With the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers underway in Taipei, Taiwan, the WBC Qualifiers in Tucson, Arizona, are just a few weeks away. One pitcher who will be taking the mound for Germany’s baseball team will be Jaden Agassi. Agassi is the son of tennis superstars Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf.
Agassi, 23, is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where he pitched there from 2021-23. Agassi was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, but is eligible to pitch on Germany’s national baseball team due to his mother’s German heritage. When he was growing up, he would visit Germany twice a year, visiting his mother’s family and learning to speak German before enrolling in classes at USC.
Agassi explained to MLB.com’s Michael Clair, “I’m so excited. It’s been a dream of mine since I was a little boy to compete on an international scale. I want to make my mom proud, make Germany proud, and do them right.”
His college baseball career at USC was great. He pitched in three seasons and was primarily used as a starting pitcher during the 2022-23 seasons. Overall, in those three years, he put together a 5-4 record and a 6.20 ERA in 40 games and 19 starts, striking out 73 batters and walking 47 across 117.2 innings pitched.
For 2024, Agassi pitched with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in the MLB Draft League. He performed exceptionally well, making six starts, going 1-1, posting a 2.96 ERA, logging 27.1 innings, and walking 15 batters while striking out 28. He earned Player of the Week in the MLB Draft League for the week of July 1-7 after pitching seven and a third scoreless innings, striking out eight batters in his outing.
Germany’s quest for the World Baseball Classic will begin on March 2, serving as hosts to China. The World Baseball Classic Qualifiers for their pool will be played at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson, Arizona. The first pitch is set for 1 PM EST.
