1992 - 2006

Team One Showcase History

From a single two‑day event in 1992, Team One quickly established itself as a true trailblazer in the Baseball Showcase industry—introducing the term "Showcase," publishing academic information in its Scout Book, staging the first National Showcase in a Major League stadium, and integrating top Latin American prospects alongside the best players from across the United States.

• 1992Jeff Spelman introduced the term “Showcase” to amateur baseball with the inaugural Team One National Showcase on August 17–18, 1992, in Blue Ash, Ohio, an event that drew more than 130 scouts and recruiters to evaluate 31 players from 17 states and prompted Team One to shift later Showcases earlier in the summer after early commit Alex Rodriguez missed the debut event while playing for Team USA.
• 1993Twelve future MLB players — including A.J. Pierzynski and Brian Roberts — emerged from the second Team One National Showcase, a 61‑player class that ultimately earned $161 million in MLB salaries. Josh Booty received a draft‑record $1.6 million signing bonus and Doug Million became the first of ten National High School Players of the Year to attend Team One over a 13‑year span.
• 1994Future Hall‑of‑Famer Roy Halladay faced eventual No. 1 overall pick Pat Burrell before more than 250 scouts and college coaches in Blue Ash, in a Showcase that produced 13 future MLB players who went on to earn over $276 million in Major League salaries. Team One also featured catchers David Ross and Michael Barrett and future NHL player Joe Corvo. 1994 marked Team One’s first‑ever Regional Showcase, held at the University of Kentucky.
• 1995The 1995 Team One National Showcase spotlighted future MLB infielders Eric Chavez, Brian Roberts, and Orlando Hudson, featured a dominant three inning duel between Matt White ($10.2M) and Bobby Seay ($3.0M), and produced 13 future first round picks, including Canadian MLB pitcher Chris Reitsma and future Dallas Cowboys QB Quincy Carter (a second rounder).
• 1996Future NL batting champion Michael Cuddyer, Xavier Nady, Rick Ankiel, Corey Patterson, and Jack Cust headlined the fifth and final Team One National Showcase in Blue Ash, closing an era that produced 47 MLB players, five MLB All Stars, a No. 1 overall pick, multiple World Series champions, several NFL players, the future Manager of the Chicago Cubs and a deep roster of athletes who later competed in Omaha during their college careers. Baseball America attends Team One National and publishes full-page story “Team One Showcases Stars.” CBS Radio interviews Team One’ Jeff Spelman during national broadcast.
• 1997Team One’s move to Sarasota, Florida transformed the National Showcase into one of its most star‑studded events, the first to feature players who would surpass $500 million in combined MLB earnings, led by an elite group of 16 future Major Leaguers including Hall‑of‑Famer C.C. Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, and Mark Prior; the Showcase also included Venezuelan catcher Guillermo Quiroz, whose presence helped open the door for more Latin American players at Team One in the late 1990s. USA Today published two feature stories on the Showcase.
• 1998Team One staged the first‑ever National Baseball Showcase in a Major League stadium at Tropicana Field, where Josh Hamilton delivered a stunning batting‑practice performance 11 months before becoming the No. 1 overall pick, alongside standout showings from Brett Myers, Cody Ross, Chris Duncan, and Ryan Garko; the year also marked the debut of Team One West in Tempe, featuring future MLB All‑Star Carlos Quentin. USA Today again provides national media coverage.
• 1999During a two‑month stretch in the summer of 1999, Team One showcased nearly 50 future MLB players who went on to earn more than $1.3 billion in career salaries, including stars Justin Verlander, Jose Bautista, David Wright, Ian Kinsler, James Shields, and Mike Napoli; in total, five players from that period later appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and nine became MLB All‑Stars. The Team One National Showcase was held again at Tropicana Field and included the sons of Hall-of-Famers Felipe Alou (Luis Rojas) and Tony Pena (Tony Pena Jr.). Rojas later became Manager of the NY Mets. Regional Showcases also took place at Clemson, Notre Dame and Tempe, Arizona.
• 2000Team One’s summer 2000 run delivered another powerhouse stretch: 40 future MLB players — including seven All‑Stars — who ultimately earned more than $1.2 billion in career salaries. The Team One National in Tempe produced 20 Major Leaguers and $384 million in earnings (including David Wright, J.J. Hardy, Zach Duke, J.P. Howell and current White Sox Manager Will Venable), while the West Showcase followed the next few days in Tempe and featured four players who each topped $50 million in MLB earnings (Huston Street, Ricky Nolasco, Jason Vargas, Chris Young). The July Showcase at Clemson outperformed them all, generating a Team One record-high $584 million in career earnings from just 10 players, including Zack Greinke, B.J. Upton, Denard Span, Chris Iannetta, Mark Reynolds, and Jeff Francoeur.
• 2001The 2001 Team One National and West Showcases, held over four days in early July, produced 20 future MLB players who went on to earn a combined $890 million, including six All‑Stars — Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Brian McCann from the National, and Troy Tulowitzki, Allen Craig, and Jed Lowrie from the West; the West also featured NL RBI champion and Gold Glove winner Chase Headley, while Ryan Zimmerman and Gaby Sanchez followed less than two weeks later at the Team One East Showcase in Clemson. All told, seven Team One players from 2001 eventually appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
• 2002The 2002 Team One South Showcase shifted to Georgia Tech and produced three future All‑Stars — Daniel Murphy, Jonathan Venters, and eventual No. 1 overall pick Justin Upton — along with notable standouts Chris Johnson and Sean Rodriguez. That year’s Team One National Showcase moved to Las Vegas, trimming its roster from 120 players to just 33, yet still delivering seven future Major Leaguers, including John Danks, Chris Johnson, and Jared Hughes. The year closed with future NL Rookie of the Year Chris Coghlan boosting his stock at a Team One Unsigned Senior Showcase.
• 2003David Robertson and Wade Davis — both future MLB All‑Stars and World Series champions — headlined the 2003 Team One South Showcase at Georgia Tech, joined by Josh Fields, who later pitched in the 2017 World Series, and John Parker Wilson, who went on to start at quarterback for Alabama under Nick Saban. At Team One West, future 2020 World Series champion Jake McGee led the class alongside Tommy Hanson, who finished third in the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year race.
• 2004Team One was acquired by Baseball Factory, and that year’s Team One National Showcase in Las Vegas featured future MLB All-Stars Brandon Crawford and Jay Bruce — roommates at the event — alongside future NFL star DeSean Jackson; Crawford also headlined Team One West with future All Star and World Champion Jason Castro and veteran big leaguer Peter Bourjos, while Tanner Roark, a 76 game MLB winner with back to back 15 and 16 win seasons, emerged as the top performer at Team One North at Notre Dame.
• 2005Future All‑Stars and World Series champions Brandon Belt and A.J. Pollock headlined the 2005 Team One Showcases, joined by fellow future World Champions Christian Colón and Juan Carlos Pérez. At Team One West, Michael Leake — who went on to win 105 MLB games — and Mark Canha emerged as top performers. That summer also marked the final chapter of the Team One National Showcase, which evolved into the Cape Cod High School Classic and ultimately the Under Armour All‑America Game.
• 2006Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, World Series MVP George Springer, and perennial All-Star Anthony Rizzo headlined the 2006 Cape Cod High School Classic, where Team One defeated Baseball Factory 6–1. Team One founder Jeff Spelman retired after assembling much of the event’s roster talent. Over the next two years, Team One and Baseball Factory faced off at Wrigley Field as the event evolved into the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, which continues today as one of the premier pipelines for this generation’s top MLB stars. Team One Showcases were eventually discontinued after producing additional elite talent such as Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso. Ripken Baseball acquired Baseball Factory in late 2023.
• TodayJeff Spelman’s 1992–2006 Team One era still echoes across the sport: future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander remains the final alum competing at the MLB level, closing out his 21st and final season in 2026. Three current MLB general managers — Brandon Gomes (Dodgers), Sam Fuld (Phillies), and Carter Hawkins (Cubs) — all came through Team One under Spelman, as did current White Sox manager Will Venable and former skippers Rocco Baldelli (Twins), David Ross (Cubs), and Luis Rojas (Mets). Today, hundreds of Team One Showcase alumni shape the game as MLB coaches, Minor League managers and coaches, front office executives, scouts, TV broadcasters and top college coaches, including head coaches J.D. Arteaga (Miami), Josh Holliday (Oklahoma State), and Shawn Stiffler (Notre Dame).