The World Baseball Classic is less than six weeks away, and more reports of players committing to the much-anticipated tournament are surfacing. Here’s the latest from around the world.
Cuba – According to BeisbolFR.com’s Francys Romero, Yariel Rodríguez will join Cuba for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He has pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays for the last two years, and will work out of the bullpen, not exceeding two innings per game. He had a 3.08 ERA in 66 games for the American League Champions last season.
According to Pitching University, Emmanuel Chapman will also pitch for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. Chapman is in Double-A with the Pittsburgh Pirates and had a 3.72 ERA last season. He made five starts but appeared out of the bullpen 27 times.
Nicaragua – Mark Vientos was already expected to be joining Nicaragua for the World Baseball Classic, but he made his commitment official on Friday in a press conference. He was a star for the New York Mets during their run to the National League Championship Series in 2024, but he struggled last season.
Italy – Kyle Teel will play for Team Italy, according to Danielle McCartan of WFAN. Teel made his debut last season, hitting .273 with a .786 OPS in 78 games. He was the star prospect sent back to the Chicago White Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade. He was the No. 25 prospect in baseball when the trade went down.
Great Britain – According to The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser, Tristan and Brendan Beck will play in the World Baseball Classic with Great Britain. Tristan Beck had a 4.61 ERA in 31 games for the San Francisco Giants last season.
Brendan Beck is in Triple-A with the New York Yankees and had a 3.36 ERA in 26 games last season. He made 24 starts overall and had a 1.82 ERA at the Double-A level.
Mexico – According to Ballengee Group, Jonathan Aranda will play for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. He was an All-Star last season and hit 14 home runs for the Tampa Bay Rays. He slashed .316/.393/.489 in 106 games.
Israel – According to Bob Nightengale, Rob Kaminsky will pitch for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. He pitched in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, but has not pitched in the big leagues since 2020. He pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals in Triple-A last season, but played a total of three games for the organization.
Venezuela – According to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, José Altuve will not play in the World Baseball Classic. He is a former MVP, two-time World Series champion, nine-time All-Star, seven-time Silver Slugger, Gold Glover and three-time Batting Champion. Not having him is a major blow for Venezuela. He had a .736 OPS in the last World Baseball Classic.
Puerto Rico – Nolan Arenado was announced to be playing for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. It is his first time playing for them, as he played for Team USA in the 2017 and 2023 Classics. He is an eight-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glover, five-time Silver Slugger and six-time Platinum Glover.
While they get Arenado, they will not have Carlos Correa, according to The Athletic’s Chandler Rome, due to insurance issues. Correa is one of the best infielders in baseball and has 200 career home runs. He was traded back to the Houston Astros last season and hit .290 with them.
Dominican Republic – Oneil Cruz will play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He is one of the best young stars in the league and stole a National League-best 38 bases last season. He hit 20 home runs as well. He had a down year at the plate overall, hitting just .200. However, he had a .250/.315/.449 career slash line going into the year.
Photo: Oneil Cruz will play for the Dominican Republic at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
