Yesterday, USA Baseball announced its roster for the 18U National Team, set to compete in the Baseball World Cup in Japan from September 5-14
Senior Aiden Ruiz (Queens, NY) was among the 20 players selected from a group of 88 hopefuls that went through two phases of tryouts at the Team USA Training Complex in Cary, NC. Capping off a whirlwind 24 hours, Ruiz found out this morning that he would be the starting shortstop for the Red, White, and Blue when they touch down in Okinawa next week.
The selection caps off an impressive summer for the Vanderbilt-bound shortstop, who earned the Rawlings Gold Glove Defensive Player of the Year Award earlier this month as the best shortstop in America. He was also recently slotted as the #28-ranked player on the 2026 Major League Baseball Draft Board, with some scouts placing him as high as top 10. He enters his final season as a Bear alongside a strong crop of returners and newcomers who expect to be one of the best teams in the country.