[Drake]

As part of its effort to develop the game in Latin America, Major League Baseball announced the launching of a new league on Thursday designed to provide a neutral ground for big league organizations to evaluate the top unsigned amateur players in the Dominican Republic.

"Major League Baseball is excited to begin its new prospect league in the Dominican Republic," Kim Ng, senior vice president of baseball operations for Major League Baseball, said. "We believe that this new league will provide amateur players with an opportunity to showcase their talent, and we hope that by including educational and community-outreach components in their participation, we will also prepare these players for opportunities that go beyond the playing field."

The league, which began Thursday with games for eligible players at the Tampa Bay complex, will play games at various Major League Baseball club academies every week, alternating weekly between current eligible players and unsigned players.

"What the DPL started doing marked the beginning of what is happening now," Perez said. "We've created a full schedule, and we want prospects in more systematic programs. We believe this is part of what we were missing. We'll have players anywhere from 16 to 19 [years old], and they'll be in a sound system where they develop with Major League instruction."

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