TONY REAGINS NAMED TEAM USA GENERAL MANAGER

MLB’s Chief Baseball Development Officer is tasked with leading the U.S. to a second WBC title

CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named Tony Reagins Team USA’s General Manager for the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC). Currently the Chief Baseball Development Officer for Major League Baseball and a member of USA Baseball’s Board of Directors, Reagins is tasked with leading the red, white, and blue to back-to-back world titles after the 2017 squad won the WBC after defeating Puerto Rico 8-0 in the championship game.

Reagins will make his first appearance on a WBC staff with USA Baseball but is no stranger to the role. In 2007, he became the fifth African American General Manager in MLB history when he was promoted by the Los Angeles Angels, beginning a tenure in which the Halos went 363-285 (.560). He led the 2008 Angels to their first 100-win season in franchise history and won consecutive league titles in 2008 and 2009. In 2021, Reagins served as the General Manager for the U.S. Olympic Team that won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

“Tony is one of the most well-respected and knowledgeable figures in baseball, and we are thrilled to name him our General Manager for the 2023 World Baseball Classic team,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “Not only has he exhibited success as a General Manager in his career, but his commitment to the game of baseball is unmatched. He has significantly influenced the sport in the United States throughout his career and is the perfect person to authentically represent USA Baseball as we look to win our second consecutive World Baseball Classic.”

“It’s an honor to be named General Manager of Team USA for the 2023 World Baseball Classic,” Reagins said. “We’re looking forward to assembling a talented coaching staff and roster that will build off the success of the 2017 team and make our country proud, while competing against the best players from around the world.”

A native of Indio, California, and graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Reagins began his career as an intern with the Angels and worked his way up to the Director of Player Development before taking over as General Manager. Under his direction, Reagins was responsible for the free-agent signing of Torii Hunter in 2007 and drafting Mike Trout in 2009.

He joined the Commissioner’s Office in March 2015 as Senior Vice President of the first-ever Youth Programs department and became the Executive Vice President of Baseball & Softball Development in March 2018. By the time Reagins was named Major League Baseball’s Chief Baseball Development Officer in 2020, baseball and softball were the most participated team sport in the United States, and participation in baseball rose 20% since 2014. He continued the development of PLAY BALL in partnership with USA Baseball and USA Softball with the implementation of initiatives such as Fun At Bat and has led the ascent of diversity-focused programs such as Hank Aaron Invitational, DREAM Series, Breakthrough Series, and the Elite Development Invitational. Additionally, his efforts to grow the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program in the United States, South America, Canada, Europe, and Africa have shone, amounting to a nearly 160% increase in participation from 2016 to 2020.

Team USA will begin its WBC title defense as part of Pool C in Phoenix, Arizona, from March 11-15 and will face Canada, Colombia, Mexico, and a to-be-determined qualifying team. The Pool C winner and runner-up will advance to the quarterfinals in Miami, Florida, from March 17-18, and match-up against the winner and runner-up of Pool D.

The fifth installment of the Classic, which will be played from March 8-21, 2023, will take place at Intercontinental Stadium in Taichung, Taiwan; the Tokyo Dome in Japan; Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, in Phoenix; and loanDepot park, the home of the Miami Marlins, in Florida. loanDepot park in Miami will also host the semifinals and finals of the World Baseball Classic from March 19-21.

The U.S. won its first WBC title in 2017. Marcus Stroman was named the MVP after throwing six scoreless innings in the final and finishing the tournament with a 2.35 ERA.

USA Baseball will look to identify the coaching staff and roster over the next several months.

About USA Baseball

USA Baseball is the national governing body for baseball in the United States and is committed to serving, protecting, and supporting the game of baseball and its 15.6 million participants. Founded in 1978, USA Baseball fields six national teams annually and is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). On the diamond, USA Baseball is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the reigning World Baseball Classic champion, and its national teams have won 62 gold medals in international competition. Off the field, the organization is dedicated to the proliferation and health of the sport through the creation and management of numerous development initiatives including BASE (Baseball Athlete Safety Education), Fun At Bat, Pitch Smart, PLAY BALL and the Prospect Development Pipeline. For more information on the organization, its national teams, and development-driven initiatives, visit the official website USABaseball.com or USABDevelops.com.

About the World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament, sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), as the sport’s official National Team World Championship, and features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories.  More than 3.4 million fans from all over the world have attended the tournament games, held in March 2006, March 2009, March 2013 and March 2017.  Team USA is the reigning World Baseball Classic Champion after beating runner-up Puerto Rico during its 2017 championship run.  The upcoming World Baseball Classic will be played in March 2023 and will again feature the greatest baseball-playing nations in the world.