Major League Baseball will host the MLB International Showcase featuring top-rated amateur players from several Latin American and Caribbean nations on Jan. 16-17 in the Dominican Republic.

The Showcase will provide an opportunity for hundreds of MLB scouts and coaches from all 30 clubs to evaluate the skills of some of the best international prospects in the context of their talented peers. Over the course of two days, players from Colombia, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, Panama and Venezuela will participate in a professional-style workout and compete in three games.

This latest MLB International Showcase, the sixth in an ongoing series, will feature more players from more countries than any previous event, raising the bar on the assembly of talent to the mutual benefit of clubs and prospects. The participants are selected from the pool of amateur players who will be eligible to sign professional contracts on or after the July 2, 2013.

"We are excited to showcase some of the best amateur international talent the world has to offer," said Joe Torre, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations. "The quality and quantity of talent we are able to bring together at this event speaks to the rich baseball history of these countries, and highlights the great contributions they continue to make to our game."