Playoff baseball has arrived, and with postseason play comes the league’s top players delivering clutch hits and big pitches on the league's biggest stage. The red, white, and blue is well represented this year, with 54 Team USA alumni being featured on teams playing in the Wild Card stage. See who helped their team live another day and punch a ticket to the division round.
PHILLIES VS. BRAVES
In the only series that went to three games in the Wild Card round, the Atlanta Braves came out on top against the Philadelphia Phillies and are moving on to the division round. After some eighth-inning drama lifted the Braves to a 5-3 win in Game 1, Alec Bohm (2019 Pro) hit a go-ahead home run in the 10th inning to give the Phillies a 4-3 victory and force a rubber match. Andrew Painter (2018 15U) also shined in Game 2 by hurling the final three innings in shutout fashion to earn his first career postseason win. In Game 3, the Braves secured a 6-2 victory by way of the home run, and Matt Olson (2010 16U) was one of those contributors with his solo shot in the eighth inning. Several other alumni stood out in the three-game series. Bohm, alongside three-time alums Bryce Harper (2008 16U, 2009 18U, 2026 WBC) and Kyle Schwarber (2013 CNT, 2023 & 2026 WBC), tallied at least one hit in each game for the Phillies, and Harper was responsible for the game-tying run in the eighth inning of Game 2. Additionally, Drake Baldwin (2024 Pro) started all three games behind the dish and had a two-hit performance with an RBI in Game 2.
WHITE SOX VS. ASTROS
The Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros in two games in the Wild Card round, and former Team USA pitchers shined in the series. In Game 1, Hagen Smith (2023 CNT), who made his major league debut just two months ago, got the start for the White Sox and threw three shutout innings to help propel his team to a 6-3 victory. Likewise, Grant Taylor (2017 15U) closed out the game on the bump in scoreless fashion, fanning five batters across the final 2.1 innings of the contest. In Game 2, Anthony Kay (2015 CNT) secured the final two outs of the fifth inning to earn his first postseason win in a 7-3 result, while Erick Fedde (2013 CNT) tossed the final two innings in hitless fashion while tallying three strikeouts. At the plate, Kyle Teel (2021, 2022 CNT) tallied three hits in the series, which included a 2-for-5 outing with an RBI and run scored in Game 2. Additionally, Randal Grichuk (2007 16U) and Braden Montgomery (2023 CNT) had two hits apiece in the series opener.
YANKEES VS. RED SOX
The New York Yankees dominated in a two-game sweep over the Boston Red Sox in the Wild Card Series, outscoring the opposition 18-2. Three-time alums Paul Goldschmidt (2017, 2023, 2026 WBC) and Anthony Volpe (2013 12U, 2016 15U, 2018 18U) both made starts at their respective positions in Game 1. Volpe managed to put together a 1-for-3 showing, and Goldschmidt scored a run in the eighth inning as part of the Yankee’s five-run frame that led to a 9-0 victory. In Game 2, two-time alum David Bednar (2023, 2026 WBC) worked around a leadoff walk to throw a hitless ninth inning and close out the 9-2 win.
PADRES VS. CUBS
The San Diego Padres secured its spot in the divisional series after picking up 8-0 and 4-1 wins over the Chicago Cubs. The Padres held the Cubs to just eight hits and one run in the series, and Nico Hoerner (2011 14U, 2012 15U) was the bright spot offensively as he went 2-for-4 in both games to account for half of his team’s hits. Manny Machado (2009 18U) played a big part of the offensive spark for the Padres in Game 1 by tallying two hits and two RBIs – a solo home run in the first and an RBI double in the third – in his first two at-bats. Padres pitchers Jason Adam (2023 WBC) and Mason Miller (2026 WBC) each threw a scoreless inning in relief in Game 2, and Miller was credited with his first career postseason save.
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