Many years in the making, Team USA 18U icons finally meet at ASG

PHILADELPHIA -- As teenagers, CJ Abrams, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Riley Greene and Bobby Witt Jr. helped take the baseball world by storm. As adults, they are sharing the honor of being recognized as Major League Baseball’s top talents.

Before they were MLB All-Stars this season, they were members of the storied Team USA squad that captured gold in the 2018 COPABE U-18 Pan-American Championship.

“There are conversations that occurred on that team where you talk about maybe one day getting to meet again in the big leagues,” Carroll said. “To now actually do it, it’s very cool. Anytime during the regular season where we're playing against one of them, or something like this where we get to come together, I find it really special.”

Abrams and Crow-Armstrong are two-time All-Stars. Carroll, Greene and Witt have been selected three times. They are reunited this week in Philadelphia for the Midsummer Classic.

“We would have believed [this would happen] because we believed in ourselves,” said Abrams. “We went out there every day and did our thing, took care of business. Yeah, we would have believed.”

That team showed out on the world stage by defeating Panama, 17-2, in the gold medal game. Witt hit for the cycle, while Jack Leiter recorded nine strikeouts in just four innings.

“That team was special,” Witt reflected. “That team we had was building from 2016, from all the summer showcases. We all knew each other, we grew up playing with each other. … The list goes on and on with the big leaguers coming out of that team. You knew it was special just by who the guys were -- not only baseball players, but who they are off the field, too.”

Team USA outscored its opponents by 104 runs (131-27) in its nine games and set a record for most runs scored by an 18U National Team in an international tournament. Abrams, Tyler Callihan, Drew Romo and Anthony Volpe were named to the All-Tournament Team.

“I think as a high schooler, especially, you're just trying to see a little bit how you stack up,” Carroll said. “To get an opportunity like that to play with the best players in the country, in your class and to all be pulling for the same thing, for this country, I think it was a really informative experience for me.”

Every player from that stacked roster went on to be drafted. They had so much depth, Crow-Armstrong remembers how the lineups had to be maneuvered just to find playing time.

“When we just took the field every day, that was enough for me to appreciate what I was a part of,” he said. “Gunnar Henderson didn’t make that team. There are other great players who didn’t make that team. Riley Greene was playing first and DHing. Tyler Callihan was playing every position, pitching and catching. … Craziness.”

The players shared unique bonds that they value eight years later. Crow-Armstrong and Witt were roommates, for example, as were Abrams and Carroll. Not only did the players become friends, so did their families.

“I’ve been able to appreciate that,” said Crow-Armstrong. “I’ve reminisced on that a lot. It’s cool to say you were a part of that.”