Three Former Stanford Stars Set to Take Part in World Baseball Classic

The Olympic Games have just ended, but Stanford will yet again take center stage at the international level for sport. The World Baseball Classic is upon us, where the world's best baseball players will suit up for their countries and compete for the prize money at the end of the tournament.

Taking place in Japan, Puerto Rico and the United States, 20 teams will compete for 12 days in a tournament that will showcase elite levels of talent.

And Stanford will have multiple athletes take part in this year's tournament, representing both Canada and Great Britain. Former Stanford pitchers Tristan Beck, Brendan Beck and Cal Quantrill will be former Cardinal players to watch throughout the next couple of weeks.

The Becks

Tristan Beck, a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants, is eligible to pitch for Great Britain because of his Welsh heritage, with his grandfather being a well known rugby player from Wales. Brendan, Tristan's brother, will join him and look to bolster Great Britain's pitching staff even more. Both brothers will be making their first appearances in a World Baseball Classic tournament.

At Stanford, Tristan's career saw him receive many accolades including earning First-team All-Pac-12 honors and freshman All-American honors, finishing his first season on The Farm with a 6-5 win-loss record and a 2.48 ERA. Missing his sophomore season in 2017, Beck returned to Stanford as a junior, going 8-4 over 15 starts with a 2.98 ERA, earning All-Pac-12 honors.

After the season, he was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves-- before being traded to the Giants in the middle of the 2019 season in the deal that sent Mark Melancon to Atlanta.

Brendan, a four year member of the Cardinal program, ended his college career with a 22-10 win-loss record, a 3.11 ERA, and 289 strikeouts through about 290 innings pitched, and was drafted in the second round of the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.

But injuries delayed his professional debut until 2023, where he started in High-A. Last year Brendan made it up to Triple-A at the age of 26, so he's knocking on the door for the Yankees.

Cal Quantrill

Quantrill, a right-handed pitcher for the Texas Rangers, returns to Team Canada for his second appearance in a World Baseball Classic, also pitching for the team in the 2023 tournament.

Making only one appearance that year, Quantrill struggled mightily, allowing three runs in 2/3 of an inning of work en route to having a 40.50 ERA. This year, Quantrill will look to redeem himself and help Team Canada compete for a shot at the gold.

Pitching two seasons at Stanford, Quantrill started 17 games as a freshman and became the first freshman to start on Opening Day for the Cardinal since Mike Mussina, getting the ball on Opening Day in 2014. That year, Quantrill finished with a 7-5 win-loss record, a 2.68 ERA and 98 strikeouts across 110 innings of work.

As a sophomore, Quantrill went 2-0 with a 1.93 ERA before an elbow injury cut his season short. Undergoing Tommy John surgery, Quantrill missed his entire junior season, before getting drafted eighth overall by the San Diego Padres in the 2017 draft.

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