THUNDER BAY – Still on the fence about attending the Under-18 Baseball World Cup when it gets under way on Friday?
A quick look at the success of graduates from the 2010 tournament, then known as the World Junior Baseball Championship, should be all you need to convince yourself to go.
The 2010 event featured no fewer than a dozen future major league players, led by all-star shortstop Francisco Lindor, who last year helped lead the Cleveland Indians to within a victory of a World Series Championship.
Seven members of that United States team have found a spot on a big league roster, with another one or two to come.Cuba, Canada and Chinese Taipei have also sent players to the show.
Here’s an update detailing where they are now.
- Albert Almora, Jr. – Almora has found regular duty this season with the world champion Chicago Cubs. He’s hitting .285 with five home runs and 30 RBI in 102 appearances.
- Nicky Delmonico – A recent call-up by the Chicago White Sox, the outfielder has been tearing up the Windy City’s south side, cracking six home runs and hitting .307 in 22 games in 2017.
- Tzu-Wei Lin – The star of the Chinese Taipei team that took the title in 2010, Lin hit .280 with a .379 OBP this summer, his first taste of big league ball, before being sent back to the minors.
- Francisco Lindor – Already one of the best defensive shortstops in the game, Lindor has rebounded from a mid-season slump and has 24 homers this summer for the Central Division-leading Cleveland Indians.
- Michael Lorenzen – Lorenzen has carved out a spot as a middle reliever with the Cincinnati Reds, after beginning his MLB career as a starter. He’s regressed a bit in 2017, with a 4.88 ERA, but did manage to earn his first big-league save.
- Lance McCullers, Jr. – The right-hander has missed all of August with a back injury, but was a mainstay in the Houston Astros rotation this year, with a 7-3 record and a 1.29 WHIP. He’s 19-15 for his career.
- Henry Owens – The southpaw Owens is 4-6 pitching parts of two seasons with Boston, but has not played in the majors this summer.
- Nick Pivetta – The Canadian hurler made his MLB debut this summer with an awful Philadelphia team, and has seen mixed results, posting a 5-9 record and 6.57 ERA.
- Dalton Pompey – Injuries have stalled the development of the Canadian outfielder and Blue Jays hopeful, who missed most of this season and is hitting just .205 in 13 appearances in the minors in 2017.
- Jorge Soler – The star of the Cuban national junior team seven years ago, Soler was highly touted when he defected, landing in the Chicago Cubs system. Soler has battled injuries and at last look had been demoted by Kansas City, who traded for the power hitter last offseason. He’s got 19 HR in 67 minor-league games this year.
- Blake Swihart – The backstop burst onto the MLB scene in 2015, but hasn’t been able to recapture his rookie success and has spent the entirety of the current season banished to the minor leagues. He hit .274 two summers ago in Boston.
- Tony Wolters – Listed as an infielder in 2010, Wolters has made it to the majors as a catcher, hitting .244 this summer while driving in 14 for Colorado.
