2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup fireballer Ian Anderson red hot in MLB playoffs
The right-hander pitched for USA Baseball's 2015 U-18 World Championship team. The 2016 first-round pick made his MLB debut on 25 August.
Ian Anderson, who helped the United States win the 2015 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup, led the Atlanta Braves to a 2-0 win against the Miami Marlins in the Major League Baseball (MLB) National League Division Series. Atlanta now leads the best-of-five series 2-0.
Anderson went 5.2 innings and allowed only three hits while striking out eight. The game marked his third MLB start, the first in the postseason. His playoff debut has been generating major headlines in the media and discussions amongst fans.
The right-hander pitched for the US National Team in 2015. He earned the save, going 3.1 innings, against Mexico in the opening round and pitched 3.1 innings against Korea in the Super Round.
Heading into the 2015 U-18 World Cup, he was a junior at Shenendehowa High School in Clifton Park, New York. He would lead his team to a Class AA State Championship the year after.
Anderson was selected as the third overall pick at the 2016 MLB Draft. His signing bonus was a reported US$ 4 million.
He started 80 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) games for the Braves before making his MLB debut on 25 August 2020 against the New York Yankees.
The U-18 Baseball World Cup, along with its continental qualifiers, has consistently featured players who have gone on to become some of the biggest names in the sport, such as Japan’s Yu Darvish and Shohei Ohtani; Korea’s Shin-soo Choo; Cuba’s Yasiel Puig and Aroldis Chapman; and Clayton Kershaw, Bryce Harper, Francisco Lindor, Manny Machado and Buster Posey, who all played for USA Baseball’s U-18 National Team.
The next WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup is set for 2021 in the cities of Sarasota and Bradenton, Florida, and will be hosted by USA Baseball.
