Baseball United Adds Three More Former MLB Stars to its Ownership Group

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DUBAI, UAE (February 26, 2024) – Baseball United, the first professional baseball league focused on the Middle East and Indian Subcontinent, announced today that former Major League Baseball (MLB) players Jair Jurrjens, Andrelton Simmons, and Didi Gregorius have joined its investment and ownership group. Together, the new co-owners represent a combined 30 MLB seasons and currently compete on the Netherlands National Baseball Team. All three were also drafted within the first ten picks of Baseball United’s inaugural player draft last October.

“We are very grateful to welcome Jair, Didi, and Andrelton into our ownership group,” said Kash Shaikh, Chairman, CEO, and Co-Founder of Baseball United. “They join Bartolo Colon and Robinson Cano as player-owners in our league – a truly unique opportunity to compete on the field and help build the business off of it. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know all three of these guys really well over the last several months, and they all are amazing athletes, great leaders, and passionate ambassadors for the game. It’s an honor to have them onboard, and it’s exciting to add both the Curaçao and The Netherlands flags to our owner’s suite.”

A former All-Star (2011), Jurrjens pitched for the Detroit Tigers, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, and Colorado Rockies over his eight-year MLB career. He won 50 games during his 5-year stint with the Braves, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2008, leading the league with a total of 34 starts in 2009, and finishing with an ERA under 3.00 in both 2009 and 2011. Jurrjens was selected with the 10th overall pick in the inaugural Baseball United draft by the Dubai Wolves, and was the opening night starting pitcher for the United West All-Stars at the Baseball United Showcase in Dubai last November.

With four total Gold Glove awards and a Platinum Glove in 2013, Simmons was widely regarded as one of the league’s best defensive talents during his 11-year MLB career. In 2017, Simmons ranked second in the league in WAR and sixth in total games played. He amassed a total of 1,169 hits and 444 RBIs during his career, finishing in the top 15 of MVP voting three times. Simmons played for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Angels, Minnesota Twins, and Chicago Cubs during his big league career, and was selected 9th overall by the Mumbai Cobras in the inaugural Baseball United Draft.

Gregorius played 11 seasons in the big leagues, including five highly productive seasons with the New York Yankees as the organization’s first shortstop after Derek Jeter. Gregorius had three consecutive 20 home run seasons from 2016-2018, finishing in the top 20 in MVP voting in both 2017 and 2018. He ended three different seasons within the top 5 players in the American League in fielding percentage, including a league-leading .987% as shortstop for the Yankees in 2018. Gregorius also played for the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Philadelphia Phillies, and was selected third overall in the inaugural Baseball United draft by the Dubai Wolves.

“First, it was an honor for all of us to be part of the initial group of players drafted into Baseball United,” said Jurrjens. “Then, it was incredible to be part of the 50 guys who played the first-ever professional baseball games in the history of the Middle East at last November’s Dubai Showcase. Now, it’s very special for Didi, Andrelton, and me to join this legendary ownership group. We have a lot of faith and belief in the league’s leadership team, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Baseball in the Middle East.”

Baseball United began play in Dubai last November with its inaugural All-Star Showcase, the first professional baseball game in the history of the region. The event was broadcast in 127 countries, reaching 200 million households. Baseball United’s ownership group now boasts 18 MLB legends, including Barry Larkin, Mariano Rivera, Adrian Beltre, Felix Hernandez, Robinson Cano, and Ryan Howard. The league is scheduled to announce its 2024 plans later this year.

To learn more about Baseball United, visit baseballunited.com.