Braves lead MLB charge on Jackie Robinson Day tribute originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

No MLB franchise embodies the meaning behind Jackie Robinson Day more than the Atlanta Braves. On this day, Robinson broke the MLB color barrier by representing the Brooklyn Dodgers. Since then, the league has welcomed players of all kinds.

When the Braves line up Wednesday evening at Truist Field, wearing No. 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day, they will be the most diverse starting team among all the starting lineups in the MLB. Their projected starting lineup will include three Black players, three White players, and a player each from Venezuela, Curaçao and Honduras.

Atlanta is tied with the San Diego Padres, with each side having 15 international-born players on their roster. The Braves have players from the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Colombia, Honduras, Curaçao and South Korea. In the starting lineup, Ronald Acuna Jr. is from Venezuela, Ozzie Albies from Curacao and Mauricio Dubon from Honduras.

“It makes me happy," Albies said. “We have the most diverse lineup, and a great lineup. What makes it so cool is that we can do it together. That’s what it’s all about."

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When the Braves won the World Series in 2021, they only had one Black player (Michael Harris II) on the roster, but now they have three, including Harris, catcher Drake Baldwin and DH Dominic Smith.

“It’s pretty cool to be part of, truly, it’s a dream come true," Smith said. “Knowing the history of this organization, and the legends who put on this uniform, it’s proud to be part of, especially in a city like Atlanta that’s very diverse and has a big minority community, especially with African-Americans. This team can be a role model the way it’s so diverse, but everybody really connects."

The Braves, who lead the NL East with an 11-7 record, will host the third and final game of their series against the Miami Marlins. The first two games were split between the two.

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