The Deutscher Baseball Softball Verband under president Jürgen Elsishans, submitted their official roster for the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers on February 13 to WBCI and Major League Baseball.
Germany’s roster for the 2025 #WorldBaseballClassic qualifiers: pic.twitter.com/xVmONeLgYu
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 14, 2025
The second event of 2025 WBC Qualifiers venue will take place at Veterans Memorial Stadium at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz. from March 2-6.
China, Brazil, Germany, and Colombia will compete in the second 2025 WBC Qualifiers at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Germany is ranked at No. 17 in the World Baseball Rankings which are published by the World Baseball Softball Confederation. Colombia is ranked at No. 13, Brazil is at No. 23, and China is at No. 20. Nicaragua ranked at No. 16 and Chinese Taipei ranked at No. 2 in the WBR, qualified for the 2026 WBC.
All WBC Qualifier games will stream live on the World Baseball Classic website, as well as on its Facebook page, MLB.TV, and YouTube channel, with coverage running through the final out of the second qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., on March 6.
Germany has never made the WBC in their nation’s history but has played in the last three qualifiers in 2022, 2016, and 2012.
In the 2022 WBCQ at Armin-Wolf-Arena in Regensburg, Germany, the host nation had won one game against South
During the 2016 WBCQ in Qualifier 2, Germany lost two games at Estadio B’Air in Mexicali, Mexico to Nicaragua and the Czech Republic and did not qualify for the 2017 tournament.
Germany went 2-2 in Qualifier 2 at the 2012 WBCQ at Armin-Wolf-Arena and lost to Canada twice, including the final qualifier, which did not allow them to be in the field for the 2013 event.
Germany has never won a gold medal at any major international senior event and has won the silver medal at the European Championship in 1957 and seven bronze medals in 1955, 1958, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1975, and 2010.
Germany also recently lost 5-4 in the bronze medal game to the Netherlands in the bottom of the 10th inning from Dashenko Ricardo’s two run game winning home run in the 2023 European Championship at MBS-Brno in Brno-jih-Komarov, Czech Republic on October 1, 2023.
Key Players for Germany
Markus Solbach will likely start against China and, if Germany advances, in the deciding game to reach the WBC. He has pitched in Triple-A for the Oklahoma City Dodgers and Toledo Mud Hens and in independent leagues with the Rockland Boulders.
The right-hander led the Bonn Capitals in the Baseball-Bundesliga in ERA and WHIP last season and was named league MVP.
In 12 professional seasons across the minors, independent leagues, and international play, Solbach has a career 3.48 ERA over 976 innings with 778 strikeouts, a 1.19 WHIP, and a 7.2 K/9 rate.
Nick Wittgren will be Germany’s top bullpen arm. The right-hander has pitched eight MLB seasons with the Miami Marlins, Cleveland Guardians, St. Louis Cardinals, and Kansas City Royals, making over 300 appearances.
Drafted by Miami in 2012, Wittgren owns a 4.04 ERA over 329.1 innings with 300 strikeouts and a 1.25 WHIP. His best season came in 2019 with Cleveland, when he posted a 2.81 ERA in 57.2 innings.
Donald Lutz brings veteran leadership and power to Germany’s lineup. The former Cincinnati Reds first baseman and outfielder was the first German-developed player to reach MLB, appearing in 62 games from 2013 to 2014.
Lutz has played professionally in the U.S., Australia with the Brisbane Bandits, and Germany with the Regensburg Legionäre. Over two MLB seasons, he hit .211/.239/.284 with one home run and nine RBIs.r
Germany will rely on Lutz as a middle-of-the-order bat in Tucson.
Lou Helmig, Germany’s most dynamic offensive weapon, spent two years in the Philadelphia Phillies’ minor league system before returning to Germany, where he starred for the Regensburg Legionäre.Helmig led the Baseball-Bundesliga last season, slashing .365/.410/.595 with a league-best six triples.
Jaden Agassi will be a key arm in Germany’s pitching staff. The right-hander, son of tennis legends Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, pitched at USC from 2021 to 2023 before breaking out in the MLB Draft League with the Mahoning Valley Scrap20pers.
In 2024, Agassi posted a 2.96 ERA with 9.2 K/9, showing strong command and a solid fastball.
Germany will likely turn to Agassi as a third starter or long-relief option in the WBC Qualifiers.
Understanding Player Eligibility
While Germany’s roster features 15 players born in the country, others qualify through World Baseball Classic eligibility rules, which allow players to represent a nation if they were born there, hold citizenship or permanent residency, or have a parent or grandparent with ties to the country. Players can also qualify if they have previously competed for a country in a WBC event or meet the legal requirements for obtaining citizenship.
Germany’s roster for the 2025 WBCQ is filled with players that have played at the collegiate level in NCAA Division I, the minor leagues in the United States, the Baseball-Bundesliga which is operated by the DBV, the independent leagues in the United States, the MLB Draft League, and the Australian and Caribbean winter leagues.
The stats for the 2024 Baseball-Bundesliga regular season are located on Baseball Bundesliga.
These regulations explain why Brazil-born Christian Pedrol and U.S.-born Jaden Agassi are eligible to represent Germany in the tournament. Agassi, the son of Tennis Hall of Famers Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf, qualifies through his mother’s German heritage.
International player eligibility is a key factor for multiple teams in the World Baseball Classic Qualifiers. Brazil, competing in the second WBCQ in Tucson, Arizona, features several non-Brazilian-born players, including Dante Bichette Jr. from Orlando, Florida, Arthur Tsujiguchi from Tokyo, Japan, Hector Villarroel from Anzoátegui, Venezuela, Lucas Ramirez from Weston, Florida, and Yusuke Enzo Sawayama from Hamamatsu, Japan. Bichette Jr. is the son of former MLB slugger Dante Bichette Sr. and the brother of Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette. Ramirez is the son of two-time World Series champion Manny Ramirez.
China, also playing in Tucson, has two foreign-born players on its WBCQ roster with Jeremy Wu-Yelland from Seattle, Washington, and Yanlun Zhang from Singapore.
Germany’s 2025 WBCQ Roster & International Player Inclusion
Germany’s official roster for the 2025 World Baseball Classic Qualifiers is available on MLB’s World Baseball Classic website.
Germany is managed by Jendrick Speer, with a coaching staff that includes bench coach Maurice Wilhelm, hitting coach Alexander Baham, pitching coach Clemens Cichocki, bullpen coach Mike Bolsenbroek, infield coach Octavio Medina, and bullpen catcher Maurice Bendrien.
German Born-Players
Joe Cedano De Leon (Bad Homburg, Germany)
Jake Gilbert (Hedelberg, Germany)
Marcel Giraud (Karlsruhe, Germany)
Simon Gross (Berlin, Germany)
Mark Harrision (Paderborn, Germany)
Sascha Koch (Troisdorf, Germany)
Niklas Rimmel (Berlin, Germany)
Sven Schueller (Wuppertal, Germany)
Markus Solbach (Dormagen, Germany)
Vincent Ahrens (Cologne, Germany)
Yannic Walther (Heidelberg, Germany)
Simon Baeumer (Hamburg, Germany)
Finn Bergmann (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany)
Lou Helmig (Paderborn, Germany)
Shawn Larry (Bad Windsheim, Germany)
Non-German-Born Players
Jaden Agassi (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Jordan Martinson (Bedford, Texas)
Christian Pedrol (São Paulo, Brazil)
Tommy Sommer (Columbus, Ohio)
Duke Von Schamann (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
Nick Wittgren (Torrance, California)
Simon Baumgardt (Washington, D.C.)
Erick Brenk (Long Beach, California)
Tristan Russell (Arlington, Texas)
Alex Schmidt (Canberra, Australia)
Lucas Dunn (Panama City, Florida)
Donald Lutz (Watertown, New York)
Germany 2025 WBCQ Official Roster
MLBD – MLB Draft League
ACL – Arizona Complex League
Pitchers
Jaden Agassi (Mahoning Valley Scrappers – MLBD)
Jose Cedano De Leon (Guggenberger Legionare Regensburg)
Jake Gilbert (ACL Reds – Rookie Level)
Marcel Giraud (Bonn Capitals)
Simon Gross (Bonn Capitals)
Mark Harrison (Untouchables Paderborn)
Sascha Koch (Bonn Capitals)
Jordan Martinson (Kane County Cougars)
Christian Pedrol (Guggenberger Legionare Regensburg)
Niklas Rimmel (Bonn Capitals)
Sven Schueller (Heidenheim Heideköpfe)
Markus Solbach (Bonn Capitals)
Tommy Sommer (Kane County Cougars)
Duke Von Schamann (Heidenheim Heideköpfe)
Nick Wittgren (Aguilas Cibaenas)
Catchers
Vincent Ahrens (Cologne Cardinals)
Yannic Walher (ACL Brewers – Rookie Level)
Infielders
Simon Baumgardt (University of Notre Dame)
Finn Bergmann (Untouchables Paderborn)
Simon Baeumer (Guggenberger Legionare Regensburg)
Eric Brenk (Bonn Capitals)
Tristan Russell (University of Houston)
Alex Schmidt (Guggenberger Legionare Regensburg)
Outfielders
Lucas Dunn (San Antonio Missions – AA – San Diego Padres)
Lou Helmig (Guggenberger Legionare Regensburg)
Shawn Larry (Heidenheim Heideköpfe)
Donald Lutz (Brisbane Bandits)
Luca Rammelmann (Untouchables Paderborn)
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and a Qualifier nation will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and a Qualifier nation will compete in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium from March 6-11 in Pool A.
Japan, Australia, South Korea, Czech Republic, and a Qualifier nation will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Israel, and a Qualifier nation will compete at loanDepot Park in Miami in Pool D from March 6-11.
The Quarterfinals of the 2026 WBC will feature the Pool A runner-up facing the Pool B winner on March 13, while the Pool B runner-up will face the Pool A winner on March 14 at Daikin Park.
The other side of the Quarterfinals will be on March 13 with the Pool C runner-up playing the Pool D winner and the Pool D runner-up will compete the Pool C winner on March 14 at loanDepot Park.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
2025 WBC Qualifiers Schedule – Veterans Memorial Stadium
All Game Start Times Are Listed Eastern Standard Time
March 2, 2025
China vs. Germany – 1 p.m. EST
Brazil vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 3, 2025
Brazil vs. Germany – 1 p.m. EST
Colombia vs. China – 8 p.m. EST
March 4, 2025
China vs. Brazil – 1 p.m. EST
Germany vs. Colombia – 8 p.m. EST
March 6, 2025 – Qualifier Game
2nd Place Team vs. 3rd Place Team – 8 p.m. EST
Tie-Breaker Scenarios
If two or more teams have the same record, head-to-head results determine the higher rank. If three or more are tied, the team that allowed the fewest runs per out recorded against the tied teams advances. If still tied, earned runs per out recorded will be used. If a tie remains, the team with the highest batting average in head-to-head games moves on. If no winner is determined, World Baseball Classic Inc. will hold a drawing to decide.
German Born Players That Played In MLB
Germany Confederation: Charlie Getzien, George Heubel, Bill Kuehne, David Lenz, Joe Miller, Gus Shallix, Frank Siffell, Joe Straub, and Marty Swandell
German Empire: Heinz Becker, Fritz Buelow, Pep Deininger, Ed Eiteljorge, Fred Gaiser, Ben Koehler, Marty Krug, Bill Miller, Fritz Mollwitz, Reggie Ritcher, Skel Roach, Dutch Schesler, Dutch Schliebner, Bun Troy, Tony Welzer, and Bill Zimmerman
Soviet Zone of Germany: Mickey Scott
West Germany: Jeff Baker, Rob Belloir, Mike Blowers, Bob Davidson, Ron Gardenhire, Glenn Hubbard, Edwin Jackson, Steve Kent, Craig Lefferts, Tom McCarthy, Dave Pavlas, Tobi Stoner, and Stefan Wever
Germany: Aaron Altherr and Max Kepler
