Dominican Republic's 5 Greatest Baseball Stars
If Brazil is known for treating soccer like a religion, its counterpart for baseball may be the Dominican Republic which has produced some of the biggest baseball stars in the world. Kathryn Riley/Getty Images

If Brazil is known for treating soccer like a religion, its counterpart for baseball may be the Dominican Republic which has produced some of the biggest baseball stars in the world. Saying the Dominicans treat baseball as a religion may be an understatement as the country is crazy about the sport.

With one Baseball World Cup under its belt and dozens of Dominicans currently playing in Major League Baseball and in Japan, it is safe to say that the Dominican Republic just churns out baseball stars left and right.

The 5 Greatest Dominican Republic Baseball Players in No Particular Order

Players from the Dominican Republic have been playing in the MLB since the 1960s and they have certainly made their mark, enough for the league's teams to regularly scout the country for up and coming players. Here are five of our picks for the greatest Dominican Republic players in no particular order:

Juan Marichal - Pitcher

One of the earliest Dominicans to dominate the game, Juan Marichal was a pitcher who is best known for playing for the San Francisco Giants. He was with the MLB from 1960 to 197 and was a ten-time All-Star, finishing his career with a 243-142 and a 2.89 ERA.

He is also the frst player born in the Dominican Republic to be inducted in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and is now regarded as one of the greatest pitchers of his era, still loved by fans in the US and in the Dominican Republic itself, according to The Sports Brief.

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Ozzie Virgil Sr. - 3rd Base

It is safe to say that without Ozzie Virgil Sr., we would not have any Dominican players today. According to USA Today, he was the first Dominican-born player in MLB history. He played for several teams, including the Pittsburg Pirates and the then-New York Giants but is largely considered a trailblazer, opening doors for many others from Latin America to enter the MLB.

Sammy Sosa - Outfielder

Sammy Sosa was a hitting machine, playing for several teams such as the Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Baltimore Orioles. He won the National League MVP award in 1998 anbd also became a seven-time All-Star, He also won six Silver Slugger awards and is remembered for his rivalry with fellow slugger Mark McGwire during the 1998 season.

David Ortiz - Designated Hitter

Of course, it would not be a "Greatest Dominican Players" list without Big Papi, right? The big Dominican slugger was instrumental in creating the Red Sox dynasty and ending the dreaded "Curse of the Bambino" as he finally brought the MLB title to Boston after an 86-year drought. He is also an icon back at home in the DR too!

Pedro Martinez - Pitcher

Boston may be known for its Irish population, but the city sure loves its Dominicans as another Dominican great who played for the Red Sox made the list. He won the MLB title for Boston in 2004 alongside Big Papi and is regarded as among the greatest Dominicans to ever play the game.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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