The World Baseball Classic is quickly approaching, and stars around the league are starting to commit. Bo Bichette will be playing for Brazil next year, according to MLB.com’s Ayako Oikawa.
“It means a lot to our whole family that my brothers and I are playing,” Bichette told Oikawa. “We want to do our best to contribute to the team’s victory and draw some attention to Brazilian baseball.”
Bichette’s older brother, Dante Bichette Jr., went 4-for-15 in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers this year. He has not played in the big leagues, but has spent time playing in the minor leagues and independent leagues. Brazil went 3-1 in Tucson and qualified for the World Baseball Classic in 2026.
Bichette is having an excellent season for the Toronto Blue Jays. He is slashing .290/.326/.363 so far this year. He is a two-time All-Star and has led the American League in hits twice in his young career. This will not be the first time he suits up for Brazil. Bichette was not even 20 years old at the time and had two hits in the tournament.
Bichette’s mother, Mariana Bichette, is a native of Brazil, which is why he and his brother are eligible to play for the team. Their father was a four-time All-Star and spent 14 seasons in the big leagues. There are not many Brazilian baseball players in the major leagues, but Bichette hopes that playing in the World Baseball Classic will help change that.
“I want to draw some attention to Brazilian baseball,” Bichette told Oikawa. “There are a lot of great players in Brazil, and I hope that one day they will play in the majors.”
Bichette is also hoping that the other players with Brazilian eligibility will join him in the World Baseball Classic.
“I don’t know if there are any other players in the majors this season, but if there are, I’ll invite them to join my team,” he told Oikawa. “I’ll say, ‘Let’s fight together for Brazil.”
