KANSAS CITY, MO. (July 2, 2021) – Outfielder Bubba Starling, currently playing with Triple-A Omaha, has been selected to the United States Olympic Team roster, USA Baseball announced this morning. Starling is one of 24 players selected to compete for Team USA in the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The United States will open the tournament on Friday, July 30 vs. Israel.
The Team USA roster is comprised of 12 pitchers and 12 position players and will be managed by former Los Angeles Angels skipper, Mike Scioscia. The squad will begin their pre-Olympic workouts on Thursday, July 16 at the USA Baseball National Training Complex in Cary, North Carolina.
Starling, a native of Gardner, Kansas, was the Royals’ first-round selection (5th overall) in the 2011 First-Year Player Draft and made his Major League debut in 2019. He’s played in 24 games with Omaha this season, slashing .271/.323/.612 (23-for-85) with six doubles, a triple, seven homers and 17 RBI. His slugging percentage ranks eighth in Triple-A East among players with at least 90 plate appearances. The right-handed hitter appeared in 35 games with Kansas City during the 2020 campaign.
