The 2024 World Series is set with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers squaring off starting Friday, Oct. 25.
Starring two of the most well-known clubs in baseball and filled with some of the hottest names in the game, including five former league MVPs, it begs the question of what players will rise to the occasion in arguably the biggest moment of their careers.
It also makes one wonder what players have shined and competed on a similar stage in NCAA baseball.
Here’s a look at where Yankees and Dodgers players took the field as NCAA baseball stars:
Yankees
| Name | NCAA | Position | Year – Round/Pick | WS Jersey Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Kahnle | Lynn (DII) | RHP | 2010 — 5/175 | 41 |
| Gerrit Cole | UCLA | RHP | 2011 — 1/1 | 45 |
| Jon Berti | Bowling Green | IF | 2011 — 18/559 | 19 |
| Aaron Judge | Fresno State | OF | 2013 — 1/32 | 99 |
| Tim Mayza | Millersville (DII) | LHP | 2013 — 12/355 | 58 |
| Mark Leiter Jr. | NJIT | RHP | 2013 — 22/661 | 38 |
| Carlos Rodón | NC State | LHP | 2014 — 1/3 | 55 |
| Luke Weaver | Florida State | RHP | 2014 — 1/27 | 30 |
| Jose Trevino | Oral Roberts | C | 2014 — 6/186 | 39 |
| Clarke Schmidt | South Carolina | RHP | 2017 — 1/16 | 36 |
| Jake Cousins | Penn | RHP | 2017 — 20/613 | 61 |
| Austin Wells | Arizona | C | 2020 — 1/28 | 28 |
Gerrit Cole — UCLA
Just like the majors, the Yankees ace dominated on the college level. Ranked second in UCLA history in career strikeouts (376), Cole is the school’s only player to notch at least 100 strikeouts in each of his three seasons.
The team’s No. 1 starter during his sophomore and junior years, Cole helped lead the Bruins to their best record (51-17) in school history and to the 2010 College World Series. Although the Bruins lost to South Carolina in the championship series, Cole punched out 13 against TCU in the semifinals.
Cole was drafted out of high school by the Yankees in the first round of the 2008 draft and still elected to go to college — that’s how good he was. He then went No. 1 overall to the Pirates in 2011.
Carlos Rodón — NC State
The Yankees’ No. 2 starter behind Cole, Rodón had a fantastic career for the Wolfpack. Rodón was nearly untouchable during his freshman year, going 9-0 with a 1.57 ERA and set the NC State freshman record with 135 strikeouts. He was the first-ever freshman to be named ACC pitcher of the year.
Rodón only got better as a sophomore. He led NC State to its first College World Series since 1968 and set a school single-season record with 184 strikeouts. After the MCWS, Rodón had a 1.77 ERA in eight postseason starts.
He broke the school record for strikeouts his junior season.
Aaron Judge — Fresno State
Judge was a pivotal part of Fresno State’s offensive success throughout his three years there. The Yankees outfielder was crowned the WAC Freshman of the Year and helped the Bulldogs to a WAC tournament title and the 2011 NCAA baseball tournament.
Five years before winning the 2017 Home Run Derby, Judge won the TD Ameritrade College Home Run Derby in 2012. Additionally, he led the Bulldogs in home runs (12), doubles (15), and RBI (36) as a junior.
Fresno State retired Judge’s jersey in 2023.
Aaron Judge gets a huge ovation from the Fresno State crowd
His #29 will be retired during a ceremony at the University’s baseball stadium tomorrow
(via @AlScott1998) pic.twitter.com/UwS3fYQV4T
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) November 19, 2023
Other notables:
Luke Weaver — Florida State: A 2014 Rawlings Glove Award winner and All-ACC First Team selection, Weaver punched out 14 during the 2013 Tallahassee Regional and was named the Most Outstanding Player.
Tommy Kahnle — Lynn University: Helped the Fighting Knights win the 2009 Division II College World Series and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.
Dodgers
| Name | NCAA | Position | Year – Round/Pick | WS Jersey Number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Hudson | Old Dominion | RHP | 2008 — 5/150 | 41 |
| Will Smith | Louisville | C | 2016 — 1/32 | 16 |
| Blake Treinen | South Dakota State | RHP | 2011 — 7/226 | 49 |
| Chris Taylor | Virginia | IF/OF | 2012 — 5/161 | 3 |
| Max Muncy | Baylor | IF | 2012 — 5/169 | 13 |
| Walker Buehler | Vanderbilt | RHP | 2015 — 1/24 | 21 |
| Evan Phillips | UNC Wilmington | RHP | 2015 — 17/510 | 59 |
| Tommy Edman | Stanford | IF/OF | 2016 — 6/196 | 25 |
| Alex Vesia | California State East Bay (DII) | LHP | 2018 — 17/507 | 51 |
| Ben Casparius | UConn | RHP | 2021 — 5/162 | 78 |
Walker Buehler — Vanderbilt
Buehler shined in the postseason for the Commodores at multiple points.
Buehler went 12-2 with 111 strikeouts and 2.64 ERA during the 2014 regular season. His sophomore season was highlighted by a no-hit performance against UC Irvine in 5 1/3 innings of work in the CWS second round. Vanderbilt went on to win its first CWS crown in school history.
He put together another top-notch outing in the postseason in 2015, throwing five scoreless innings and allowing just two hits with seven strikeouts against Radford in Vanderbilt’s regional championship game.
Tommy Edman — Stanford
The 2024 NLCS MVP was the definition of consistent at Stanford, starting 140 games in a row dating back to his freshman season.
A Pac-12 first team selection and All-Defensive team shortstop his junior year, he helped lead the Cardinal to the best defensive season in school history. To cap off the strong season Edman led Stanford in runs (35), hits (61), triples (4) and stolen bases (8).
This play from Tommy Edman at Stanford was nasty pic.twitter.com/uchMvMSLcG
— Zach (@CardHard11in11) January 11, 2020
Max Muncy — Baylor
The Dodgers infielder hit the ground running once he arrived in Waco, Texas, breaking five records as a freshman and being named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. The success continued into the postseason, as Muncy made the Fort Worth Regional All-Tournament team.
Although Muncy and the Bears weren’t able to capture a regional title while he was there, he led Baylor to a 2012 conference title.
Muncy hit .311 over his three years at Baylor — no surprise he tied the Dodgers’ all-time record for most times reaching base safely in a single postseason series.
Also notable:
Ben Casparius — UConn: Before transferring up north, Casparius was a two-player at North Carolina with a 1.69 ERA and .316 batting average in UNC’s route to the CWS. At UConn, he finished second in school single-season history with 127 strikeouts.
