USA Baseball and Panini America have hammered out a second long-term extension of their exclusive licensing agreement which began in 2012. The deal grants Panini rights to continue producing cards for players on in the program and use USA Baseball trademarks. That includes the annual Collegiate, 18U, and 15U National Teams, and the organization’s national team development programs.
2022 Stars & Stripes USA Baseball will be the first product launched under the new extension when it’s released on April 6. The product will include more than 40 members of the 2021 Collegiate National Team, as well as members of the 18U and 15U National Teams, the 16U/17U National Team Development Program, and the 13U/14U Athlete Development Program. Autographs and game-worn memorabilia cards from current national teams and well-known alumni will be included in boxes. 
USA Baseball content will be featured throughout Panini’s line of baseball products in addition to one product devoted exclusively to Team USA members past and present.
“Our relationship with USA Baseball has given us the ability to showcase tomorrow’s stars first as they make their way through the USA Baseball program,” said Mark Warsop, CEO of Panini America. “We look forward to continuing the partnership and featuring the top prospects in the game.
USA Baseball uniforms will carry a Panini America logo jersey patch as part of the agreement.
“Our national teams and national team development programs are comprised of new players each year and those changing rosters make USA Baseball content truly unique in the baseball card industry,” remarked USA Baseball Chief Operating Officer David Perkins.
Since the partnership began in 2012, 156 national team alumni have been taken in the first round of the MLB Draft, including eight top overall picks: Mark Appel (2013), Brady Aiken (2014), Dansby Swanson (2015), Mickey Moniak (2016), Royce Lewis (2017), Casey Mize (2018), Adley Rutschman (2019), and Spencer Torkelson (2020). In total, USA Baseball boasts 33 No. 1 picks and 530 first round selections since 1972.
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