Throughout history, there is a long list of players who have appeared in both the Men’s College World Series and the MLB World Series. But if you look at who won both, the list gets shorter.
Texas quarterback Josh Sborz joins this exclusive list in 2023. In 2015, Sbortz led Virginia to its first-ever Men’s College World Series and was named MVP. Sports after eight years The Rangers’ first-ever MLB World Series championship was about to close out.
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and former Vanderbilt star Walker Buehler has secured his second MLB World Series title in 2024. Before Vandy beat Virginia in the 2014 MCWS finals and the Cavaliers lost to the Commodores, Buechler and Sbortz were college rivals. on the mound to secure the Dodgers’ streak in 2024.
To do this, let’s look at a list of other familiar names.
Powered by rocket fuel
Roger Clemens is the most familiar name on the list. Clemens, who went 13-5 with a 3.04 ERA and 151 strikeouts as a sophomore for the Longhorns in 1983, capped his Texas career with a nine-hitter, complete game shutout to beat Alabama in the College World Series. The Rockets went on to become one of Major League Baseball’s greatest hitters and still rank third all-time with 4,672. He led the Boston Red Sox to an impressive MVP and Cy Young World Series in the 1986 season, but didn’t win a single until 1999 with the New York Yankees. He made three World Series appearances with the Astros in 2005 with one win as a 42-year-old.
With his back
Ed Sprague has the unique distinction of winning back-to-back championships in both the College World Series and the MLB World Series. The third baseman first accomplished the feat with Stanford in 1987 and 1988, where he became a beast in the heart of the team, hitting .339 with 22 home runs. In his second season in the big leagues in 1992, Sprague made the World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays and was used sparingly. Despite only two at-bats, he had the most success, hitting a two-run shot in the ninth inning of Game 2. The Blue Jays returned to the World Series the following season, and Sprague earned his second and final World Series ring.
Tito engine
Terry Francona has a unique reputation of his own. Francona won both the College World Series and the Major League World Series, but the latter came as manager of the Boston Red Sox. Francona not only won the CWS with Arizona in 1980, but also won the MVP award. He was one of the mainstays of the Red Sox team that led Boston to a long-awaited World Series title in 2004. He learned from one of the greatest players. Jerry Kindall won the College World Series as a player with Minnesota in 1956, and coached Francona as Arizona captain.
OMAHA POWER SURGE: 7 longest home runs in CWS history (that we know of)
The desert trio
The 1965 Arizona State College World Series team graduated three MLB World Series winning stars. In 1965, Rick Monday became the first player selected in the new concept known as the MLB Draft. He had to wait until he was 35, but won a World Series in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sal Bando tied for the most major league World Series wins on the list. He had an All-Star campaign as the starting third baseman for the three-time champion Oakland A’s (1972-74). Catcher Duffy Dyer had just one at-bat in the World Series, but was part of the great 1969 Mets. He shared his World Series ring with Arizona State’s 1967 CWS winner Gary Gentry, adding one to the list, making them both successful.
And in 1966, he switched sports and was a freshman on the ASU football team that season, replacing Rick Monday. His name was Reggie Jackson, and he would of course become known as Mr. October.
Ice breaker
Jackie Jensen was the 1947 World Series championship outfielder for the College of California Golden Bears. He went on to an All-Star career with Boston in 1958, winning the MVP award. But Jensen captured his only World Series ring during the 1950 season with the New York Yankees. Played in just one game and didn’t even register an at-bat.
An odd couple
Neither Ryan Theriot nor Mike Fontenot carved out Hall of Fame careers. But they both had long tenures and could do many things that allowed them to land on World Series rosters. Both of the 2000 CWS champion LSU Tigers played multiple positions in the infield and were able to get plenty of hits when called upon during their time in the big leagues. Theriot won two World Series, one with the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals and the other with the 2012 San Francisco Giants. Fontenot won his ring in 2010 and was part of a mini-dynasty of giants.
JBJ was finally his
A number of College World Series winners were left off the postseason roster for one reason or another during the major league club’s World Series run. Jackie Bradley, Jr. is most notable for back-to-back CWS titles with South Carolina in 2010 and ’11. He started his rookie season in 2013 and appeared in 37 games with the Boston Red Sox, but was ultimately left off the World Series roster. The 2010 CWS MVP earned a ring in the 2013 season, but finally got his own in 2018 with a win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The best of the rest
| Player, position | College World Series | MLB World Series |
|---|---|---|
| Ron Fair, 1B/OF | 1958 Southern California | 1959, ’63, ’65 Dodgers |
| Don Buford, LF/IF | 1958 | 1970 Baltimore Orioles |
| Roy Smalley, IF | 1972 United States | 1987 Minnesota Twins |
| Rich Dauer, 2B/3B | 1973 USA | 1983 Orioles |
| Keith Moreland, UTIL | 1975 Texas | 1980 Philadelphia Phillies |
| Ed Vosberg, P | 1980 Arizona | 1997 Florida Marlins |
| Billy Bates, 2B | 1983 Texas | 1990 Cincinnati Reds |
| Mark Redman, P | 1994 Oklahoma | 2003 Florida Marlins |
| Justin Turner, 3B | 2004 Cal State Fullerton | 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Walker Buehler, P | 2014 Vanderbilt | 2020, ’24 Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Dansby Swanson, SS | 2014 Vanderbilt | 2021 Atlanta Braves |
| Josh Sborz, P | 2015 Virginia | 2023 Texas Rangers |
honorable mention:
The 2005 Houston Astros made a run to the World Series, but then lost in four games to the Chicago White Sox. Roger Clemens, who made the list, was on the team, but there were several others. Jason Lane (USC 1998) and Mike Lamb (Cal State Fullerton 1996) as well as Charlton Jimerson (1999, 2001 Miami) who played one game in the MLB runner-up, making them one of the all-time CWS champions.
Leave a Reply