October baseball is at its height, and the Division Series of the MLB playoffs did not disappoint. Forty-seven USA Baseball alumni were featured on teams playing in the divisional stage, and many of them delivered clutch moments for their respective teams. See who helped their team advance to the championship round.
DODGERS VS. BRAVES
The defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers are headed to the National League Championship Series for the third consecutive year following a 3-1 series win over the Atlanta Braves. Each game of the series was decided by three or less runs, and Tarik Skubal (2026 WBC) set the tone for the Dodgers by surrendering just one earned run across six innings in Game 1 to improve his career postseason record to 3-1. At the plate Kyle Tucker (2012 15U, 2023 WBC) was a steady presence the entire series. He tallied at least one hit in all four games, including a two-run home run in Game 1. Freddie Freeman (2005 16U, 2006 18U) continued to deliver for LA in postseason play by homering in Games 2 and 3. His home run in Game 3 gives him 18 for his career in the postseason, which tied him for the second-most in National League history.
WHITE SOX VS. GUARDIANS
In the only divisional series that went to five games, the Cleveland Guardians came out on top and are moving on to the ALCS. The White Sox shut out the Guardians 3-0 in Game 1, and Hagen Smith (2023 CNT) made his second career postseason start by throwing 2.2 hitless innings while racking up four strikeouts. Anthony Kay (2015 CNT) and Grant Taylor (2017 15U) threw the last 5.1 innings of that contest, and Taylor earned his first career postseason save after hurling four innings. In Game 2, Braden Montgomery (2023 CNT) drove in the game-tying and go-ahead runs with a two-run double in the sixth inning, Kay made his first career postseason start, and Taylor earned his second save in as many days by securing the last four outs in hitless fashion. In Games 3 and 4 the Guardians’ offense showed out by scoring a combined 18 runs across the two games, which were won in comeback fashion. Jo Adell (2019 Pro) was a part of that spark, as he delivered a bases-clearing triple in the third inning of Game 3 and a two-RBI single in the sixth inning of Game 4. Patrick Bailey (2016 18U, 2018 and 2019 CNT) put together a pair of two-hit performances in those games, which included his first career postseason home run in the fifth inning of Game 4 that started the eventual comeback. Hunter Gaddis (2017 CNT) made appearances out of the bullpen in each the first four games and did not allow a run to score across a combined 3.0 innings. In Game 5 the Guardians secured another shutout victory, and alums Gaddis and Petey Halpin (2017 15U) shined in the contest. Gaddis threw 1.1 shutout innings and retired all four batters by strikeout, and Halpin made his first postseason start and turned in a multi-hit showing with two hits.
RAYS VS. YANKEES
The Tampa Bay Rays secured a three-game sweep over the New York Yankees. It was the only series that ended in three games, and the Rays will play in their third American League Championship Series in franchise history. It was a low-scoring series, as just a combined 15 runs were scored, and showcased strong pitching for both squads. For the Rays, Nick Martinez (2021 OLY, 2023 WBC) and Griffin Jax (2026 WBC) played a pivotal role in the team’s 4-3 victory in Game 3. Martinez got the start and threw 3.2 innings, and Jax thew two innings in relief and fanned a team-high four batters. For the Yankees, Ryan Weathers (2017 18U) and David Bednar (2023 & 2026 WBC) both made two appearances out of the bullpen and threw a combined 3.2 hitless innings in the series. Offensively, Ryan Vilade (2014 15U, 2016 18U) hit his first career postseason home run in Game 3 while Chandler Simpson (2024 Pro) tallied a hit and an RBI groundout in Game 2.
BREWERS VS. PADRES
The top-seeded Milwaukee Brewers earned a 3-1 series victory over the San Diego Padres to earn a spot in the NLCS for the second straight year. Three of the four games were decided by just one run, and all four Team USA alumni on the Brewers’ lineup helped make the difference. Christian Yelich (2017 WBC) paced the offense by finishing the series on a four-game hit streak with five hits total and two runs scored. Garrett Mitchell (2019 Pro) tallied a combined four hits in the series, highlighted by a two-hit outing in Game 4, and scored three runs. Brice Turang (2014 15U, 2016 & 2017 18U, 2026 WBC) started all four contests at second base and had hits in the last two games of the series, and Andrew Vaughn (2013 15U, 2017 & 2018 CNT, 2019 Pro) saw a pair of pinch-hit opportunities. Jake Cronenworth (2019 Pro) and Manny Machado (2009 18U) were bright spots for the Padres’ offense. Cronenworth was responsible for the go-ahead home run in the fifth inning of Game 3 to force a fourth game. Machado had a two-hit performance in Game 1, his third multi-hit outing of the postseason, and delivered a run-scoring single in the early innings of Game 3. On the mound, Jason Adam (2023 WBC) made three relief appearances and tossed a combined 2.1 innings.
The keep with the latest news on Team USA, go to USABaseball.com or follow @USABaseball12U, @USABaseball15U, @USABaseball18U, and @USABaseballCNT on X, and @USABaseball on all social media platforms.
