From high school to the pros, USA Baseball alumni are all over the baseball landscape in 2024. Follow along throughout the season to keep track of some of the best performances among Team USA alumni across every level of the sport.
October 20
2014 15U National Team member Mark Vientos accounted for nearly half of the Mets’ runs in their 10-5 loss to the Dodgers in Game 6 of the NLCS. With New York down 6-1 in the top of the fourth inning, Vientos took a slider 401 feet to center field to cut the lead to three runs. The rest of the way was all Dodgers, seeing fellow USA Baseball alumni Will Smith and Mookie Betts power the Dodgers to the World Series. Smith smacked a two-run homer and Betts hit a timely RBI double to pave the way to victory. Although his side lost, Vientos, at only 24-years-old, led the postseason at the end of the league championships with five home runs.
October 19
The Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton played a massive role in a 5-2 ten-frame victory over the Guardians to claim the ALCS series in Game 5. The New York offense was stagnant through five innings, allowing Cleveland to build confidence in a Game 6 bid after they jumped out to a 2-0 lead. Stanton, a two-time USA Baseball alum, put all of those thoughts to rest after he slugged a two-run homer 446 feet to left center field, which tied the score at two runs each. The homer served as a spark plug for the Yankees, seeing them go on a three-run outburst in the top of the tenth inning to take Game 5 and the series as a whole. In 36 games in the postseason throughout his career, Stanton boasts a .269 batting average with 16 homers.
October 18
The Mets’ duo of Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker went a combined 4-for-6 with four RBIs in the Mets’ 12-6 rout of the Dodgers in Game 5 of the NLCS. Alonso, a 2023 World Baseball Classic alum, made his mark early with a three-run homer in the bottom of the first to put the Mets up by three. Shortly after, the two were walked in back-to-back at-bats and driven home thanks to a double to lift New York up by four runs. By the time the fourth inning came around, Alonso had found his way to first for the third time after he was hit by a pitch. Winker, a 2011 18U National Team alum, pushed Alonso home right after with a clutch RBI triple to right field. Despite the loss, Dodgers’ star and 2023 World Baseball Classic alum Mookie Betts slammed a solo home run in the contest. Alonso scored a game-high four times while Winker followed him, crossing the plate on three different occasions.
Two-time USA Baseball alum Giancarlo Stanton smacked a three-run homer in the Yankees’ 8-6 win over the Guardians to take a 3-1 lead in the ALCS. Stanton’s homer came in the top of the sixth frame. With the Yankees up 3-2, Stanton blasted his three-run shot to extend the lead to four runs, allowing for the Yankees to walk away with the win. Stanton has been on fire at the plate this postseason, collecting three home runs in his last four games.
October 17
2023 World Baseball Classic alum Mookie Betts tallied a whopping four hits to lead the Dodgers past the Mets, 10-2, to take a 3-1 lead in the NLCS. A two-run homer and two-run double were amongst Betts’ four hits that sparked the Dodgers’ offense. His double was arguably the most important hit of the game. With the Dodgers up 3-2 in a tight battle in the fourth frame, Betts took advantage of a 2-0 count and drilled a double to left field to extend the lead to three runs. Betts also added two singles throughout the rest of his performance, leading him to score on both occasions and guide his squad to victory. Opposite of Betts, 2014 15U National Team alum and Mets’ star Mark Vientos cracked a home run of his own, marking his fourth in the postseason.
October 16
Walker Buehler and the Dodgers shut the Mets out, 8-0, for the second time in three games, to take a 2-1 advantage in the NLCS. Buehler was all you could ask for in regards to a starting pitcher as he tossed four innings of scoreless baseball. Buehler, a 2014 Collegiate National Team alum, yielded three hits and two walks, but that was easily overlooked after he racked up six strikeouts. The 6’2 right-hander got stronger as the game went on and forced three straight outs in his final inning of action. In his last four appearances, Buehler is averaging four strikeouts per game with his highest total being nine.
While Buehler led the defense, 2023 World Baseball Classic alum Will Smith provided a spark for the offense. With both teams scoreless after the first inning, Smith reached first base on an infield single to shortstop, which put the first run of the game on the board and gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Later in the eighth, Smith made his way to the bases again thanks to a five-pitch walk and scored for the first time in the contest courtesy of Shohei Ohtani’s booming three-run homer. Smith currently owns 75 RBIs and has scored on 77 occasions in the current season.
October 15
The duo of Anthony Volpe and Alex Verdugo helped the Yankees down the Guardians 6-3 on Tuesday to take a 2-0 advantage in the ALCS. Volpe started things off with a single to center field in the bottom of the second. After Volpe made his way to third, Verdugo did the rest of the work and pushed him home with an RBI double to left field. In the sixth, Volpe made his way to first base via a walk, his first of two, and scored thanks to a fielding error to give the Yankees a two-run lead. Verdugo and Volpe each added another walk later in the contest, but were both left on the base path. Volpe’s two runs scored allowed him to eclipse the 90 mark in 2024 while Verdugo moved his RBI total to 61.
October 14
Two-time USA Baseball alum Carlos Rodon racked up nine strikeouts in six innings of play on the mound for the Yankees in a 5-2 win over the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS. Rodon got the win, and rightfully so, after his dominant performance on the bump. The NC State Wolfpack alum commanded from his perch throughout the contest and was eerily efficient, yielding three hits and zero walks throughout his outing. Giancarlo Stanton, also a two-time USA Baseball member, backed up Rodon’s defense at the plate. Stanton cracked a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to extend New York’s lead to four runs. He also earned a walk and scored after advancing to third via a wild pitch. Stanton has now registered at least one RBI in his last four games.
A day after being shutout in the opening contest of the NLCS, Mark Vientos and the Mets responded in a big way in Game 2 with a 7-3 victory over the Dodgers. After both teams went scoreless in the first frame, the Mets began the second by going on a five-run outburst. Vientos played a massive role in the run as he cranked a booming grand slam to center field, scoring fellow USA Baseball alum Jesse Winker, to put the Mets up 6-0. The 2014 15U National Team member added a single later in the game, but was left stranded on the base path. With the performance, the Mets tied the series at one game each while Vientos moved his home run total to 27 in the current season.
October 13
Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers tied a postseason mark of 33 straight scoreless innings after they kept the Mets off of the board and won Game 1 of the NLCS, 9-0. Flaherty, a 2013 18U National Team alum, was dominant on the bump, tossing seven frames of scoreless baseball. The 6’4 right-hander fanned six batters throughout his appearance, marking his best total in his last five outings. While Flaherty held it down on the mound, fellow USA Baseball alum Mookie Betts provided some offense for the Dodgers. Betts raked in a game-best three RBIs and crossed the plate himself on one occasion. The bulk of Betts’ damage came in the bottom of the eighth after he smacked a base-clearing double to left field, which put Los Angeles up 9-0. Betts now owns six RBIs in his last four games.
October 12
2013 18U National Team alum Lane Thomas cracked a timely grand slam in the Guardians ALDS-clinching Game 5 victory over the Detroit Tigers. With the score knotted at one run each in the bottom of the fifth frame and bases loaded for the Guardians, Thomas launched the grand slam to put his team up 5-1. Later in the seventh inning, he nabbed another RBI thanks to an infield single. Thomas finished his night with a game-high 5 RBIs, which moved him to 63 on the year.
October 10
Two-time USA Baseball alum Gerrit Cole was immaculate on the mound, tossing seven innings of one-run baseball in the Yankees series-clinching 3-1 win over the Royals on Thursday. Cole got the win in the crucial matchup, his eight of the year, in which he yielded six hits and racked up four strikeouts to keep the Royals at bay. Another Yankee and two-time USA Baseball member Giancarlo Stanton helped advance New York to the ALCS due to his timely RBI to extend New York’s lead. The Yankees will look to keep the momentum in the next round where they will face the winner of the Guardians and Tigers series.
October 9
Two-time USA Baseball alum Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees up in the top of the eighth inning with a home run to allow New York to clinch Game 3 of the AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium. Prior to the homer, Stanton cracked an RBI double in the fourth frame to give his crew a 1-0 lead. Both sides battled, which resulted in a locked score at two runs each. Stanton took matters into his own hands and smoked a ball 417 feet to left center field to give the Yankees an edge and clinch the win to go up 2-1 in the series. The Panorama City, California product owns 27 home runs and 72 RBIs on the year.
The Dodgers’ Mookie Betts and Will Smith both cranked home runs in Los Angeles’ 8-0 win over the Padres in Game 4 of the NL Division Series to even the series at two games each. Betts wasted no time getting his squad on the board as he delivered a solo shot over the center field wall in the top of the first frame. Betts tacked on another run in the top of the second thanks to an RBI single to right field. Not to be outdone, Smith drove in two runs of his home after he delivered a two-run homer in the third to put the Dodgers up 5-0. The 2023 World Baseball Classic teammates own almost identical lines in 2024. Betts owns 19 home runs while Smith has collected 20. The duo both own 75 RBIs each on the year.
October 8
Two-time USA Baseball alum Giancarlo Stanton put the Yankees up in the top of the eighth inning with a home run to allow New York to clinch Game 3 of the AL Division Series at Kauffman Stadium. Prior to the homer, Stanton cracked an RBI double in the fourth frame to give his crew a 1-0 lead. Both sides battled, which resulted in a locked score at two runs each. Stanton took matters into his own hands and smoked a ball 417 feet to left center field to give the Yankees an edge and clinch the win to go up 2-1 in the series. The Panorama City, California product owns 27 home runs and 72 RBIs on the year.
2023 World Baseball Classic alum Mookie Betts had a 2-for-4 night at the plate with a home run in the Dodgers’ 6-5 loss to the Padres on Tuesday in Game 3 of the NL Division Series. Betts began the contest by working to a full count and then blasting a 342-foot solo home run to left field to give the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the top of the first frame. The Nashville, Tennessee native kept his momentum at the dish when he slapped a single to center field to load the bases. In the next at-bat after his single, Betts scored thanks to a grand slam, which cut the deficit to a single run. Despite the outstanding performance, the Dodgers walked away with the loss and gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the NLDS.
The Mets’ duo of Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker sparked the offense to allow New York to capture a 7-2 win and take a 2-1 series lead over the Phillies in the NL Division Series. Alonso, a 2023 World Baseball Classic alum, was the first of the two to put on the run on the board after he crushed a solo shot over the right field wall, which gave the Mets a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. In the fourth, Winker increased the lead to two runs when he took a four-seam fastball almost 400 feet to right field. Alonso was also walked on two occasions, which resulted in him scoring once more. Alonso now owns three home runs in his last four games, which ranks second in 2024 postseason play.
October 7
2015 Collegiate National Team alum Garrett Hampson went a perfect 2-for-2 at the plate in the Royals’ 4-2 win over the Yankees to even the AL Division Series at one game each. Hampson came up clutch for the Royals in the top of the fourth frame when he delivered an RBI single to extend their lead to 3-1. After a pitching change from New York, Hampson was advanced home to mark his first run of the contest. He also added a hit in the third frame, but was left stranded after making it to third base. Hampson boasts a .230 batting average along with 16 RBIs in 2024.
October 6
2014 15U National Team alum Mark Vientos went 3-for-4 with two home runs and a game-high four RBIs in the Mets’ 7-6 loss to the Phillies in Game 2 of the NL Division Series. After two scoreless frames from both teams, Vientos put his squad up 2-0 with a 354-foot shot to right field. The Norwalk, Connecticut native replicated his first hit with another two-run homer in the top of the ninth to tie the score at six runs each. With the score knotted, fellow USA Baseball alum Nick Castellanos delivered an RBI single to score three-time USA Baseball alum Trea Turner and win the game. Two-time USAB alum Bryce Harper, of the Phillies, was also crucial in the win as he cranked a home run and registered two RBIs.
Kyle Higashioka and the Padres cruised to a 10-2 win over the Dodgers to even the NL Division Series, 1-1, on Sunday at Dodger Stadium. Despite a rough start and a lengthy delay, Higashioka took advantage of a 1-0 count and crushed a solo home run to center field to give the Padres an 8-1 lead. The home run continued Higashioka’s hot streak at the plate as he now owns four home runs in his last five games.
October 5
2016 18U National Team member MJ Melendez collected his 17th homer of the season in the Royals’ 6-5 loss to the Yankees on Saturday. Melendez smacked the two-run homer in the top of the fourth, providing the Royals a 3-2 lead after briefly being down 2-1 earlier. Opposite of Melendez, fellow USA Baseball alum Alex Verdugo stepped up with the score knotted at five runs each on the bottom of the seventh and delivered a go-ahead RBI single that would ultimately allow the Yankees to clinch the game. Verdugo moves to 61 RBIs on the season and has four RBIs in his last four games.
Lane Thomas crushed a three-run homer as a part of a five-run outburst to help the Guardians blank the Tigers in a 7-0 affair. Thomas, a 2013 18U National Team alum, and the Guardians raced out to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks in large part to Thomas’ three-run shot, which traveled 394 feet. His performance notched him a game-best three RBIs and allowed the Guardians snag a win in the opening contest of the AL Division Series.
Two-time USA Baseball alum Kyle Schwarber cracked a home run in the Phillies’ 6-2 loss to the Mets in the opening game of the 2024 NL Division Series on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park. Schwarber led off the bottom of the first for the Phillies and delivered a solo homer to put his side up early. Schwarber also added a single later in the contest, but was left stranded. He now owns 38 home runs in 2024, which is good for eighth best in the MLB.
October 3
The Mets’ duo of Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker were crucial in New York’s 4-2 win in Game 3 of the NL Wild Card Series over the Milwaukee Brewers. Alonso, a 2023 World Baseball Classic alum, provided the spark with his go-ahead three-run homer in the top of the ninth inning. 2011 18U National Team alum Jesse Winker got hit by a pitch right after the homer and made his way home via a hit from his teammate to tack on an insurance run and seal the victory. Alonso, Winker, and the Mets now move to the NL Division Series where they will square off with the Phillies.
October 2
2019 Collegiate National Team alum Garrett Mitchell slapped a two-run homer in the Brewers 5-3 win over the New York Mets in Game 2 of the NL Wild Card Series. The home run couldn’t have come at a better moment. In the bottom of the eighth, with the score locked at three runs, Mitchell stepped up to the plate and delivered the go-ahead shot on the very first pitch of his at-bat to give his side a 5-3 advantage and ultimately the win. The homer was Mitchell’s eighth of the year and it increased his RBI total to 21.
Padres’ Kyle Higashioka smacked a home run to spark a San Diego rally and down the Braves 5-4 to complete the NL Wild Card Series sweep. The five-run outburst came in the bottom of the second frame with the Padres down 1-0. Higashioka was the first Padre to get a run on the board via his 376-foot home run to left center field. The 2023 World Baseball Classic alum also earned a walk, but was ultimately left stranded. Higashioka now owns 17 home runs on the season and has at least one home run in each of his last three games.
October 1
The Mets’ duo of Mark Vientos and Jesse Winker provided New York’s offense with a spark, nabbing a combined four RBIs in the Mets’ 8-4 victory over the Brewers in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series. Vientos, a 2014 15U National Team alum, was the first of the two to nab a hit, which was a single to center field in the top of the second frame. After Vientos advanced to second, Winker, a 2011 18U National Team alum, slashed a two-RBI triple to push Vientos home and lock the score at two runs each. In the top of the fifth, Vientos crushed a two-RBI single, giving his side a two-run lead. In the game, Vientos moved his RBI total to 71 while Winker jumped up to 58.
2023 World Baseball Classic alum Kyle Higashioka nabbed two RBIs to help lift the Padres over the Braves, 4-0, in Game 1 of the NL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. With the Padres up 2-0 in the bottom of the second frame, Higashioka slapped a sacrifice fly to center field, which allowed fellow USA Baseball alum Jake Cronenworth to cross the plate. Higashioka followed up the sacrifice fly by knocking his 17th home run of the season, which came in the form of a solo shot and gave the Padres a 4-0 advantage. Higashioka, a product of Huntington Beach, California, now owns back-to-back games with at least two RBIs and a homer.
