Former Major League Baseball star Jose Bautista is the new principal owner of the USL Championship franchise Las Vegas Lights FC.

"Las Vegas is the place to be and has emerged as a big professional sports town, and I will do everything I can to push this club forward," Bautista said in a statement.

"As a soccer fan and former professional athlete, I am excited to be involved with the world's game. Since my retirement from professional baseball, I have witnessed the incredible growth of soccer in the United States, and I look forward to sharing my love of sports with the Las Vegas soccer community."

Bautista was a six-time All-Star and with a .247 career batting average with 344 home runs, 975 RBIs and 1,022 runs.