The 2024 World Collection is ready to start Friday night in Los Angeles because the Dodgers tackle the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Among the many gamers collaborating are a pair of former Brewers, a former Brewers draft decide, and a Wisconsin native.
Trent Grisham and Jake Cousins of the Yankees each performed for the Brewers, with Grisham donning a Milwaukee uniform in 2019 and Cousins pitching for the Crew from 2021 to 2023. On the Los Angeles facet, Brewers former tenth spherical decide Anthony Banda will come out of the bullpen for the Dodgers, whereas Kenosha native Gavin Lux will seem at second base for L.A. Right here’s a bit extra on every of those Wisconsin/Milwaukee connections.
Trent Grisham
Grisham is probably finest recognized in Milwaukee for his expensive error within the 2019 NL Wild Card Sport towards the Washington Nationals, who after all went on to win the World Collection. Even so, he had an OK rookie marketing campaign with the Crew, hitting .231/.328/.410 (90 OPS+) with six homers and 24 RBIs throughout 51 video games.
Milwaukee’s first-round decide in 2015 (No. 15 total), Grisham was traded to the Padres with Zach Davies that offseason in a deal that despatched Eric Lauer and Luis Urias to the Brewers. Grisham was once more concerned in a commerce final offseason, heading to the Yankees together with Juan Soto in alternate for Michael King, Kyle Higashioka, Randy Vásquez, Jhony Brito, and Drew Thorpe. In 76 common season video games with the Yankees, he hit .190/.290/.385 (90 OPS+) with 9 homers and 31 RBIs. Grisham has been on the roster for each of New York’s postseason collection so far however hasn’t made an look.
Jake Cousins
Cousins, the cousin of Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, was a Twentieth-round decide by the Nationals in 2017 (No. 613 total). He joined the Brewers group in 2019 as a free agent, working his manner up from the Arizona League to the majors, making his MLB debut with Milwaukee in June 2021. In components of three seasons with the Brewers, Cousins made 51 appearances with a 3.08 ERA and 72 strikeouts throughout 52 2⁄3 innings.
The Astros claimed Cousins off waivers from Milwaukee in July 2023, although he by no means made an look for Houston. He signed with the White Sox in free company final offseason earlier than being traded to the Yankees simply 4 days into the season. He made 37 appearances for New York this season with a 2.37 ERA and 52 strikeouts throughout 38 innings, together with his first profession save. He’s made three postseason appearances this 12 months with much less success, sporting a 6.75 ERA and 6 strikeouts over 2 2⁄3 innings.
Anthony Banda
Banda might be the least well-known of the 4 gamers on this checklist (not less than amongst Brewers followers). Initially chosen within the thirty third spherical of the 2011 draft by Arizona, the Brewers took Banda within the tenth spherical of the 2012 draft out of San Jacinto Junior Faculty in 2012 (No. 335 total). Banda spent just a few years within the system earlier than being traded to the Diamondbacks (guess they actually wished him) together with Mitch Haniger for Gerardo Parra on the deadline in 2014.
Banda finally made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2017. In components of eight MLB seasons with the D-Backs, Rays, Mets, Pirates, Blue Jays, Yankees, Nationals, and Dodgers, Banda has made 138 profession appearances (eight begins) with a 4.92 ERA and 159 strikeouts throughout 168 1⁄3 innings. This season has been one of the best of his profession, as he sported a 3.08 ERA with 50 strikeouts throughout 49 2⁄3 innings with L.A. In six postseason appearances, he’s allowed one run over 5 2⁄3 innings (1.59 ERA) with seven strikeouts.
Gavin Lux
Lux is the lone participant from Wisconsin on this 12 months’s World Collection, hailing from Kenosha, the place he performed highschool baseball at Indian Path earlier than being taken with the Twentieth total decide by the Dodgers in 2016. Lux hit .560 with six homers, 46 runs scored, and 23 steals his senior season, finally profitable a ton of awards, together with being named a MaxPreps All-American and Wisconsin’s Gatorade Participant of the 12 months.
Whereas he hasn’t fairly lived as much as his full potential, he’s already performed 5 MLB seasons at age 26, batting .252/.326/.383 (96 OPS+) with 28 homers, 155 RBIs, 19 steals, and 194 runs over 412 profession video games. He led the NL with seven triples in 2022 whereas showing everywhere in the subject, although he’s served as L.A.’s main second baseman. In 139 video games this season, Lux had an above-average offensive 12 months, hitting .251/.320/.383 (101 OPS+) with a career-high 10 homers, 50 RBIs, 5 steals, and 59 runs. Lux figures to be the beginning second baseman for many of the World Collection, as he’s hit .208/.259/.333 with one homer, three RBIs, 4 runs, and 5 hits over 24 at-bats this postseason.
