CARY, N.C. – USA Baseball today named Mike Scioscia its manager for the 2024 Professional National Team that will compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Premier12™ presented by RAXUS. The three-time World Series champion and 19-year MLB managing veteran returns to the U.S. dugout after leading Team USA to a silver medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
The 2024 Premier12™ will take place from November 9-24, featuring the top 12 nations in the WBSC/KONAMI Men’s Baseball World Ranking. The third-ranked U.S. will begin pool play on November 9 in Group A in Tepic, Mexico, with the top two teams advancing to the Super Round at the Tokyo Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The Super Round will take place from November 21-23, with medal games scheduled for November 24.
“I am honored and proud to have the opportunity to put the Team USA uniform on again,” said Scioscia. “I am looking forward to being back in the dugout as we put all of our efforts into winning a gold medal at the Premier12 Tournament.”
“It is an exciting day for USA Baseball as we welcome Mike Scioscia back to manage our Professional National Team in 2024,” said USA Baseball Executive Director/CEO Paul Seiler. “Mike has a proven track record as a big-league manager and in international competition, and his dedication and leadership will continue to make a significant impact on our players, coaches, and staff. His ability to connect with every member of our team will be a huge asset for us, and we look forward to having Mike in our dugout as we aim for a gold medal in November.”
Scioscia previously served as the Team USA manager in 2021. Under his guidance, the U.S. went a perfect 4-0 at the WBSC Tokyo 2020 Olympic Baseball Americas Qualifier to punch its ticket to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. There, Scioscia led the United States to a 4-2 overall record and a silver medal, its second in Olympic history. Team USA led the tournament in ERA (2.19) and batting average against (.226) while tying for the lead in WHIP (1.11) and home runs (7) with Scioscia at the helm. The stars and stripes scored 28 runs in the tournament, second only to Korea.
Prior to joining Team USA in 2021, Scioscia had a 19-year career as a big-league manager. He spent his entire MLB managerial career in Anaheim, where he led the Halos to a 1650-1428 (.536) overall record from 2000-2018, ranking him 20th all-time in career managerial wins. After breaking a 15-year playoff drought in 2002, Scioscia led the Angels to the only World Series title in their history that postseason to become the 17th person to win a World Series title as both player and manager after also winning two titles as a catcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Scioscia was the first manager in MLB history to make the playoffs in six of his first ten seasons, including winning five AL West division titles in six years. He was twice named the AL Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America (2002 and 2009) and set the Angels’ franchise single-season wins record twice with 99 victories in 2002 and then 100 victories in 2008. Scioscia is the current all-time leader in wins, games managed, and division titles won in Angels’ history.
Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 19th overall pick of the 1976 June Amateur Draft, Scioscia spent all 13 of his seasons in the Major Leagues as a catcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1980-92) under USA Baseball Olympic gold medal-winning manager Tommy Lasorda. He won two World Series titles (1981 and 1988), was twice named a National League All-Star (1989 and 1990), and caught two no-hitters (Fernando Valenzuela and Kevin Gross) in his playing career. To this day, Scioscia ranks fourth all-time among Major League catchers with 136 shutouts caught.
Team USA has competed in both editions of the Premier12™ since its inception in 2015. The U.S. took home a silver medal in the inaugural Premier12™, going 5-3 and falling to Korea in the title game. In 2019, the stars and stripes advanced to the Super Round before grabbing a fourth-place finish. Team USA will be joined by Mexico, the Netherlands, Panama, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela in Premier12™ Group A play in November. Group B features Australia, Chinese Taipei, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Korea.
USA Baseball will announce the complete Professional National Team coaching staff and roster at a later date.
For more information on USA Baseball and the 2024 Professional National Team, follow @USABaseball on social media or visit USABaseball.com.
