Young Gears up for USA Baseball

Quentin Young is having a summer he won’t soon forget.

The Oaks Christian baseball standout made the USA Baseball U-18 roster. He’s one of 24 elite American prospects who will compete in the Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier in Panama City, Panama Aug. 2 through Aug. 11.

“Playing for Team USA is a dream I’ve had,” Young said. “I’ve been practicing my whole life and now I finally get to show off on the international stage.”

He and his teammates will receive elite coaching from former MLB superstars including David Eckstein, Hall-of-Famer Tim Raines, Jr., Stephen Strasburg, and Brad Penny.

Young, who’s committed to collegiate baseball powerhouse Louisiana State University, isn’t unfamiliar with getting instruction from big leaguers. Two of his uncles played in the show. Delmon Young was a first-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays who spent ten years in the big leagues. Dmitri Young was a first-round draft pick by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1991. His MLB career spanned 13 seasons and included two trips to the All-Star Game.

“All of the hard work is paying off now and I want to show people that it’s not just like ‘oh, his uncles played in the majors so he must be good,’” Young said. “I think they’d tell you that parts of my game are better than theirs, and now it’s about going out and showing people that.”  

Young first made headlines this summer when he participated in the MLB-USA Baseball High School Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field on July 13, in Arlington, Tex. For the past 11 seasons, high schoolers swinging aluminum bats, have kicked off MLB’s All-Star weekend.  

Young recorded 13 homeruns over two rounds, including a missile that landed up on the outfield concourse above the second level of bleachers.

“It was a really cool experience being able to play on a major league field,” Young said. “You don’t get a lot of opportunities to play on a big-league field until you actually make it.”

Last season, Young eclipsed the .300 mark at the plate while playing third base for the Lions.

“Being at Oaks Christian is a great experience because I’ve been able to learn more about my faith,” Young said. “Being there since seventh grade has been great.”

Young and the rest of USA Baseball will begin WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup Americas Qualifier play when they square off against Costa Rica on Aug. 3 at 12:30pm.

Photo courtesy of USA Baseball