Matt Kemp, Matt Wieters Lead Team USA’s Olympic Qualifier Training Camp Roster

Image credit: David Robertson (Juan Salas/Icon Sportswire Via Getty)

USA Baseball announced its Olympic Training Camp roster on Sunday, naming the players it hopes will help Team USA qualify for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Team USA will cut the roster from 28 to 26 players on May 30. Those 26 players will make up the roster for the Americas Qualifier from May 31-June 5 in Florida. The winner of the eight-team Americas Qualifier will qualify for the Olympics, while the second- and third-place finishers will get another chance at a Final Qualifier in Mexico.

Only players not on 40-man rosters are eligible to participate in the Americas Qualifier. As such, Team USA selected a mix of decorated former major leaguers and top young prospects to help navigate the tournament field.

Team USA failed in its first chance to qualify for the Olympics in the WBCS Premier12 in November 2019 with a prospect-heavy roster. There is a significantly larger and more accomplished veteran contingent on this roster, which it hopes will be enough to put it over the top.

Team USA opens the Americas Qualifier against Nicaragua on May 31 at 7 p.m. ET in St. Lucie, Fla. All games will be televised on ESPN+.

Here are the players on the 28-man training camp roster.

Nick Allen, SS, Athletics­—Allen is the A’s No. 6 prospect and is widely considered the best defensive shortstop in the minor leagues. A defensive wizard with the glove, he also has some contact ability at the plate and is batting .297/.382/.406 for Double-A Midland this season.

Eddy Alvarez, 2B, Marlins—Alvarez brings previous Olympic experience to Team USA. A decorated speed skater, Alvarez won a silver medal in the men’s 5000-meter short-track relay at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and resumed his baseball career after the Olympics. He made his major league debut for the Marlins last season, becoming the first Winter Olympian since Jim Thorpe to also play Major League Baseball, and is currently batting .224/.424/.245 for Triple-A Jacksonville.

Clayton Andrews, LHP, Brewers—Andrews had a 1.99 ERA and hit .302 as a two-way player at Long Beach State and has continued to experiment with playing both ways as a pro, although he has primarily been a lefthanded reliever. The Brewers No. 27 prospect, Andrews has a low-90s fastball and sinking changeup that makes him an effective bullpen option, and his plus speed and athleticism gives him the ability to be a pinch runner and defensive replacement in center field. He is 1-1, 4.82 in seven relief appearances for Triple-A Nashville this season. He was on Team USA’s last Olympic qualifying roster at WBSC Premier12 in 2019.

Homer Bailey, RHP, Free agent—The 14-year big leaguer pitched for the Twins last season but made only two starts while spending most of the year on the injured list with biceps tendinitis. Now 35, Bailey has a long injury history but showed he still has something left with a fastball and slider that were effective against big league hitters last season. With two no-hitters and postseason experience on his resume, the Texas native should bring a savvy, steadying presence to Team USA’s rotation.

Jonathan Bowlan, RHP, Royals—The Royals No. 9 prospect, Bowlan is a big-bodied power pitcher at 6-foot-6, 248 pounds with a heavy mid-90s fastball and darting slider. He is 2-0, 1.65 in three starts for Double-A Northwest Arkansas this season with 23 strikeouts and three walks in 16.1 innings. Bowlan also has a promising changeup and has impressive control for a pitcher his size, giving him the versatility to either start or relieve for Team USA.

Triston Casas, 1B, Red Sox—Casas is the Red Sox’s No. 1 prospect and ranked No. 39 on the BA Top 100 entering the season. The 21-year-old has big power from the left side and shows advanced hitting ability and strike-zone discipline for his age. He is batting .323/.400/.516 with three home runs and 13 RBIs for Double-A Portland this season and previously played for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2017.

Brandon Dickson, RHP, Free agent—Dickson briefly pitched for the Cardinals in 2011-12 before leaving for Japan. He pitched for the Orix Buffaloes in Nippon Professional Baseball from 2013-20, initially as a starter before becoming a closer, and played for Team USA’s last Olympic qualifying team at WBSC Premier12. With the Olympics in Tokyo, his knowledge of the players and landscape in Japan has been cited by team officials as highly valuable to Team USA.   

Jarren Duran, OF, Red Sox—The Red Sox’s No. 4 prospect and No. 90 on the Top 100, Duran is one of the fastest players in the minor leagues and has added power with swing changes made at the alternate training site last year. He is batting .299/.390/.672 with seven home runs, 12 RBIs and four stolen bases in 17 games for Triple-A Worcester this season.

Tim Federowicz, C, Dodgers—Federowicz played parts of eight seasons in the majors as a backup catcher, most recently with the Rangers in 2019. He signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason and is batting .143/.250/.257 in 13 games at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season. Federowicz doesn’t offer much offensively, but he is the quintessential backup catcher whose defense makes him a valuable part of the team. He is a solid receiver, gains the trust of his pitchers with his game-calling and blocking abilities and has a strong, accurate arm that has thrown out 31% of attempted basestealers in his career.

Eric Filia, OF, Mariners—Filia has been one of the top contact hitters and on-base threats in the minors for years. The 28-year-old owns a career .318/.411/.425 slash line and currently has a .377 on-base percentage with more walks (10) than strikeouts (six) with Triple-A Tacoma. Filia lacks power and isn’t considered a top prospect, but his extreme contact ability and excellent plate discipline from the left side will help balance what may be a very righthanded-heavy lineup.

Logan Forsythe, 2B, Brewers—The 10-year veteran spent last season with the Marlins and signed a minor league deal with the Brewers on May 4. He was assigned to Triple-A Nashville but has yet to play in a game this season.

Todd Frazier, 3B, Free agent—The two-time all-star has spent parts of 11 seasons in the major leagues and became a free agent when the Pirates released him earlier this month. He went 3-for-35 in 13 games with the Pirates this season after batting .236/.302/.382 for the Rangers in 2020.

 

Anthony Gose, LHP, Indians—Gose spent 2012-16 in the majors as an outfielder with the Blue Jays and Tigers before converting to pitching. He is 1-0, 5.68 in six relief appearances for Triple-A Columbus this year with nine strikeouts and 12 walks in 6.1 innings.

Edwin Jackson, RHP, Free agent—The 17-year veteran last pitched for the Tigers and A’s in 2019 and went 3-10, 9.58 in 18 appearances. The former all-star will be the veteran of Team USA’s staff at age 37 and has a chance to be a member of its rotation, although it remains to be seen what his stuff looks like after a long layoff. 

Jon Jay, OF, Angels—Jay played five games with the Angels this season before being designated for assignment on May 14. He remained part of the organization and has gone 5-for-11 with a home run in three games with Triple-A Salt Lake. The 12-year veteran has hit .283/.348/.373 in his career and can play all three outfield positions.

D.J. Johnson, RHP, Indians—Johnson went undrafted, was let go by four teams and briefly pitched in independent ball before reaching the major leagues with the Rockies in 2018-19. He spent 2020 pitching for Hiroshima in Japan before signing a minor league deal with the Indians prior to this season. He is 0-1, 4.76 in seven relief appearances for Triple-A Columbus this season.

Matt Kemp, OF, Free agent—The 15-year veteran and three-time all-star will help anchor Team USA’s lineup as the most accomplished position player on the roster. The 36-year-old last played in the majors with the Rockies in 2020 and hit .239/.316/.419 with six home runs and 21 RBIs in 43 games.

Mark Kolozsvary, C, Reds—A seventh-round pick out of Florida in 2017, Kolozsvary is a superb defender who has been named the best defensive catcher in the Reds system three years in a row. While defense is his calling card, he’s been off to a hot start offensively this season and is batting .349/.417/.674 with eight doubles, two home runs and 10 RBIs in 12 games for Double-A Chattanooga.

Trevor Lane, LHP, Yankees—Lane has steadily ascended the Yankees farm system as a solid reliever since they drafted him in the 10th round out of Illinois-Chicago in 2016. He is effective against both lefties and righties and has held opponents scoreless in four of his five appearances for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this season.

Matthew Liberatore, LHP, Cardinals—Liberatore is the Cardinals top pitching prospect and ranks No. 38 on the BA Top 100. The 21-year-old old has long been lauded for his polish and well-rounded four-pitch mix and made the aggressive jump from Low-A straight to Triple-A this season. He is 0-2, 4.67 in three starts for Triple-A Memphis with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 17.1 innings. He previously played for USA Baseball’s 18U National Team in 2017.

Drew Parrish, LHP, Royals—Parrish pitched for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team in 2018 and starred for Florida State at the College World Series in 2019. Drafted by the Royals in the eighth round in 2019, the 5-foot-11, 180-pound lefthander owns an impressive changeup that has allowed him to handle both lefties and righties in relief. He has yet to allow a run in 11.2 innings at High-A Quad Cities this year and gives Team USA a multi-inning lefthanded relief option.

David Robertson, RHP, Free agent—Robertson hasn’t pitched since having Tommy John surgery early in the 2019 season but was one of the best and most durable relievers in the game prior to his injury. The 12-year veteran has a career 2.90 ERA and was part of Team USA’s gold-medal winning team at the 2017 World Baseball Classic. 

Marc Rzepczynski, LHP, Free agent—The longtime lefthanded specialist hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2018, although he did pitch in the minors with the D-backs in 2019. He signed a minor league deal with the Blue Jays before the 2020 season but was released prior to the start of summer camp. Rzepczynski is the most experienced and accomplished lefty reliever on a roster full of southpaws, although it remains to be seen what his stuff looks like after so much time away.

Joe Ryan, RHP, Rays—Ryan is the Rays No. 13 prospect on the strength of a fastball batters just can’t seem to hit. His combination of velocity, backspin and deception makes it a nearly unhittable pitch at the top of the zone and he has dominated with it almost exclusively in his pro career. He is 1-2, 5.94 in four starts with Triple-A Durham this season but is still missing bats with 26 strikeouts and only five walks in 16.2 innings.

James Sherfy, RHP, Giants—Sherfy made 43 relief appearances with the D-backs from 2017-19 and signed a minor league deal with the Giants before this season. He has been effective against both lefties and righties in his career on the strength of a swing-and-miss slider and has yet to allow a run in six relief appearances for Triple-A Sacramento this season.

Matt Wieters, C, Free agent—Wieters joins Kemp as the most decorated players on Team USA’s camp roster. The four-time all-star and 12-year major league veteran last played for the Cardinals in 2020 and was a member of USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team while at Georgia Tech. The 35-year-old is expected to be Team USA’s starting catcher and will provide veteran leadership on both sides of the ball.

Luke Williams, 2B/3B, Phillies—A third-round pick in 2015, Williams has slowly climbed the Phillies system and is off to a hot start this season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, batting .368/.442/.485 with four doubles and two home runs in 12 games. Primarily a third baseman in his career, Williams has mostly played second base this season and is also experienced at shortstop and all three outfield positions, making him a versatile utility option for Team USA.

Simeon Woods Richardson, RHP, Blue Jays—One of the brightest pitching prospects in the minors, Woods Richardson is ranked No. 58 on the BA Top 100 and is quickly climbing in the eyes of evaluators around the game. He is 1-0, 2.37 in four starts at Double-A New Hampshire this season as a 20-year-old, with 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 19 innings. Woods Richardson has a 91-95 mph fastball, a curveball that some executives feel is the best in the minors and advanced control for his age. He has a chance to start for Team USA or help as valuable pitching depth who can fill in where needed.

2021 TEAM USA OLYMPIC TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

Name	Position	B/T	Ht.	Wt.	Place of Birth	2021 Organization	Most Recent Team
Nick Allen	SS	R/R	5-8	166	San Diego, Calif.	Oakland Athletics	Midland (AA)
Eddy Alvarez	2B	S/R	5-9	185	Miami, Fla.	Miami Marlins	Jacksonville (AAA)
Clayton Andrews	LHP	L/L	5-6	160	Petaluma, Calif.	Milwaukee Brewers	Nashville (AAA)
Homer Bailey	RHP	R/R	6-4	223	LaGrange, Texas	Free Agent
Jonathan Bowlan	RHP	R/R	6-5	240	Arlington, Tenn.	Kansas City Royals	Northwest Arkansas (AA)
Triston Casas	1B	L/R	6-4	250	Miami, Fla.	Boston Red Sox	Portland (AA)
Brandon Dickson	RHP	R/R	6-5	190	Montgomery, Ala.	Free Agent
Jarren Duran	OF	L/R	6-2	210	Corona, Calif.	Boston Red Sox	Worcester (AAA)
Tim Federowicz	C	R/R	5-10	215	Erie, Pa.	Los Angeles Dodgers	Oklahoma City (AAA)
Eric Filia	OF	L/L	6-0	190	Carlsbad, Calif.	Seattle Mariners	Tacoma (AAA)
Logan Forsythe	2B	L/L	6-3	225	Kansas City, Mo.	Milwaukee Brewers	Nashville (AAA)
Todd Frazier	3B/1B	R/R	6-2	215	Point Pleasant, N.J.	Free Agent
Anthony Gose	LHP	L/L	6-0	200	Bellflower, Calif.	Cleveland Indians	Columbus (AAA)
Edwin Jackson	RHP	R/R	6-2	215	Neu-Ulm, Germany	Free Agent
Jon Jay	OF	L/L	5-11	200	Miami, Fla.	Los Angeles Angeles	Salt Lake Bees (AAA)
DJ Johnson	RHP	L/R	6-4	230	Beaverton, Ore.	Cleveland Indians	Columbus (AAA)
Matt Kemp	OF	R/R	6-4	225	Midwest City, Okla.	Free Agent
Mark Kolozsvary	C	R/R	5-8	180	Eustis, Fla.	Cincinnati Reds	Chattanooga Lookouts (AA)
Trevor Lane	LHP	L/L	5-11	185	North Bend, Wash.	New York Yankees	Scranton Wilkes-Barre (AAA)
Matthew Liberatore	LHP	L/L	6-4	200	Peoria, Ariz.	St. Louis Cardinals	Memphis (AAA)
Drew Parrish	LHP	L/L	5-11	200	Cape Canaveral, Fla.	Kansas City Royals	Quad Cities (A+)
David Robertson	RHP	R/R	5-11	195	Birmingham, Ala.	Free Agent
Marc Rzepczynski	LHP	L/L	6-2	220	Oak Lawn, Ill.	Free Agent
Joe Ryan	RHP	R/R	6-2	205	San Francisco, Calif.	Tampa Bay Rays	Durham (AAA)
James Sherfy	RHP	R/R	6-0	175	Thousand Oaks, Calif.	San Francisco Giants	Sacramento (AAA)
Matt Wieters	C	S/R	6-5	235	Charleston, S.C.	Free Agent
Luke Williams	3B/2B	R/R	6-1	186	Park Ridge, Ill.	Philadelphia Phillies	Lehigh Valley (AAA)
Simeon Woods Richardson	RHP	R/R	6-3	210	Sugar Land, Texas	Toronto Blue Jays	New Hampshire (AA)