17-year old Vanderbilt commit breaks Aaron Judge’s bat, post solid outing at WBC
By Rolando Rosa
Published:
Team USA routed Brazil 15-5 in its opener of the World Baseball Classic on Friday from Daikin Park in Houston. However, one of the most jarring highlights came from a 17-year-old Vanderbilt commit on the Brazilian squad.
In the top of the second inning, pitcher Joseph Contreras got Aaron Judge to ground out into an inning-ending double play, and his bat shattered in the process. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound Contreras, the son of former MLB pitcher pitcher José Contreras, is the youngest player in the WBC this year.
Contreras finished with one earned run, two hits, and three walks in 1.1 innings. The 3-time AL MVP Judge marveled at the potential of Contreras and gave him plenty of praise.
“Impressive,” Judge said via MLB.com. “I know I wasn’t doing that at that age. Just great stuff. I know he had some poise on the mound. He’s throwing up to 100 miles an hour. He’s facing Team USA, a lot of guys he has seen on TV. It was just impressive, impressive just seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam. And he had some good stuff.”
Contreras currently plays for Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia and is currently ranked 47th on the 2026 Draft prospects list. If Contreras continues to impress on this global stage, his stock will certainly continue to rise.
