-driving programs that contribute to the growth and development of youth baseball and softball across the country.

In 2023, grants presented by YDF ranged from as large as $1 million to $3,000, showcasing the foundation's ability to scale and cater to communities, municipalities, and youth leagues of all sizes and needs. A complete list of grant recipients can be found below.

"Impacting local communities is at the heart of what YDF strives to do," YDF Executive Director Jean Lee Batrus said. "Providing funds for lights, fields, baseballs and softballs, and so much more, allows every young athlete across the country the opportunity to play baseball or softball and be exposed to the performance and early development opportunities that diamond sports offer."

In addition to local grants given out this year, YDF and Hall of Famer & YDF Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr., hosted the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic at MLB All-Star Week in Seattle. Powered by YDF through a $1 million grant, the HBCU Swingman Classic is an All-Star experience for baseball student-athletes from Division-I programs at Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The event highlights the history and legacy of HBCU baseball programs while also providing 50 HBCU baseball players with the opportunity to showcase their talent on a national stage. Following this year's event, YDF was proud to see three Swingman Classic participants selected in the MLB Draft, with two additional participants later signing as free agents. 

Additionally, YDF hosted the fourth annual Hank Aaron Invitational, providing an elite development experience to high school athletes which has already seen nine first round draft picks over the event's lifespan. Both the HBCU Swingman Classic and Hank Aaron Invitational are paramount to helping prepare the next generation of athletes for life on and off the field and strengthening the communities around them. 

Since its inception, YDF has awarded $31.2 million dollars and 315 grants to community-based projects in over 47 states across the country, as well as Ontario, Canada, to encourage and empower youth through baseball and softball, on and off the field, in underserved communities.

2023 MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Grant Recipients

• 23Club Baseball (Scottsbluff, Nebraska)
• Black College Championships, LLC (Montgomery, Alabama)
• Boys & Girls Club Seymour (Seymour, Indiana)
• Bridgeport Caribe Youth Leaders (Bridgeport, Connecticut)
• Buck Leonard Association for Sports & Human Enrichment (Rocky Mount, North Carolina)
• Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (Buffalo, New York)
• But God Ministries (Jonestown, Mississippi)
• Can Play (Des Moines, Iowa)
• Chouteau-Mazie Public Schools (Chouteau, Oklahoma)
• D Mountain Park & Recreation District (Del Norte, Colorado)
• Echols County Schools (Statenville, Georgia)
• Fort Thomas High School (Pima, Arizona)
• Galt Area Girls Softball (Galt, California)
• George Wythe High School (Wytheville, Virginia)
• Giants Community Fund (San Francisco, California)
• Grand River Area Family YMCA (Chillicothe, Missouri)
• Habitat for Humanity / Parkwood Community Club (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Hampton Roads PAL (Hampton Roads, Virginia)
• KIPP Metro Atlanta Collaborative (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Loris Recreation (Loris, South Carolina)
• Loyal To My Soil (Oakland, California)
• Madison County Board of Commissioners (Danielsville, Georgia)
• Milford Youth Athletics (Milford, New York)
• New Outlook Academy (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
• North Tyler Youth Baseball (Tyler, Texas)
• NYC Police Foundation (New York, New York)
• P.R.O Youth Foundation (Atlanta, Georgia)
• Peñasco Independent School District (Peñasco, New Mexico)
• Pitch In For Baseball & Softball (Warminster, Pennsylvania)
• Plattsmouth Baseball & Softball Association (Plattsmouth, Nebraska)
• Raymond Baseball & Softball Association (Raymond, Ohio)
• Russellville Youth Baseball Association (Russellville, Arkansas)
• Snug Harbor Little League (Staten Island, New York)
• The Summit Academy (Herman, Pennsylvania)
• Union School District (Union, New Jersey)
• Winter School District (Winter, Wisconsin)

About MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation 

MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) is a joint initiative by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to support efforts that focus on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and internationally. From local-based programs to the Hank Aaron Invitational and HBCU Swingman Classic, the foundation helps make youth baseball and softball more accessible creating economic opportunities, strengthening communities, and building character on and off the field. Click here to learn more. 

CONTACT: Ben Freedman, MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, (212) 485-8976, [email protected]

SOURCE MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation