Team USA Finishes Disappointing Fourth At 18U World Cup
Image credit: Japan celebrates its gold medal at the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation 18U World Cup. (Photo courtesy: WBSC)
USA Baseball’s 18U National Team dropped its bronze medal game against South Korea, 4-0, on Sunday and cemented a fourth-place finish in the 2023 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 World Cup, which took place in Taiwan. Japan topped Taiwan in the gold medal game.
The fourth-pace finish is the worst finish for Team USA at the 18U world event since 2010. The result snaps a streak of six consecutive international WBSC events for the 18U team with at least a top two finish, including four consecutive gold medal finishes from 2012 to 2017—capped by one of the most dominant showings ever for an American national team in Thunder Bay, Canada, in 2017.
USA Baseball’s 18U National Team WBSC Results Since 2000
| Event | Year | Finish | Winner |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2023 | 4th | Japan |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2021 | 1st | USA |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2019 | 2nd | Taiwan |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2017 | 1st | USA |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2015 | 1st | USA |
| U-18 Baseball World Cup | 2013 | 1st | USA |
| 18U Baseball World Championship | 2012 | 1st | USA |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2010 | 5th | Taiwan |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2008 | 2nd | South Korea |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2006 | 2nd | South Korea |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2004 | 4th | Cuba |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2002 | 3rd | Cuba |
| Junior Baseball World Championship | 2000 | 2nd | South Korea |
Team USA went 5-4 in the tournament and failed to medal in the event for the first time in 13 years, going back to the 2010 Junior Baseball World Championship which was also held in Taiwan. This was the worst performance by USAs 18U team since a fifth place finish in 2010 when the World Cup was called the Junior Baseball World Championship.
Team USA outscored opponents 29-24, but suffered two shutout losses (once against Taiwan and in the final game against Korea) and ranked fifth out of twelve teams with a 2.44 team ERA and with 29 runs scored.
The Americans didn’t have either the firepower or run prevention that each of the top three teams had this year. Gold medal winning Japan scored 52 runs and had a 1.19 team ERA; silver medal winning Taiwan scored 48 runs and had a 0.80 team ERA; and bronze medal winning South Korea scored 37 runs and posted a 1.98 team ERA.
California lefthander Ethan Schiefelbein was Team USA’s leader on the mound. He started two games, threw a team-high nine innings and recorded a team-best 12 strikeouts, and posted a 0.78 ERA with just two walks and five hits allowed.
Colorado righthander Trey Gregory-Alford threw six shutout innings out of the bullpen and held opposing 20 opposing batters to just a .100 average, while Mississippi shortstop and righthander Carter Johnson threw five shutout innings in a start against Spain and California righthander Levi Sterling turned in two solid starts, totaling 8.1 innings with a 1.68 ERA.
South Carolina first baseman PJ Morlando was the team’s most consistent offensive threat in the middle of the lineup hitting out of either the No. 3 or No. 4 spot. The powerful lefthanded slugger hit .409/.500/.591 with two doubles, a triple, five walks and six strikeouts and was the lone American hitter to post an OPS over 1.000. He also tallied a hit in eight of the teams nine games.
After Morlando, Florida shortstop Manuelle Marin was the team’s most reliable offensive threat, and he was one of the few team USA hitters to place among the tournament’s offensive leaderboards—which were dominated by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan—with a .389 average that was fifth-best of the event. He collected hits in six of the teams nine games, though he was mostly buried at the bottom of the lineup until the final bronze game against Korea, where he was slotted into the leadoff spot.
Morlando and Marin were the only players to post an average over .300 for the tournament, while just three players—Morlando, Marin and Georgia catcher Levi Clark—managed an on-base percentage north of .400.
In total, the Americans hit just .211/.286/.294 with zero home runs and more than twice as many strikeouts (58) as walks (24).
In addition to being roughly middle-of-the-pack in terms of offense and run prevention, Team USA was one of the worst defensive teams at the World Cup, with 14 total errors—only Venezuela, with 15, had more.
There were two U.S. players (Morlando and Marin) on the World Cup All-World Team. The complete All-World team as selected was:
Starting pitcher Aoi Higashionna (Japan)
Relief pitcher Taekyeon Kim (Korea)
Catcher Meng Chih Hu (Taiwan)
First baseman P.J. Morlando (USA)
Second baseman Ren Ogata (Japan)
Third baseman Dimas Oda (Panama)
Shortstop Manuelle Marin (USA)
Outfielders Ching Hsien Ko (Taiwan), Antonio Macias (Mexico), Miquel Willem (Netherlands)
Designated hitter Sangjun Lee (Korea)
