(Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail)
USA Baseball Names 42-Player Roster for Final WBSC U-18 World Cup Team Selection
USA Baseball has officially unveiled a 42-player roster for the final training camp ahead of the WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup 2025, presented by RAXUS. The prestigious tournament will take place in Okinawa, Japan, from September 5–14, 2025.
The Phase 2 selection camp will run from August 24–27 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex. This stage will feature intrasquad exhibition games, on-field workouts, and evaluations before the roster is trimmed to the final 20 players who will represent the United States at the World Cup.
“We had an extremely competitive first phase of training camp, making the selection process very difficult,” said U-18 National Team Program Director Brett Curll. “These 42 athletes give us the best chance to compete before finalizing the team for Japan.”
Returning Talent and Notable Names
The roster includes nine USA Baseball alumni, headlined by three-time national team standout Grady Emerson, who played in the WBSC Americas U-18 Qualifier. Emerson will be aiming for a fourth consecutive summer on a USA roster.
Several other rising stars are joining him, including Carson Bolemon and Andrew Costello from the 2022 U-15 National Team, plus Wilson Andersen, Trey Ebel, Brady Harris, and Jorvorskie Lane Jr.
Also reuniting are Dariel Carrion and two-time USA Baseball alum Jared Grindlinger, who competed together on the 2024 U-15 National Team and have continued to impress in national development programs.
In total, 20 players on the Phase 2 roster have come through USA Baseball’s development system — 17 via the National Team Development Program (NTDP) and seven from the Athlete Development Program (ADP).
Experienced Coaching Staff
The 2025 USA U-18 National Team will be led by Rick Eckstein as manager, with a star-studded staff that includes his brother, 2006 World Series MVP David Eckstein, two-time MLB All-Star Brad Penny, and veteran high school coach Steve Stone.
They’ll be joined by nine additional coaches with major league experience, including Stephen Strasburg, Luke Gregerson, Rick Ankiel, Tim Raines Jr., Doug Mientkiewicz, and others.
Tournament Outlook
Ranked No. 3 in the world, the USA has a rich history in the U-18 Baseball World Cup, competing in 30 of 31 editions and earning 27 medals — 10 gold, 12 silver, and 5 bronze. Their most recent championship came in 2022 on home soil.
At the 2025 tournament, USA will play in Group B, facing:
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No. 10 Australia
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No. 19 China
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No. 18 Germany
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No. 9 Panama
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No. 2 Chinese Taipei
Group A will feature defending champions and world No. 1 Japan, along with Cuba, Korea, Puerto Rico, Italy, and South Africa.
With a deep roster and elite coaching staff, Team USA will aim to reclaim the U-18 world title and build on its storied international baseball legacy.
