MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton to host Breakthrough Series

The MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton will be one of four regional locations that will be hosting Major League Baseball’s expanded Breakthrough Series this year.

The series, which exposes diverse high school baseball players to MLB scouts and collegiate recruiters, will feature more than 200 players -- the most in the seven-year history of the event.

The series, which also gives players the opportunity to attend daily presentations from current and former MLB players, coaches, scouts and college administrators, is open only to those invited to participate.

The annual event, which is a joint effort by MLB and USA Baseball to promote the sport as a viable collegiate and professional option for urban youth, is to take place July 19-28. Locations in Cincinnati, Brooklyn, N.Y., and Bradenton, Fla., will also host series games.

“The Breakthrough Series continues to be an excellent opportunity for Major League scouts and college coaches to evaluate some of the nation’s best amateur players from urban areas,” Frank Marcos, senior director of the Major League Scouting Bureau, said in a statement. “This new format of regional events will now provide a greater opportunity to scout more players than any previous year of the event.”

More than 90 past participants in the Breakthrough Series have gone on to be drafted by MLB clubs, including former first-round selections Courtney Hawkins (Chicago White Sox), Victor Roache (Milwaukee Brewers), Addison Russell (Oakland A’s) and Dominic Smith (New York Mets).