Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader announced on April 22 that he will play for Team Israel at the 2026 World Baseball Classic, speaking during an appearance on The Max Mannis Podcast.
Harrison Bader will play for Team Israel in the 2026 WBC! pic.twitter.com/UvYT44dVak
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 22, 2025
Israel will compete in Pool D at loanDepot Park in Miami from March 6–11 against the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the Netherlands, and Nicaragua. The team will once again be managed by former Major League infielder Ian Kinsler.
At the 2023 WBC, also held at loanDepot Park, Israel went 1–4, with its lone win coming against Nicaragua. The team did not advance to the quarterfinals.
Ranked No. 19 in the WBSC World Rankings, Israel is expected to feature a mix of players from Major League organizations, minor league affiliates, and domestic talent from its national program.
Possible returners include Matt Mervis, Joc Pederson, Garrett Stubbs, Michael Wielansky, Dean Kremer, Robert Stock, Zack Gelof, Alex Katz, Assaf Lowengart, Zack Weiss, Jacob Steinmetz, Jake Fishman, and Spencer Horwitz.
Potential new additions for 2026 include Max Fried, Alex Bregman, Jake Gelof, Zach Levenson, Kenny Rosenberg, RJ Schreck, Ben Simon, Scott Effross, Eli Morgan, Scott Burcham, Jared Shuster, C.J. Stubbs, Dalton Guthrie, Chase Strumpf, Colton Gordon, Evan Kravetz, and Will King.
“I am looking forward to playing for Team Israel in 2026 for the World Baseball Classic, so that’ll be amazing. I’m fully healthy, I plan on being fully healthy, and it’s something I’m certainly looking forward to doing. So that’ll be super cool for so many reasons,” Bader said on The Max Mannis Podcast.
Harrison Bader will play for Team Israel in the 2026 World Baseball Classic! 🇮🇱⚾️ pic.twitter.com/DWokX25mLm
— The Max Mannis Podcast (@MaxMannisPod) April 22, 2025
Bader, 30, is a one-time Gold Glove Award winner from Bronxville, N.Y., now in his ninth Major League season. He debuted with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017 and remained there through 2022 before joining the Yankees. He was placed on waivers on August 29, 2023, and claimed by the Cincinnati Reds two days later.
Bader was sidelined on September 18 with a right groin strain and missed the final weeks of the regular season.
He entered free agency on November 2, 2023, and signed a one-year, $10.5 million deal with the New York Mets for the 2024 season.
In 2024 with the Mets, Bader posted a 0.9 WAR, playing in 143 games with 437 plate appearances. He batted .236 with 95 hits, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI, 17 stolen bases, 21 walks, 95 strikeouts, and a .657 OPS.
In the 2024 postseason, Bader appeared in 12 games. He went 1-for-9 (.111), scoring three runs, stealing two bases, and striking out three times as the Mets were eliminated by the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium.
Bader elected free agency again on October 31 and signed with the Minnesota Twins on February 7, 2025, for one year and $6.25 million. The deal includes a mutual option for the 2026 season.
In 18 spring training games with the Twins, Bader batted .250/.353/.364 in 44 at-bats, collecting 11 hits, two doubles, one home run, five RBI, three stolen bases, seven walks, and eight strikeouts.
Through 20 regular season games in 2025, Bader is hitting .250/.311/.429 with 14 hits, one double, three home runs, 12 RBI, one stolen base, four walks, and 16 strikeouts in 61 plate appearances.
Across his nine Major League seasons, Bader has compiled a career WAR of 14.2. He has played in 798 games with 2,606 plate appearances, batting .242 with 569 hits, 107 doubles, 13 triples, 74 home runs, 280 RBI, 95 stolen bases, 179 walks, 623 strikeouts, and a .740 OPS.
Israel’s WBC roster will once again be composed largely of players born in the United States. Eligibility requirements for national teams in the World Baseball Classic are outlined here.
As Israel prepares for its third WBC appearance, Kinsler brings leadership and credibility both on and off the field.
The roster construction is being overseen by Israel Association of Baseball president Jordy Alter and general manager Peter Kurz.
Before the 2026 WBC, Israel will compete in the 2025 European Baseball Championship from September 20–27. The tournament will be held in Senago, Italy; Rotterdam, Netherlands; and Borgerhout, Belgium. It will serve as a key scouting opportunity for Israel’s baseball federation to evaluate talent for the final WBC roster.
Israel, the Netherlands, Italy, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic will each return to the WBC from the WBSC Europe region for a second consecutive tournament. All five teams begin play on March 6, 2026.
WBC Overview
Japan has won the most WBC championships with three in 2006, 2009, and 2023. The United States won in 2017 and the Dominican Republic won in 2013 and are the only other countries to win the WBC since the event started in 2006.
The WBC is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the sports governing body alongside Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the WBCI, that partner in organizing the event during spring training.
2026 World Baseball Classic Information
The United States, Italy, Mexico, Great Britain and Brazil will compete at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas from March 6-11 in Pool B.
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Canada, Panama, and Colombia 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 Chinese Taipei will compete at the Tokyo Dome from March 5-10 in Pool C.
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.
The 2026 WBC semifinals will be held on March 15 and 16 at loanDepot Park, with the championship game taking place on March 17.
The schedule for the 2026 @WBCBaseball is here! 👀 pic.twitter.com/B5MvUIrZK5
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) April 9, 2025
WBSC Rankings Outline
Japan is ranked at No. 1 in the World Baseball Rankings and will play in their sixth WBC. Chinese Taipei hails at No. 2. and will play in their sixth event. Venezuela at No. 3 and will appear for the sixth time at the WBC. Mexico is at No. 4 and will play in their sixth WBC. The United States is at No. 5 and will appear for the sixth time in the WBC. South Korea is labeled at No. 6 and will play in their sixth WBC.
The Netherlands at No. 7 will play in the WBC for the sixth time. Panama at No. 8 will play at the event for the fourth time. Puerto Rico crawling in at No. 9 will appear for the sixth time. Cuba is at No. 10 and will appear in the sixth WBC. The Dominican Republic at No. 11 will play in their sixth event. Australia pipelines at No. 12 and will play for the sixth time at the WBC.
Colombia at No. 13 and will appear in their third WBC. Italy is at No. 14 and will play in their sixth event The Czech Republic at No. 15 will appear in their second WBC. Nicaragua is ranked at No. 16 and will appear in the WBC for the second-time.
Great Britain at No. 18 will play for the second time at the WBC. Israel is ranked at No. 19 and will play in their third WBC. Canada is at No. 22 and will play in their sixth event. Brazil is ranked at No. 23 and will play in their second WBC.
In the 2023 WBC, Nicaragua, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic played in their first event. Israel and Colombia have played in three consecutive WBC events dating back to 2017. Brazil is appearing in the WBC for the first time since 2013. Panama has played in the WBC previously in 2006, 2009 and 2023, prior to 2026.
China will not be participating for the first time in the WBC since they did not qualify in the second qualifier in Tucson, Ariz., while going 0-3. They have been in the WBC since 2006, in the event’s first year.
The teams that are playing in the 2026 WBC and are part of the WBSC Americas sector are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic. In the WBSC Europe sector, Italy, Israel, Great Britain, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands are participating in the 2026 event.
Japan, Chinese Taipei, and South Korea are in the WBSC Asia sector and Australia is in the WBSC Oceania sector.
All the other listed remaining countries have played in the WBC since its first year in 2006.
The WBC is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the sports governing body alongside Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association and the WBCI, that partner in organizing the event during spring training.
The 2026 WBC pool matchups for all games are slated on World Baseball Classic official site with the confirmed dates, and no game start times have yet been announced.
If teams end up with the same record in pool play the Total Quality Balance run differential rule will be in effect for runs for and runs against alongside the head-to-head record.
2026 WBC Pool Matchups With Confirmed Dates
Pool A – Puerto Rico, Colombia, Panama, Canada & Cuba
Venue – Hiram Bithorn Stadium – San Juan, Puerto Rico
March 6
Game 1 – Cuba vs. Panama
Game 2 – Puerto Rico vs. Colombia
March 7
Game 3 – Colombia vs. Canada
Game 4 – Panama vs. Puerto Rico
March 8
Game 5 – Colombia vs. Cuba
Game 6 – Panama vs. Canada
March 9
Game 7 – Colombia vs. Panama
Game 8 – Cuba vs. Puerto Rico
March 10
Game 9 – Canada vs. Puerto Rico
March 11
Game 10 – Canada vs. Cuba
Pool B – United States, Mexico, Brazil, Great Britain & Italy
Venue – Daikin Park – Houston, Texas
March 6
Game 1 – Mexico vs. Great Britain
Game 2 – United States vs. Brazil
March 7
Game 3 – Brazil vs. Italy
Game 4 – Great Britain vs. United States
March 8
Game 5 – Great Britain vs. Italy
Game 6 – Brazil vs. Mexico
March 9
Game 7 – Brazil vs. Great Britain
Game 8 – Mexico vs. United States
March 10
Game 9 – Italy vs. United States
March 11
Game 10 – Italy vs. Mexico
Pool C – Japan, Chinese Taipei, Australia, South Korea & Czech Republic
Venue – Tokyo Dome – Tokyo, Japan
March 5
Game 1 – Chinese Taipei vs. Australia
Game 2 – Czechia vs. South Korea
March 6
Game 3 – Australia vs. Czechia
Game 4 – Japan vs. Chinese Taipei
March 7
Game 5 – Chinese Taipei vs. Czechia
Game 6 – South Korea vs. Japan
March 8
Game 7 – Chinese Taipei vs. South Korea
Game 8 – Australia vs. Japan
March 9
Game 9 – South Korea vs. Australia
March 10
Game 10 – Czechia vs. Japan
Pool D – Dominican Republic, Netherlands, Venezuela, Israel & Nicaragua
Venue – loanDepot Park – Miami, Fla.
March 6
Game 1 – Netherlands vs. Venezuela
Game 2 – Nicaragua vs. Dominican Republic
March 7
Game 3 – Nicaragua vs. Netherlands
Game 4 – Israel vs. Venezuela
March 8
Game 5 – Netherlands vs. Dominican Republic
Game 6 – Nicaragua vs. Israel
March 9
Game 7 – Dominican Republic vs. Israel
Game 8 – Venezuela vs. Nicaragua
March 10
Game 9 – Israel vs. Netherlands
March 11
Game 10 – Dominican Republic vs. Venezuela
Minnesota Twins’ Harrison Bader (12) hits a single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sunday, April 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
