White Sox Nike RBI sweep Jr., Sr. baseball divisions of Nike RBI World Series
The Chicago White Sox Nike RBI program won the junior baseball division championship of the 2024 Nike RBI World Series on Saturday at Holman Stadium at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla. Chicago won both junior and senior championship match-ups against the Dominican Republic Nike RBI. The junior team won with a 3-0 victory in Saturday's championship match-up to conclude the baseball portion of the tournament. This is the second time that the White Sox Nike RBI program has won in both the Junior and Senior Baseball Divisions in the same Nike RBI World Series, which was last accomplished in 2022.
Saturday's championship solidifies the team¡¯s third consecutive championship in the Junior Baseball Division, a feat last accomplished by Dominican Republic Nike RBI (2010-2012), and their fourth championship in the division in five years. The White Sox Nike RBI program has won at least one Nike RBI World Series baseball championship (junior & senior divisions) in six of the last eight tournaments.
The White Sox Nike RBI program has now won their eighth overall championship in Nike RBI World Series history. With Chicago¡¯s victories in both divisions, they now are tied with Dominican Republic Nike RBI for the fourth most Nike RBI World Series Championships.
The Nike RBI World Series is the international baseball and softball championship tournament of the Major League Baseball Nike RBI program, which is designed to provide young people from underserved and diverse communities with the opportunity to play baseball and softball, encourage academic success and teach the value of teamwork.
The Nike RBI program has provided a path for many players to enter the college and professional game. MLB Clubs have drafted more than 200 RBI participants throughout the program¡¯s 34-year history, and many others have been given the opportunity for higher education through baseball and softball scholarships. There have been more than 110 RBI alumni selected between the 2013-2024 MLB Drafts.
Nike RBI alumni who have appeared in the Major Leagues in 2024 include Taj Bradley (Tampa Bay Rays), Isaiah Campbell (Boston Red Sox), J.P. Crawford (Seattle Mariners), Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds), Mike Harris II (Atlanta Braves), Eloy Jimenez (Baltimore Orioles), Ramon Laureano (Atlanta Braves), Anthony Rendon (Los Angeles Angels), Dominic Smith (Boston Red Sox) and Alek Thomas (Arizona Diamondbacks). Taj Bradley (Atlanta Braves Nike RBI ¨C ¡®16), Crawford (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI ¨C ¡®09), Greene (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI ¨C ¡¯13), Harris II (Atlanta Braves Nike RBI ¨C ¡®17), Jimenez (Dominican Republic RBI ¨C ¡¯12), and Smith (Venice Boys & Girls Club RBI ¨C ¡®09) have each played in the RBI World Series.
The Nike RBI program, which has served approximately 2 million young people since its inception, is administered by Major League Baseball and designed to give young people from underserved and diverse communities the opportunity to play baseball and softball, while also encouraging academic achievement and success and teaching the value of teamwork and other important life lessons. Nike RBI currently serves youth in over 150 programs in approximately 200 cities worldwide. MLB and its Clubs have designated more than $40 million worth of resources to the Nike RBI program, and all 30 Clubs support Nike RBI leagues. For more information about the Nike RBI World Series, please visit MLB.com/rbiworldseries.