MIAMI – Brayan Rocchio will be on the roster for Italy for their 2026 World Baseball Classic semifinal Monday night against Venezuela at 8 p.m. EDT.
Rocchio, 25, is a native of Caracas, Venezuela with Italian roots via his grandfather, who was born in Italy. A player is eligible to represent a country in the World Baseball Classic if they are eligible to receive a passport. While Italy is in the process of changing its citizenship laws at the moment, currently persons with parents or grandparents born in Italy are eligible for citizenship.
In three seasons with Cleveland, Rocchio has appeared in 221 Major League games with a .222/.293/.327 slash line, 13 homers and 88 RBIs. Defensively, he has primarily played shortstop while also seeing time at second and third.
Photo: Brayan Rocchio throws out Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ildemaro Vargas during the fourth inning of a spring baseball game in Goodyear, Ariz., Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
