The 2025 Major League Baseball (MLB) Jackie Robinson Rookies of the Year, Nick Kurtz and Drake Baldwin, are both international baseball alumni who participated in WBSC events.

The American League Rookie of the Year, Nick Drake, was an All-World Team reliever during the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2015. He had only nine at-bats but helped USA win by pitching three games, allowing only one earned run over 14.2 innings, while striking out 15. Kurtz made the highlights just before the WBSC U-12 Baseball World Cup 2025 opened in Tainan, Taiwan, becoming the first rookie to record a four-home run game and the first player to finish a game with at least six hits, six runs and eight RBIs.

Kurtz made his MLB debut on April 23 and hit 36 home runs in 117 games, posting a .290 batting average and leading all rookies in homers, RBIs (86), and runs scored (90). His award was a unanimous decision.

“It’s really cool,” the MLB website quoted Kurtz. “It’s a great honour to kind of be put up with some of baseball’s greats who have also won the award. It’s nice to put the finishing touches on the year, look back at it and enjoy what I’ve done a little bit.”

After helping USA to a bronze medal in the WBSC Premier12 2024, Baldwin was on the Atlanta Braves Triple-A roster. The Braves promoted him to the MLB team when starting catcher Sean Murphy broke a rib. Baldwin had a slow start, but he started hitting in May, posting a .389 batting average, and finished the season with 19 home runs in 124 games.

“This is wild,” Baldwin said in an interview with MLB TV. “I mean, looking back at the start of the year, I never really thought I was gonna be in this position, even a couple of weeks in. There are so many ups and downs and stuff, and now being able to cap this year with this award is just so special. Being able to get this is one of the coolest things I’ve ever had happen.”