Great Britain’s Harry Ford celebrates after hitting a solo home run against Colombia during the seventh inning of a World Baseball Classic game in Phoenix on March 13. Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo
Nationals catcher Harry Ford confirmed he will play for Great Britain at the 2026 World Baseball Classic during a Zoom call with reporters. Ford was traded by the Mariners over the weekend in a deal for José Ferrer. He was selected 12th overall by Seattle in the 2021 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut this past season, logging just six at-bats in a brief stint. He spent almost all of 2025 at Triple-A Tacoma, where he hit .283/.408/.460 with 16 home runs and 74 RBIs and posted a 125 wRC+.
Ford made a name for himself at the last World Baseball Classic in 2023 and helped lift Great Britain during the World Baseball Classic qualifiers in 2022 just to get the team into the main tournament. Across those two tournaments, he hit .375/.500/1.125 with five home runs and 12 RBIs. His home run against Colombia helped lead Great Britain to an upset in its first-ever WBC win, which clinched its spot in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
Great Britain previously received a commitment from Jazz Chisholm Jr. and has been actively recruiting top-10 prospect Sebastian Walcott. Ford will serve as one of the leaders for Great Britain as it looks for an even better result in 2026.
Great Britain is in Pool B in Houston, with games scheduled for March 6-11. The pool includes the United States, Mexico, Italy and Brazil. Great Britain will play the opening game of Pool B in a pivotal matchup with Mexico. For Great Britain to advance, it is essentially a must-win right away. The top two teams from Pool B will advance to the quarterfinals in Houston and face one of the top two teams from the pool in San Juan.
