Joseph Contreras is living his dream as a 17-year-old baseball star. The Blessed Trinity Catholic High School pitcher from Georgia recently took the field against some of the best players in the world while representing Brazil in the World Baseball Classic.

What happened when Joseph Contreras faced Aaron Judge?

During Brazil’s matchup against Team USA on Friday, Contreras was called to the mound to face American League MVP Aaron Judge.

The teenager entered the game in the second inning and quickly ran into trouble. He gave up a double to Brice Turang and then walked two more batters, loading the bases with one out. That set up a high-pressure showdown with Judge at the plate.

Contreras, however, didn’t back down from the moment. Throwing a 96.6 mph fastball, he forced Judge into a broken-bat grounder that turned into an inning-ending double play, Yahoo Sports reported.

Although Team USA went on to win the game 15-5, Contreras left a strong impression on Judge.

“I know I wasn’t doing that at 17 years old, that’s for sure,” Judge said after the game, per Yahoo Sports. “Just great stuff. I felt like he had some poise on the mound, he’s throwing up to 100 mph, he’s facing Team USA, a lot of guys he’s probably seen on TV. It was just impressive. Impressive to see him control himself out there, get out of a big jam.”

Contreras returned to the mound in the third inning but allowed a single, a run that scored on a wild pitch and another walk. His outing ended shortly afterward when he was replaced by Tiago De Silva.

Contreras’ MLB draft prospects

Contreras is the son of former MLB pitcher José Contreras and delivered his standout performance Friday while playing in front of his father.

The young pitcher plans to continue his baseball career at Vanderbilt after graduating from high school. According to Yahoo Sports, he is currently ranked as the No. 47 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s rankings for the 2026 draft.

Before the matchup with Team USA, Contreras even spoke about the possibility of facing one of baseball’s biggest stars.

“Maybe face Aaron Judge. That would be nice,” he told reporters.