DURHAM, N.C. - Eighteen USA Baseball alumni were drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft on Monday night, including number one overall pick, Casey Mize. USA Baseball has had 495 total alumni drafted in the first round since 1978, and 2018 marks the 16th time in the last 18 years that the first overall pick played for Team USA.
The Detroit Tigers started the 2018 draft by selecting 2017 Collegiate National Team alumnus Casey Mize with the first pick of the draft. He is the sixth consecutive USA Baseball alum to be selected number one overall following Royce Lewis (2017), Mickey Moniak (2016), Dansby Swanson (2015), Brady Aiken (2014) and Mark Appel (2013).
In total, USA Baseball alumni have been selected with the number one overall pick 31 times since 1971.
"USA Baseball is extremely proud of our eighteen alumni who were selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft," said USA Baseball Executive Director and CEO Paul Seiler. "The success of our athletes following their time within our national team programs is a testament to their hard work and dedication to our beloved sport, and we cannot wait to watch them as they continue their baseball careers at the next level."
Four-time USA Baseball alumnus Nick Madrigal (No. 4, Chicago White Sox), Travis Swaggerty (No. 10, Pittsburgh Pirates), two-time Collegiate National Team alum Seth Beer (No. 28, Houston Astros), Cadyn Grenier (No. 37, Baltimore Orioles) and Jake McCarthy (No. 39, Arizona Diamondbacks) join Mize as members of the 2017 Collegiate National Team that were selected in the first round. This team won all three of its international friendship series last summer against Chinese Taipei, Cuba and Japan.
Following a season in which the 18U National Team earned its fourth consecutive World Baseball Softball Confederation U-18 Baseball World Cup title, ten members of the 20-man roster were selected in the first round in 2018. Jarred Kelenic (No. 6, New York Mets) was the first member of the team selected, followed by Ryan Weathers (No. 7, San Diego Padres), Matt Liberatore (No. 16, Tampa Bay Rays), Nolan Gorman (No. 19, St. Louis Cardinals), three-time alum Brice Turang (No. 21, Milwaukee Brewers), Anthony Seigler (No. 23, New York Yankees), three-time alum Triston Casas (No. 26, Boston Red Sox), Mason Denaburg (No. 27, Washington Nationals), JT Ginn (No. 30, Los Angeles Dodgers) and Ethan Hankins (No. 35, Cleveland Indians).
"To have half of last year's roster selected in the first round is a real honor to everyone involved in the USA Baseball National Team process," said Matt Blood, USA Baseball 18U National Team Director. "These players have put in a lot of hard work and have also taken great pride in representing the United States in International competition."
Four national team programs were represented in the 2018 draft, including seven players from the Collegiate National Team, 15 from the 18U National Team, four from the 15U National Team and two that played for the former 14U National Team. In total, the 18 alumni selected in the first round have won a cumulative eighteen international gold medals and one silver medal.
USA Baseball had its most successful year in 2017, sweeping through its international competition with gold medals at the World Baseball Classic, WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, COPABE Pan Am U-15 Championships and the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup; in addition to the Collegiate National Team winning all three of its international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Cuba and Japan. It is the first time in international baseball history a federation has won all of its international competitions in a calendar year.
The draft continues Tuesday, June 5 and Wednesday, June 6. Stay tuned to @USABaseball on Twitter for updates.
The full list of USA Baseball alumni selected in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft is as follows:
Round-Pick; Name; MLB Team; USA Baseball Team(s)
1-1; Casey Mize; Detroit Tigers; 2017 Collegiate
1-4; Nick Madrigal; Chicago White Sox; 2011 14U, 2012 15U, 2014 18U, 2017 Collegiate
1-6; Jarred Kelenic; New York Mets; 2016-17 18U
1-7; Ryan Weathers; San Diego Padres; 2017 18U
1-10; Travis Swaggerty; Pittsburgh Pirates; 2017 Collegiate
1-16; Matthew Liberatore; Tampa Bay Rays; 2017 18U
1-19; Nolan Gorman; St. Louis Cardinals; 2017 18U
1-21; Brice Turang; Milwaukee Brewers; 2014 15U, 2016-17 18U
1-22; Ryan Rolison; Colorado Rockies; 2015 18U
1-23; Anthony Seigler; New York Yankees; 2017 18U
1-24; Nico Hoerner; Chicago Cubs; 2011 14U, 2012 15U
1-26; Triston Casas; Boston Red Sox; 2015 15U, 2016-17 18U
1-27; Mason Denaburg; Washington Nationals; 2017 18U
1-28; Seth Beer; Houston Astros; 2016-17 Collegiate
1-30; JT Ginn; Los Angeles Dodgers; 2017 18U
1-35; Ethan Hankins; Cleveland Indians; 2017 18U
1-37; Cadyn Grenier; Baltimore Orioles; 2017 Collegiate
1-39; Jake McCarthy; Arizona Diamondbacks; 2017 Collegiate