Woods Richardson and Former Blue Jays at U.S. Olympic Qualifying Camp

Toronto prospect Simeon Woods Richardson and several former Blue Jays are on America's Olympic qualifying training camp roster

The United States Olympic qualifying pitching staff could be filled with former and future Toronto Blue Jays.

Toronto's fourth ranked prospect, and MLB.com's 74th best prospect in baseball, Simeon Woods Richardson is one of 28 American's vying for a spot on the United States' WBSC Baseball Americas Olympic Qualifier roster. The final team will be announced on May 30.

In four Double-A starts this year, Woods Richardson has posted a 2.37 ERA, striking out 31 batters in just 19 innings. The right-hander joined the Blue Jays organization alongside Anthony Kay in the Marcus Stroman trade, and has scaled prospect rankings since the acquisition.

The U.S. roster features other top prospects like Jarren Duran and Matthew Liberatore, and many established veterans. Former Blue Jays Marc Rzepczynski, Edwin Jackson, and Anthony Gose are also vying for roster spots. Gose played 202 games for the Blue Jays in the outfield from 2012-2015, but has since converted to a hard-throwing pitcher.

Canada announced their final roster earlier this week and former big leaguers Andrew Albers, John Axford, and Scott Richmond feature on the squad.

The tournament begins on May 31, with Canada facing off against Columbia in West Palm Beach, and the United States matching up against Nicaragua in St. Lucie. The qualifying tournament champion secures an automatic spot in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, while the second and third-place teams move on to a final qualifying tournament.

Further Reading

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