On Friday, U.S.A Baseball announced its final 24-player roster for the upcoming Olympics (hosted in Tokyo, Japan), just four weeks ahead of its first game against Israel. The U.S. prevailed in a qualifying tournament and now looks for the country's first gold medal since 2000.
Predictably, given that the Major League Baseball season will be ongoing, the roster is bereft of active big leaguers. Instead, Team U.S.A. comprises a mixture of older veterans (14 players have MLB service time) and younger prospects.
Here's the full group, broken down by position. MLB team affiliates are listed in parentheses:
Pitchers (12)
- Shane Baz (Rays)
- Anthony Carter
- Brandon Dickson (Cardinals)
- Anthony Gose (Cleveland)
- Edwin Jackson
- Scott Kazmir (Giants)
- Nick Martinez
- Scott McGough
- David Robertson
- Joe Ryan (Rays)
- Ryder Ryan (Rangers)
- Simeon Woods-Richardson (Blue Jays)
Catchers (2)
- Tim Federowicz (Dodgers)
- Mark Kolozsvary (Reds)
Infielders (5)
- Nick Allen (Athletics)
- Eddy Alvarez (Marlins)
- Triston Casas (Red Sox)
- Jamie Westbrook (Brewers)
- Todd Frazier
Outfielders (5)
- Tyler Austin
- Eric Filia (Mariners)
- Patrick Kivlehan (Padres)
- Jack Lopez (Red Sox)
- Bubba Starling (Royals)
The most notable veterans on the roster are Kazmir, Frazier, and Jackson. Kazmir and Frazier each have played in the majors this season, and have made multiple All-Star Games in their career. Jackson, meanwhile, is the ultimate journeyman, having pitched for 14 different franchises.
On the prospect side, Baz, Woods-Richardson, Casas, and Allen all deserve to be on fans' radars, as each should have a meaningful big-league career. Baz, for those unaware, was one of the pieces that the Tampa Bay Rays acquired in the now-infamous Chris Archer trade.
There's also Alvarez, who represented the United States in the 2014 Olympics -- not as a ballplayer, but as a short track speed skater. He won the silver medal in the 5,000 meter relay event.
Mike Scioscia will manage Team USA, and his coaching staff includes Jerry Weinstein (bench coach), Dave Wallace (pitching coach), Ernie Young (hitting and first base coach), Darren Fenster (third base coach), and Roly de Armas (bullpen coach).
Team U.S.A is scheduled to play its first game on Friday, July 30 against Israel.
