We are just about less than three weeks away from the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers being held in Tucson, Arizona. The four teams, Colombia, China, Germany, and Brazil will compete from March 2-6 to see which two teams will move ahead to the 2026 World Baseball Classic. All four teams have revealed their rosters for the upcoming action. Here is who will be representing China.
Pitchers:
Catchers:
Infielders:
Outfielders:
A lot of familiar faces will be back with China’s squad from their run during the 2023 World Baseball Classic, with a few newcomers looking to get China back in the WBC. China was eliminated in 2023, and forced to re-qualify for the tournament for the first time in the team’s history. China will be managed by Weiliang Li, and former minor league veteran Ray Chang takes over duties as the team’s hitting coach.
China could spice things up when it comes to their starting rotation, and southpaw Jeremy Wu-Yelland could take the ball in China’s first game. The 25-year-old was born in Seattle, Washington, and was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2020 MLB Draft from the University of Hawaii. Wu-Yelland would throw well as a starter in 2021, between Low-A and High-A, he made 23 starts, going 2-4, posting a 3.91 ERA, collecting 90 strikeouts in 76 innings. He would miss the entire 2022 season and the first half of 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery. He would return to the Red Sox High-A affiliate in 2024, where he would pitch 23 games out of the bullpen, going 2-1, with a 5.67 ERA, logging 33.1 innings, and walking 23 batters, and collecting 42 strikeouts.
In terms of the bullpen, Alan Zhang Carter is certainly the favorite to provide work during the late innings for China. The 27-year-old was born in Singapore, and also appeared with China during their WBC appearance in 2023. He had pitched in the Los Angeles Angels organization for 2023, throwing in 19 games between Low-A and Double-A. He went 2-2, posting a 4.40 ERA, with 38 strikeouts in 28.2 innings. For 2024, he signed with the Lake Country Dockhounds, part of the American Association. Carter had a season to remember, going 2-1, posting a 0.72 ERA in 31 appearances, picking up 11 saves, striking out 61 batters and walking 24 across 37.2 innings of relief.
As for their lineup, most of the attention will be drawn towards outfielder Samuel Benjamin. The 22-year-old played at the University of Houston from 2021-22 before transferring to Houston Christian for the 2023-24 seasons. In his last collegiate season this past 2024, Benjamin hit for a .309 average, crushing 15 home runs, with 39 RBIs, and picked up 11 stolen bases. He also spent time playing with the State College Spikes in the MLB Draft League, where he hit .422 with six home runs, 25 RBIs, and 14 stolen bases. After his stint concluded with the Spikes, Benjamin joined the Lake Country Dockhounds, and played in 15 games hitting .200, with two home runs, and ten RBIs. Overall, Benjamin would hit 23 home runs, and drive in 74 RBIs, and 25 stolen bases between the NCAA, MLB Draft League, and the American Association.
China’s first game for the WBC Qualifiers will be played on March 2, when they face Germany. Following that, they will play Colombia and Brazil, as two teams will be able to move on for a shot to compete at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
