The Major League Baseball Players Association became a labor union in 1966. Players chose Marvin Miller, an economist with the United Steelworkers of America, to be the Association's first full-time executive director.

The Major League Baseball Players Association is the labor union that represents Major League baseball Players on the 40-man Major League rosters, as well as over 5,500 Minor League Players employed by the 30 Major League baseball teams. The MLBPA collectively bargains on Players’ behalf, and enforces, protects, and advances Player rights and benefits. The MLBPA also oversees MLB Players, Inc., which exclusively represents the group commercial and licensing activities involving active Major and Minor League Players.

On behalf of its members, the union also operates the Major League Baseball Players Trust, a 501(c)3 charitable foundation that harnesses the expertise, influence, and passions of Players to create meaningful and sustainable change in the lifelong well-being of others.

The MLBPA represents all Major League Baseball Players signed to a Major League contract by one of the 30 Major League teams, and all Minor League baseball Players signed to a Minor League contract by one of the 30 Major League teams. Major League Players negotiated their first collective bargaining agreement in 1968, and Minor League Players organized in 2022 and negotiated their first collective bargaining agreement in 2023.

All Major League and Minor League Players who hold a signed contract with a major league club are eligible for membership in the Association. Along with Players, Major League managers, coaches, and trainers who hold a signed contract with a major league club and who are designated as members of the Major League Baseball Players Benefit Plan also are eligible for membership in the Association.

The MLBPA Executive Board  is the governing body of the association, and is comprised of seventy two Player-elected Major League and Minor League Players. The Major League Executive Board members include: two Association Major League Player Representatives, two Alternate Major League Association Player Representatives, thirty Major League Club Player Representatives, two Pension Committee Representatives, and two Alternate Pension Committee Representatives. The Minor League Executive Board members include: two Association Minor League Player Representatives, two Alternate Association Minor League Player Representatives, and thirty Minor League Club Player Representatives.

A Player with more than three but less than six years of Major League service time is eligible for salary arbitration.  In addition, Players who have at least two years of Major League service time, but who have not yet reached three years of Major League service time also qualify for salary arbitration if they meet the criteria to be classified as “Super Two” Players. A Player is classified as a "Super Two" Player and eligible for salary arbitration if his total service time ranks in the top 22 percent of service among Players between two and three years of service and if he has accrued at least 86 days of Major League service during the immediately preceding Major League Baseball season.

There are multiple ways for a Player to become a free agent.

• Players  with six or more years of Major League service who have not signed a contract for the next season are eligible to become free agents.

• Players with at least three years of Major League service or who were eligible for Salary Arbitration as a “Super Two” Player at the conclusion of the prior season may elect to become free agents rather than accept an outright assignment of their contract to a Minor League club.

• Players, regardless of Major League service time, who have had a Major League contract previously assigned outrighted to the Minor Leagues may elect to become free agents in lieu of accepting the second or subsequent outright assignment to the Minor Leagues.

• Players with at least five years of Major League service may refuse an assignment to the Minor Leagues. That refusal may result in the Player becoming a free agent.

• Players also become free agents if they are released by their organization at any time regardless of their service time.

The current Major League collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2026. The current Minor League collective bargaining agreement expires on December 1, 2027.

There have been five strikes: 1972, 1980, 1981, 1985, and 1994-95. The owners and Major League Baseball have locked out the Players four times (1973, 1976, 1990, and 2021-2022).

For several decades, MLBPA has conducted a worldwide group licensing program on behalf of all Major League Baseball Players.

MLBPA holds the exclusive, worldwide right to use, license, and sublicense the names, numbers, nicknames, likenesses, signatures, playing records and biographical data (known as “publicity rights”) of all active MLB players (collectively, the “rights”) for use in or in connection with any brand, product, service or product line in various circumstances, including when more than two Players are involved in such brand, product line or other venture.  Recently, MLBPA appointed MLB Players, Inc. to represent MLBPA in connection with its licensing business, and granted MLBPI the authority to (among other things) negotiate, administer and/or manage the licensing, merchandising, sponsorship, promotional and general business activities involving the rights and the MLBPA trademarks.

MLBPA’s rights include several instances, including where the publicity rights of three or more active MLB players are featured on a single product (for example, a single poster featuring three or more Players) or where three or more Players are featured on individual products within a product line or brand (for example, three separate posters, each of which featuring the publicity rights of only one Player, offered by a company in a given year). MLBPA’s rights also include promotional uses in which three or more Players are used by third party to promote a brand, product line or services, including in connection with corporate sponsorship, advertising, promotional materials, sweepstakes, contests, premiums, events, or other programs.

For more information: MLB Players, Inc.

The Players Trust is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit foundation created by the Players in 1996 to advance the charitable goals of Players around the world.

To represent or advise a Player in negotiating the terms of a Major League or Minor League contract, an agent must first be certified by the Major League Baseball Players Association. Individuals who recruit Players on behalf of agents, or who provide client maintenance services to Players on behalf of certified agents, also must obtain MLBPA certification. To become certified by the MLBPA, a prospective agent, recruiter or service provider must first complete an online application, pay a $2,500 application fee, pass a background investigation, pass a written exam, and be designated by a Major League or Minor League Player as his representative, or by a MLBPA certified agent as a recruiter or service provider. For more information about the application process and to get started with an application please go to https://www.agent.mlbplayers.com/agent-certification.

The Association has more than 700 certified agents on record.

For internships and career opportunities: MLBPA Careers & Internships