Joseph Contreras was born in 2008, is still finishing high school, and on Friday night he got Aaron Judge to ground into a double play with the bases loaded in front of more than 30,000 fans.
The youngest player at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the 17-year-old Brazilian pitcher entered in the second inning of his country’s 15-5 loss to Team USA at Daikin Park with one out and the bases full. He threw a 94.4 mph fastball and Judge rolled it over for a 5-4-3 double play. Inning over.
“Impressive,” Judge said after the game. “I know I wasn’t doing that at that age. He had some poise on the mound, throwing up to 100 miles an hour, facing guys he has seen on TV. Just impressive seeing him control himself and get out of a big jam.”
Contreras, the son of former major league pitcher Jose Contreras, admitted the moment felt bigger in retrospect than it did while it was happening.
“In the moment I was just, I have to execute my pitches and get him out somehow,” he said. “Now that I look back I can see the magnitude of it.”
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa praised Contreras during the game, noting he inherited his father’s split-finger fastball and calling it a remarkable spot for a teenager to be placed in.
Contreras is committed to Vanderbilt University and is ranked 47th on the 2026 Draft prospect list. He finished with 1.1 innings pitched, two hits, one run and three walks, along with one very memorable strikeout of the night’s biggest moment.
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