The 2026 World Baseball Classic is underway!
The tournament, which kicked off last week, features top players from around the world representing their home country.
On display are stars like Japan’s Shohei Ohtani, Venezuela’s Ronald Acuña Jr., and America’s Aaron Judge.
But I’ve got my eye another player. You might want to keep an eye on him, too — because his success on the diamond could potentially lead you to returns of more than 500%.
Introducing Luinder Avila
This is Luinder Avila:
The 24-year-old is currently representing Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic (WBC). And just a few weeks from now, he’ll take the field as a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.
Avila made his major-league debut last season. He pitched in five games, tallied eight strikeouts, and recorded his first-ever win in the big leagues.
Though he’s not a household name yet, he’s got the talent to become one. Here’s what Alex Duvall, the sports journalist who covers the Royals’ minor-league clubs, said about Avila in 2024:
“Luinder Avila is gonna be a big-league starter someday. My goodness this kid is put together. 6’ 3’’ 22-year-old is one of the best pitchers in all of [Minor League Baseball] the last few seasons… reminds me of Mike Mussina.”
(Mussina, by the way, was a five-time All-Star who pitched for eighteen seasons and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019.)
Avila is brimming with potential — and for investors like us, that includes profit potential.
Let me explain.
The Wealth-Building Strategy of the Rich
As we write about often (for example, here and here), many wealthy investors don’t have traditional 60/40 portfolios. Instead, according to the Motley Fool, they mainly invest in “alternative assets.”
These alternatives include private startups and private real-estate deals, like we focus on at Crowdability. But they also include fine art, wine, vintage sports cars — and now, pro athletes.
Recently, a new type of investment platform has emerged that enables any investor — not just the rich — to invest in the world’s most promising athletes.
One such platform is called Finlete.
On this Comcast-NBC-backed website, you can invest in promising young athletes, and hit a financial homerun if they become successful.
Here’s How it Works
Finlete identifies players with star potential who are just beginning their professional careers. Finlete offers them a lump-sum (say, $1 million) in exchange for a percentage of their future earnings.
This arrangement is beneficial for players. Early on, they don’t make much money. Giving them an upfront payment not only enables them to invest in training, coaching, and nutrition, but also creates financial stability so they can provide for themselves and their families.
The goal is to help them launch a successful big-league career — and hopefully, a wealth of future earnings.
As an investor on Finlete, you can browse available athletes and purchase “shares” in the ones you like. As a shareholder, you’re entitled to annual dividends from the player’s future earnings.
As an example, let’s say you invest in an up-and-coming baseball player. If he signs an average three-year MLB contract, a $100 investment would turn into about $270 — good for a 270% return.
But depending on who you invest in, the returns can potentially be far higher.
Which brings us back to Avila…
Your Chance to Invest in Avila
You can currently invest in Avila through Finlete.
The minimum investment is around $300, and this offering is open to all investors. As mentioned earlier, investors will earn a share of Avila’s future earnings.
What kind of returns could you potentially earn here?
To get a sense, Finlete offers a simulator so you can play around with the numbers. But keep in mind that the average annual salary for major-league starting pitchers last year was $15 million. And twenty-five pitchers made at least $20 million.
If Avila earns an average of just $10 million a year, and pitches in the big leagues for ten years, that would equal $100 million in career earnings. That would turn a $1,000 investment today into more than $6,100 — for returns of more than 500%.
This is an exciting opportunity. But hold on a moment…
Exciting But Risky
Investing in pro athletes can be exciting, and it can potentially be lucrative, too.
But it’s risky.
Most pro athletes don’t have significant success. For example, only 6% of the players who sign a pro baseball contract reach the majors. And fewer than 10% ever make an All-Star team.
Most athletes on Finlete are still in the minors. So while they have potential, they may never reach the big leagues. In fact, Avila is the only active investment on Finlete who’s already in the majors.
But if you’re tuning in to see the world’s best players battle it out in the World Baseball Classic — and you’re looking for the chance to take home a piece of their potential success on the diamond — Finlete could be a great place to explore.
Happy investing,
Best,
Editor
Crowdability.com
