Baseball is part of the Olympics for the first time in 13 years, and the United States is one of the top contenders for a gold medal. Most of the U.S. players have spent time in MLB, making up a roster that features a couple of World Series champions and multiple former All-Stars.

Twenty-four players have made the journey to the Tokyo Olympics as part of Team USA. Former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia leads a squad with plenty of names that casual baseball fans will know.

David Robertson, Edwin Jackson and Scott Kazmir are the most accomplished pitchers for Team USA. Todd Frazier has the best resume of all the position players.

Robertson won a title with the New York Yankees and was a 2011 All-Star. The reliever has 137 career saves and is only three years removed from recording 91 strikeouts in 69.2 innings.

Kazmir leads the team with three MLB All-Star appearances. The 37-year-old hasn’t been a consistent part of an MLB rotation in five years, though he did make two starts for the San Francisco Giants this season.

Jackson won 107 games from 2003-2019.

Frazier is a two-time All-Star and the 2015 Home Run Derby winner. The corner infielder hit 21 home runs two seasons ago and posted a .684 OPS in 45 games last year.

There’s also Tyler Austin, who hit 17 home runs in just 69 MLB games three years ago. Outfielder Bubba Starling played in 91 games for the Kansas City Royals from 2019-2020.

Infielder Triston Casas is considered to be the best major-league prospect on Team USA. Casas is hitting .271/.354/.424 with six home runs in 46 games for the Boston Red Sox’s double-A affiliate this year.

FanDuel Sportsbook gives Team USA +300 odds to win the gold medal, putting them second among the six teams. Japan is favored with +160 odds. South Korea (+380) isn’t far behind the U.S., followed by the Dominican Republic (+550), Mexico (+650) and Israel (+3400).

The teams are divided up into two groups at the Olympics. After each team plays two games in group play, they will be seeded based on their records for the double-elimination knockout round.

Team USA plays its first game against Israel on July 30, followed by a matchup with South Korea on July 31.

The Olympic baseball gold medal game is scheduled for Aug. 7.

David Robertson Todd Frazier
David Robertson and Todd Frazier, pictured celebrating a win against the Detroit Tigers at U.S. Cellular Field on June 15, 2016 in Chicago, could both be dealt before the 2017 MLB trade deadline. Getty Images
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