March 7 (Reuters) – Joseph Contreras, a 17-year-old pitcher representing Brazil, produced one of the most unlikely moments of the 2026 World Baseball Classic when he retired New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge with the bases loaded.
Contreras, still a senior at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School in Roswell, Georgia, got Judge to ground into an inning-ending double play during Brazil’s 15-5 loss to the United States in Friday’s game in Houston.
The right-hander, the youngest player in this year’s tournament, showed remarkable composure while facing one of Major League Baseball’s most feared hitters.
“Now that I look back, I’m like, okay, now I can see the magnitude of that,” Contreras told reporters on Saturday. “I mean, bases loaded, one out. But in the moment, I was just like, I just have to execute my pitches and hopefully just get him out somehow.”
Judge was impressed by the teenager’s performance.
“Impressive. I know I wasn’t doing that at that age. Just great stuff,” Judge said following Friday’s game.
“I know he had some poise on the mound. He’s throwing up to 100 miles an hour… It was just impressive just seeing him control himself out there and get out of a big jam.”
Contreras comes from baseball pedigree. He’s the son of former MLB pitcher Jose Contreras, who spent 11 seasons in the majors and was an All-Star in 2006.
“He’s got his dad’s split, obviously,” U.S. manager Mark DeRosa told Fox Sports.
Though his father is Cuban, the teenager represents Brazil through his Brazilian mother and is already attracting attention from scouts ahead of the 2026 MLB Draft.
The defeat left Brazil still seeking their first-ever win in the competition, making their second WBC appearance after finishing 16th in their 2013 debut.
The 2023 runners-up United States continue pool play against Britain. Brazil face Italy in their next game on Saturday.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
