Fifty baseball players from Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) were personally invited by baseball Hall of Famer and MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation Ambassador Ken Griffey Jr. to play in the inaugural HBCU Swingman Classic, during MLB All-Star Week. The Swingman Classic is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) through a $1M grant.
YDF is a joint initiative by Major League Baseball and the 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. To date, YDF has awarded $25.1 million in grants to over 270 non-profit organizations across 41 states and territories in the United States.
MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) was also the official game ball sponsors of the 2023 Black College World Series held this past May at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, AL.