Tuesday, 3 October 2023:
Curtis Mead is poised to make Australian baseball history when the team rosters are confirmed for the Major League Baseball post-season.
If the Tampa Bay Rays keep the 20-year-old infielder from Adelaide on their squad, he will be the first position player from Australia to reach the MLB play-offs.
Every other Australian in the MLB post-season has been a pitcher - Damian Moss, Graeme Lloyd, Liam Hendriks, Grant Balfour and Pete Moylan.
Legendary second base Joe Quinn reached a National League play-off game in 1892, but that was nine years before the major leagues were formed.
The Rays' 26-player roster will be confirmed on Tuesday, with Mead the only Australian who could play in this year's post-season.
Tampa Bay will start favourites when they host the Texas Rangers in a three-game wildcard series, starting on Wednesday morning (AEDT).
Mead became the 37th Australian to play in the majors when he debuted for the Rays in early August.
He made a dream start, getting a base hit with his first at-bat.
Mead is hitting .253 after 24 games, with one home run, and has also played at shortstop and second base.
According to MLB.com, the Rays have three options for first base in the post-season - Isaac Paredes, who might be needed at second base, Mead or fellow prospect Junior Caminero.
Mead's father, Tim, played for the Adelaide Giants when the original Australian Baseball League started in 1989.
