Earlier this year, Major League Baseball hosted its first-ever Identification (ID) Tour in the Northwest, specifically in the Columbia City neighborhood in Seattle, to scout and identify talented student-athletes from the 2028 and 2029 graduating classes. Baseball Beyond Borders founder Bookie Gates said the Northwest has been pushing to host the annual ID Tour for six years, finally seeing it arrive in 2025 to give local student-athletes the exposure and visibility they need to advance their playing careers.

A central mission of the ID Tour is addressing the lack of representation at the highest level of baseball by finding untapped talent that may lack the exposure, platform, or financial means to attend costly events. Organizers emphasized breaking barriers by bringing the tour to untapped cities like Seattle, ensuring that opportunity is based on effort and hard work, rather than finances. This platform is seen as a source of hope and a chance to dream for many young players, especially advocates for Black and Brown youth in baseball. 

The ID Tour also stressed the importance of diversity in baseball and softball, focusing on kids of color while encouraging participation from all ethnicities. Young players who make the cut have the opportunity to advance to the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Florida, the site for all of the program's development events and the host of the RBI World Series for baseball, softball, and girls' baseball. The complex is known for doing things "the Robinson way," offering a unique experience to foster development and pursue dreams. 

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