The two-time all-star and two-time World Series champion has earned three gold medals as an assistant coach for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team
An Orlando native and member of the state championship team at Seminole High School, Eckstein walked on at the University of Florida’s baseball program
ORLANDO, FL / ACCESS Newswire / May 7, 2026 / The Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC (“Orlando Dreamers” or the “Dreamers”) announced today that World Series MVP and Orlando native David Eckstein has formally committed to significant involvement in the initiative to bring Major League Baseball (MLB) to Orlando by officially joining the Dreamers as an MLB Community Advisor. In his role with the effort, Eckstein will be actively involved in community collaborations and fan engagement experiences as well as advising on baseball-related matters as the Dreamers expand their effort into the next phase of progress in 2026.
“It is absolutely thrilling to be a part of this effort to bring Major League Baseball to my hometown,” Eckstein said. “I am blessed to have grown up in Sanford and played at the University of Florida, and I am humbled by the opportunity to bring MLB to Orlando. The impact this will have on our community, especially our youth, cannot be overstated. I am excited to be a part of the team.”
Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Barry Larkin, the MLB Ambassador for the Dreamers, celebrated the news, “David has been a winner at every level, from high school to the World Series. We are ecstatic to have him on our team, helping us bring Major League Baseball to Orange County. His knowledge and connections throughout Central Florida and Major League Baseball will provide a tremendous assist to making this effort a reality.”
Newly inducted Boston Red Sox Hall-of-Famer and Orlando Dreamers MLB Strategic Advisor Johnny Damon concurred, “Orlando is an amazing baseball town. Having David Eckstein here brings so much value to our community and having him on our Dreamers team makes us that much more competitive. With David, Barry and myself as part of the leadership team, we feel there is no match for our experience, expertise and relationships in any other market.”
Larkin further commented on the momentum the Dreamers are currently experiencing, “We have had incredible support from the community. From political endorsements to fan engagement, we have never had as much momentum as we have now. We need our fans to continue to show up to events, follow us on social media, wear our gear and make their voices heard. We need to continue to demonstrate to leadership that Orlando is ready for Major League Baseball.”
Orlando is experiencing a growth boom according to the latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The city is the number one metro area in job growth, population growth and nominal GDP growth among the 30 most-populous regions. Orlando is the #15 media market in the country, having passed Miami, Denver, and Minneapolis-St. Paul in recent years. It is anticipated that Orlando will pass Detroit soon to become the #14 media market, the largest without an MLB team.
Meanwhile, tourism continues to surge, including meaningfully increased travel resulting from the recent opening of the Epic Universe theme park located a short distance from the Dreamers’ preferred stadium site. The Orlando metro area, the most-visited destination in North America, has seen 12 consecutive months of record-setting revenues from the Tourist Development Tax and is on pace to surpass $400 million in collections, eclipsing the all-time record of approximately $384.6 million dollars which was set last fiscal year.
The Orlando Dreamers previously reported that based on an independent study completed in 2023, bringing Major League Baseball to Orlando and playing in the planned domed stadium located on the 35.5 acre parcel adjacent to SeaWorld and the Orange County Convention Center will yield approximately 25,000 permanent jobs and create in excess of $40 billion dollars in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years. In addition, the study concluded that the MLB initiative would generate an additional $26 million annually in Tourist Development Taxes.
About Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC
Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC was established to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando and Central Florida. Updates can be found at www.OrlandoDreamers.com and more information can be found at OrlandoDreamersTeamShop.com.
Contact
Andrew Herdliska
Orlando Dreamers
Andrew@OrlandoDreamers.com
SOURCE: Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
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